Awful engine noise after Seafoam!
07-28-2020, 03:00 AM
#1
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 12
Awful engine noise after Seafoam!
Pretty sure Seafoam just F'd up my '99 SE. Sucked a half bottle through intake yesterday prior to oil change. All seemed normal as I smoked out the neighborhood. When I started it this morning to go to work, there was a rather loud knock coming from the engine. Sounded more like a clacking, rather than the ticking you'd normally hear from noisy tappets and what not. It quieted down a little as the engine warmed. I stopped at a red light a few miles down the road, and when I accelerated after the light changed, the noise changed into something that I don't even know how to explain. I stopped, called a coworker to pick my @as up and left the car sit. Recorded a quick clip of the noise after returning to the car after work. Needless to say, I left the car there and am still working on figuring out a way to get it home. Has anyone else experienced anything like this as a result of using Seafoam? I don't have the time right now to start tearing down an engine, and imagine I'm just going to have to have to let her go. Please advise if anyone can identify this horrendous noise.
07-28-2020, 04:35 AM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Lawrenceville NJ
Posts: 89
Maybe a lifter? Not sure. If there is a harbor freight near you, get an automotive stethoscope to try and pinpoint where on the engine the noise is coming from.
If you have a chance upload that vid to youtube then post the link here. it would make it easier for the forum members to view it.
If you have a chance upload that vid to youtube then post the link here. it would make it easier for the forum members to view it.
07-28-2020, 12:43 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 704
Kinda sounds like the chain tensioner rattle you get when you first start up after replacing the water pump. Wdornbach is right, a stethoscope (or even a long screwdriver) will help pinpoint the location.
07-29-2020, 04:22 AM
#5
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Arizona
Posts: 12
Quick question regarding the oil pump......if it were to fail, would that result in no oil pressure, and in turn trigger the oil pressure mil, or would there still be some kind of pressure present?
07-31-2020, 05:26 AM
#7
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Lawrenceville NJ
Posts: 89
Most likely you will have a knock sensor code with all that clunky knock sound its making.
I'm wondering if you got a failed lifter and a bent valve. Just guessing.
See if you can find someone that has a bendable camera scope, feed it into each cylinder through the spark plug holes. Look at each cyl's piston and valves. You may be able to rent a camera scope from a local tool rental place, or if you are freindly with a local mechanical or hvac contractor. They usually have one. I used a camera scope a few years ago to find a leaky pipe inside a wall, it worked great and it was bendable and small enough to go through a spark plug hole. If you do get a camera scope, maybe pull the timing chain cover and peek around in there too. Have someone put a socket wrench on the crank and slowly turn over the engine while you are looking at the timing chain.
Another thought, if you pull all spark plugs, then crank the engine by hand with a socket wrench on the crank, the engine should turn fairly free and smooth. If it hangs up or there is a hard spot somewhere during the revolution, then something mechanical is amiss.
Keep us posted. We need to know whats causing that noise. The community needs to know if sea foam destroyed your engine.
I'm wondering if you got a failed lifter and a bent valve. Just guessing.
See if you can find someone that has a bendable camera scope, feed it into each cylinder through the spark plug holes. Look at each cyl's piston and valves. You may be able to rent a camera scope from a local tool rental place, or if you are freindly with a local mechanical or hvac contractor. They usually have one. I used a camera scope a few years ago to find a leaky pipe inside a wall, it worked great and it was bendable and small enough to go through a spark plug hole. If you do get a camera scope, maybe pull the timing chain cover and peek around in there too. Have someone put a socket wrench on the crank and slowly turn over the engine while you are looking at the timing chain.
Another thought, if you pull all spark plugs, then crank the engine by hand with a socket wrench on the crank, the engine should turn fairly free and smooth. If it hangs up or there is a hard spot somewhere during the revolution, then something mechanical is amiss.
Keep us posted. We need to know whats causing that noise. The community needs to know if sea foam destroyed your engine.
07-31-2020, 03:34 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 2,979
Did you pour the Seafoam in slowly, or rapidly.
Did the engine make a horrible noise while you did that.
You might have damaged the engine.
Set the hand brake.
Put car in neutral
remove all spark plugs.
rotate engine by hand. Do you feel any resistance ?
I advise that you test the compression of each cylinder. You might have one with zero compression.
You might have hydrolocked the engine and bent a connecting rod.
it's also possible that the sea foam loosened a chunk of carbon from the intake manifold. It might have kept a valve open. The piston might have hit that valve.
Did the engine make a horrible noise while you did that.
You might have damaged the engine.
Set the hand brake.
Put car in neutral
remove all spark plugs.
rotate engine by hand. Do you feel any resistance ?
I advise that you test the compression of each cylinder. You might have one with zero compression.
You might have hydrolocked the engine and bent a connecting rod.
it's also possible that the sea foam loosened a chunk of carbon from the intake manifold. It might have kept a valve open. The piston might have hit that valve.
08-07-2020, 11:08 AM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 2,979
I don't think we will read any more about this.
Seems like having something like this would be hard to talk about and possibly embarrassing.
So I suppose that members should try to learn from this.
My guesses
1. Hydo lock.
Result of pouring too much in at once.
That would result in a bent connecting rod.
It would make some noise at first, or more after its been driven a while.
2. A chunk of carbon got wedged between the head and the valve seat.
We have interference engines. So the piston would hit the wedged open valve.
3. It would not be the result of a bad hydraulic lifter.
Our cars have mechanical lifters.
Seems like having something like this would be hard to talk about and possibly embarrassing.
So I suppose that members should try to learn from this.
My guesses
1. Hydo lock.
Result of pouring too much in at once.
That would result in a bent connecting rod.
It would make some noise at first, or more after its been driven a while.
2. A chunk of carbon got wedged between the head and the valve seat.
We have interference engines. So the piston would hit the wedged open valve.
3. It would not be the result of a bad hydraulic lifter.
Our cars have mechanical lifters.
08-07-2020, 12:30 PM
#11
Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Lawrenceville NJ
Posts: 89
I'd still like to know the outcome. Was hoping the OP would keep us updated but we hear only the sound of chirping crickets.
Comon @@beavo040 !!!! To quote Judge Smails from that iconic Caddyshack movie: "Well? WE'RE WAITING!!! "
08-09-2020, 07:19 PM
#16
I'm thinking it was a case of hydraulic lock too....Sounds like a rod and a chain rattle as well....Easy why to figure out which cylinder is the problem is pulling your coilpack pigtail connectors one at a time....GL.
08-09-2020, 07:26 PM
#17
I don't think we will read any more about this.
Seems like having something like this would be hard to talk about and possibly embarrassing.
So I suppose that members should try to learn from this.
My guesses
1. Hydo lock.
Result of pouring too much in at once.
That would result in a bent connecting rod.
It would make some noise at first, or more after its been driven a while.
2. A chunk of carbon got wedged between the head and the valve seat.
We have interference engines. So the piston would hit the wedged open valve.
3. It would not be the result of a bad hydraulic lifter.
Our cars have mechanical lifters.
Seems like having something like this would be hard to talk about and possibly embarrassing.
So I suppose that members should try to learn from this.
My guesses
1. Hydo lock.
Result of pouring too much in at once.
That would result in a bent connecting rod.
It would make some noise at first, or more after its been driven a while.
2. A chunk of carbon got wedged between the head and the valve seat.
We have interference engines. So the piston would hit the wedged open valve.
3. It would not be the result of a bad hydraulic lifter.
Our cars have mechanical lifters.
Last edited by CMax03; 08-09-2020 at 07:28 PM.
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