400HP55

Just got my transmission serviced at INDY (my guy who does all my work).

When we started it up it blew out white smoke. NEVER seen that before. Then a LOUD knock started on the driver side....

It was running fine this morning and I helped him do it so i saw the car the whole time...

I'm gonna sell it I guess. Any ideas to try before I do???

betrezra

Leak down test will reveal condition of cyl's/pistons.
You can run a borescope in the cyls for visual.
Check for codes.
Check spark plugs.
GL.

Blue_Monster

Check the lifters. Same thing happened to my bros car. Part is 100. Bucks maybe 2 hours Of labor

400HP55

Can you please ask him the part name and see if you can get a part number please? Its a ticking/slapping/clacking noise and yes it sounds like a lifter or something... Its not a piston I know that for sure... Thanks Blue_Monster !!!

400HP55

Here is a few videos so you guys can hear.....
Its a clacking / slapping sound. Its not a clicking sound....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8iTkPscD1M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iIU-5Chn0o

betrezra

A few ideas:
You can take a long rod and "carefully" place it on different components to hear if the noise is coming from that part.

Egs.... alterantor, power steering pump, water pump, ac compressor, etc....

You can also take the accessory belt off and run with out it to isolate the accessories..... (prob best to have a shop to this if you're not handy with tools).

Honestly it sounds like out 60K mile ML500 before we just had our service and oil change... the new oil quieted it down, but the clacking 500 55 engines are pretty common from what I understand.

If it's not a failing engine accessory.... then prob a lifter tapping.

400HP55

Ya I think it is a lifter. I'm almost positive. Anyone know how much a lifter would cost, a ball park figure, to get replaced at a Indy/dealership?

Thanks guys!!

BRIZZOK84

Good luck on getting your car fixed.

400HP55

Thanks guys. It got a whole lot louder this morning! So I'll be taking it in come Monday. I was thinking maybe DIY on this. Wonder how hard it would be? It wasn't slapping to bad when I left the dealership but once I raced that vette it got a lot worse. I hope it didn't take a valve with it.

If it did, I have to pull the head. But if I'm gonna do that, can I upgrade the head while I'm at it or put in better pistons as well?? Would I need a re tune for all this??

Thanks for your help guys!

Ausmbtech

Does it quieten down at the engine heats up but come back really loud on the next cold start?

If so then you may just have cabon buildup on the piston crowns. Long story short, the combustion chamber design is prone to carbon build up in a point where is can contact the piston crown. when the carbon is cold it is hard and makes a loud noise but as it softens it gets quiet.

2 cans of upper engine cleaner on a very hot engine and retest. The early 55 can do it but it's rare, the late 11:1 compression engine is prone to it when not driven hard regularly.

Ruination Fan

How long were your valve covers off for when you painted them?? Are you sure nothing got in while the covers were off?? You may want to pull a cover off and make sure your poweder coating didnt come off on the inside and pulg a lifter hole.

400HP55

ausmbtech,
No... The sound gradually got louder until it sounded loud as all hell. But when I do start it in the morning the sound isn't there for about 5 seconds and then it starts. It gets louder as it heats up... My engine would be probe cause I almost never rev it higher than 3500.

Ruin,
It was about 5 days but I had them covered up... I can almost guarantee something got in it...

400HP55

Took it the dealership:

The initial reaction was horrid. *I had a group of mechs looking at it. *They said.... *Engine slap caused by scared sleeves. *It may be done for gents. *He said the piston sounds like is rocking at the top of the stroke........ I left it there and there gonna scope the engine and look at the vales on Monday... It may R.I.P.....

I hope it's the valves/rockers...

boxeswithknobs

Holy cow, I am so sorry to hear that. Finding out the root cause if possible will be useful - sounds like it all came on way too suddenly. Perhaps crud getting in during spark plug change or chipped/damaged spark plug?

I hope you get the best outcome possible on this, that's really scary.

400HP55

Got a call today. They said there still investigating. They said there looking at the valve train right now. That was a few hours ago. They have found several things wrong this far....

Nachtsturm

How many miles are on your car?

400HP55

90k miles

They found metal shavings this morning. OR at least they said they did. They put it on a piece of paper and it looked like specs of dirt but was not metal shavings i'm 100% positive. Then once they said they found metal shavings they stopped working and said they wanted yto pull the bottom end.

I got my car back and looked and looked for metal shavings... NOTHING. I found 0 metal shavings. I am 99.9% sure this isnt piston slap. No way AT ALL can this be piston slap or even lower end problems. I didnt drop anything in the engine or no dirt at all in the engine. And lets say there was a bit of dirt. Were talking like specs of dirt if anything. I looked today and found nothing. I will try again tomorrow. I'm starting to think I need to take off my cylinder head. But before I do that, I need to check on a few things... First thing being a faulty spark plug or lifters like Blue Monster said.

blackbenzz

White smoke = burning coolant

400HP55

So we took the valve cover off. We spent 3 hours inspecting the rockers and such. Everything checked ok. We did a compression test on cylinder #3. This is the cylinder we think has the issue. It read 140 which checked good. The spark plugs inside of it were covered in oil.

We lifted up the car and heard noise coming from the bottom as well as the top end. It could be sound traveling.

Next step is to drop the oil pan and look into the engine to see if we can see cylinder 3 and look for damage causing oil to get into the combustion chamber. After this, if it checks good, we're gonna yank out the cams and look at the lifters and valves.

If it is a lifter, like blue said, then I'll fix it.

Does anyone know how hard it is to replace a lifter cause my Indy said he'll have to pull the head off. Said to change a lifter it'll cost about $800.00-$1000.00.

Thanks for all your help by the way!!!

To be continued...

Ruination Fan

Heads dont have to come of for the lifters. I would say boriscope the cylinders before droping the pan. Scoping the cylinders (after removing spar plugs) will show you signs of scoring on the cylinder walls (ie: piston slap). Where are you located?

blackbenzz

Plugs covered in oil is not a good sign. Were the other cylinders 140 as well? I'm hoping your walls are ok and you don't have broken ringlands which you won't see until you actually pull the piston out

400HP55

Sorry I meant valve guides not lifters guys.
Ya I wanted to bore scope it but we don't have one...
I'm in Fresno
Ya my other cylinders were 135-140

87tpita

any findings on the issue?

400HP55

**** Car was taken form the dealership and taken to my INDY (20+ year master tech at mercedes) once the dealership said I need a new block, just to recap...


In a matter of fact yes. Got a chance to do a few things today.

So they pulled the oil pan and looked under the pistons. Everything looked fine. Now, #3 piston was a bit hard to look at, so they only saw one side which looked just fine. As we recall, #3 piston was "suspected of scared sleeves/piston slap ." Come to find out this isnt the case, THUS far. We need to rotate the crank to check the other side tomorrow.

We went ahead and pulled the cam out on the passenger side and took of the valve cover on the driver side and took off the chain. Everything seems fine. I can kinda see the guides. But we'll look better tomorrow.

So thats where were at now. I'll take some pics and such and post them tomorrow

As of now, everything looks normal

400HP55

Heres some pictures. Took off the rockers and cams. Everything looked fine

Can I get a

Ok so, now I have a excuss to pul lthe engine out HARHARHAR!!!! But first I'll pull the head off...

This is gonna be fun. I'll start a new thread and show you guys some pictures as my progress comes with the engine being pulled out.

E55 engine into a W208... Oh it is possible...