Uh ho, a loud tick!(more than just the usual)

[BillyGman]

I hope somebody here can help me out. My Marauder has 53,000 miles on it, and just yesterday it began making a tick that sounds to be about the same tempo/speed as something in the valvetrain such as a lifter. This isn't the usual 4.6L engine faint ticking noise that I always used to hear during idle which began once the car had about 1,500 miles, and was very fint. This is louder, and can be heard over the road noise of the tires even while at 55 MPH on the highway. It occurs during light partial throttle between 2,000 and 4,000 RPM. It cannot be heard at all at other RPM's, nor during coasting, nor at full throttle. It kinds sounds like of my old 70's cars did when I allowed the oil to run low, but my oil level on the Marauder is fine, and I change it often.

I'm going to get a stethascope to see if I can locate the exact area that it's coming from. The car still runs just as strong and quick as always, even at full throttle, and so far, whatever is making this noise has not effected performance. The weird thing is that even during part throttle when it's occuring, it goes away as soon as the torque converter locks up. Which makes me wonder if it can possibly be a cracked flex plate.

I seem to remember some of you bringing your Marauders back to the dealer to have something under the valve covers re-torqued to eliminate a loud ticking somewhere in the valvetrain, but I don't remember exactly what bolts it was. Although I've performed plenty of mechanical work to this car myself, I must admit that for the most part, my experience with overhead cam engines is very limited. Particularly with the valvetrains of these engines. Is there any Technical Service bullitens ("TSB's") for this? And if there is, would the dealer have to perform this work free of charge even though my warantee has run out?

[RF Overlord]

would the dealer have to perform this work free of charge even though my warantee has run out?Billy, the warranty on your motor ran out the minute you tightened the last bolt on the Trilogy... :lol:

I don't recall hearing about any TSBs for this issue...but even so, I doubt any dealer would perform one for free with that whirly thing bolted to your intake manifold... :P

The cam tick you're referring to was, IIRC, a much quieter sound, but that was only a few cars and was a long time ago, so I may be wrong. Just so I can at least pretend I'm being helpful, if you don't have the FSM and want to try it yourself, I'd be happy to look up the cam retainer torque specs for you when I get home.

[BillyGman]

I have the Ford manual, and I'll be looking at it later on today. But I didn't even know what to look for when it comes to valvetrainsd on these DOHC motors. I guess it's the "Cam retainer bolts" that you've mentioned. I believe there is someone who had that performed at their local dealer, and I was wondering if that solved his problem. I don't remember who it was though. I wasn't concerned about any warranty, and I'm well aware of the supercharger thing. I was just wondering if TSB's were merely a warranty thing, or not. Thanks for your reply. ;)

[RoyLPita]

Keep us posted, please.

[ScottB]

I would do a compression test first. I had a broken ringland in the mustang and it made a loud tick. It was funny, when you shut it off you could hear a "sproing" sound from the ring. A compression test showed #1 low, and a bore scope confirmed it.

[BillyGman]

Keep us posted, please. Okay, will do. At this point, I really don't even know if this is something serious or not. Many of the Mustang and Cobra boys on the SVT board have complained about ticking noises, and some of them have even driven their cars for 100,000 miles with the ticking, and it never even effected engine performance. But I haven't any way of knowing if what they were hearing was like what I'm hearing from my engine right now. :confused:

[BillyGman]

I would do a compression test first.....That's a very good idea. And I have a bore scope as well as a compression tester. thanks. :)

[JACook]

When you do your compression test, pay particular attention to whether any spark plugs are loose.
A tick such as you describe is a common precursor to spark plug blowout.

[prchrman]

Billy...sometimes a header leak will fool ya...check that also...willie

[HwyCruiser]

Mine had a horrible ticking that quieted down after the cam guide cap bolts were retorqued to factory specs under warranty.

[Marauderjack]

Possibly an exhaust leak?? I have had them sound just like a tick!!:cool:

Good Luck and keep us informed!!

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Blackened300a]

Thats what I was thinking, Exhaust leak. But if goes away when the TC locks up makes me think it may be something else.

[Krytin]

The weird thing is that even during part throttle when it's occuring, it goes away as soon as the torque converter locks up. Which makes me wonder if it can possibly be a cracked flex plate.


I've had this happen on a few trucks - cracked plate/broken bolt. The sound did come and go depending on load/gear.
Good luck Billy!

