Is this normal? I'm planning to start up my JDM VE that I've been working on for forever now, and tonight was just putting some finishing touches on it. When turning the engine by hand I get a distinct "clink" about halfway through the revolution, and then a "clank" at about the other halfway point. Now, there's no resistance per se, and I know the timing chain is tight, VTC's look great, etc. but I'm not so sure about the sound it's making. Kind of freaked me out because I don't know why it should be making any noise at all.

I have the engine that I pulled out of the car on a stand, and I get the same clink/clank from it. The engine is supposed to be good, as I bought the car with just a blown automatic transmission. I couldn't ever get it to start, although admittedly I didn't try very hard because once I saw the whole thing was full of brown sludge I just decided to put my JDM in it.

Anyway, I'm kind of paranoid now Thoughts?

 

IIRC, that's normal. I think the timing chain slaps against the guides when tension changes occur in the chain. There isn't any oil pressure to pump up the tensioners when it's not running.

 

What 505 said. it's just the loading on the cams causing them to snap some tension around on the chains and they slap against the tensioners.

 

Whew. Thanks guys!