[badabotha]

Hello all, first post here. I picked up my Marauder a month ago with 56k on her. There is a noticeable tack, tack sound at cold startup, but she purrs like a kitten when warmed up.

[jgc61sr2002]

Welcome aboard .:welcome1: Enjoy your new ride.:D

[kj31067]

welcome
enjoy your ride and dont sweat the small ticks and clanks as mine does it everytime when the motor is cold. did it at 26k when i bought it and at 34k it still does it. nothing outrageous, but enogh to make you start it once in a while with the door open and see if it is getting worse. mine never did...........:D

[BillyGman]

welcome
enjoy your ride and dont sweat the small ticks and clanks as mine does it everytime when the motor is cold. did it at 26k when i bought it and at 34k it still does it. nothing outrageous, but enogh to make you start it once in a while with the door open and see if it is getting worse. mine never did...........:DNo, this is different on my car ( like I stated in the title of this thread)...this sound doesn't go away when the engine warms up. In fact, it actualy gets more noticeable as the engine warms, and you don't have to open the door nor even the window to hear it now. It can be clearly heard from inside as well as outside the car, even over and above the road noise of the tires on the highway.

And I doubt very much it's a cracked ring landing, or bad compression, because the engine runs just as good as it ever did, and it isn't losing one bit of power. Not even at full throttle at redline. I'm hoping it's something inexpensive like a header leak. I'm going to first begin with the easy stuff....

I'll check to make sure that all the sparkplugs are tight. After that, I'll try running the car while it's on the lift or securely on jackstands, and see if I can locate an exhaust leak anywhere. If that doesn't turn up something, then I'll have to take a look at those torque converter bolts. And if all of that checks out fine, then I'll get the steathascope on the valve covers while it's running. Thanks for eveyone's help and suggestions so far. I'll let everybody know what these first stages of diagnosis turn up.

[BillyGman]

Here's a very minor update....well it isn't the flex plate bolts nor the sparkplugs getting loose. I checked those, and although I did find one of the flexplate bolts so loose that it wasn't even finger tight, the noise still didn't go away after I tightened it. :mad: So next, I'll check the exhust to see if I can find any leaks. It's tough to find the time to even look at the Marauder now since I've been so busy with the Chevelle..... I dunno, I might decide to sell the Marauder since I don't have the $$$ to fix it if it turns out to ned major engine work. And I'm going to need a reliable car for the winter. Somebody wants to give me $6000 for it plus a clunker to get me around for the winter months, and I hate to say it, but it's getting tough to refuse. :(

[RoyLPita]

Keep us posted, please. I seriously doubt that the "Burnout King" needs something..............but I could be wrong.

[kj31067]

No, this is different on my car ( like I stated in the title of this thread)...this sound doesn't go away when the engine warms up. In fact, it actualy gets more noticeable as the engine warms, and you don't have to open the door nor even the window to hear it now. It can be clearly heard from inside as well as outside the car, even over and above the road noise of the tires on the highway.

And I doubt very much it's a cracked ring landing, or bad compression, because the engine runs just as good as it ever did, and it isn't losing one bit of power. Not even at full throttle at redline. I'm hoping it's something inexpensive like a header leak. I'm going to first begin with the easy stuff....

I'll check to make sure that all the sparkplugs are tight. After that, I'll try running the car while it's on the lift or securely on jackstands, and see if I can locate an exhaust leak anywhere. If that doesn't turn up something, then I'll have to take a look at those torque converter bolts. And if all of that checks out fine, then I'll get the steathascope on the valve covers while it's running. Thanks for eveyone's help and suggestions so far. I'll let everybody know what these first stages of diagnosis turn up.


billygman
i m sorry , i was making a comment on post 14....guess things got a little confused.. i didnt mean your noise was minor as it obvioussly wasnt and isnt...........

[BillyGman]

billygman
i m sorry , i was making a comment on post 14....guess things got a little confused.. i didnt mean your noise was minor as it obvioussly wasnt and isnt...........Oh, okay. My mistake. I should've picked up on that. It is I who owe you an apology. Sorry about that, and thanks for the explanation. ;) Anyway, I sure hope that I'm able to uncover something that's minor and inexpensive for me to fix when I look at the exhaust system and listen to the valve covers with a stethoscope, because it's beginning to look like that would be the only way that I'll be able to keep this car. And all I have to say for certain is that this car has been the best car I've ever had. I had so much fun with this thing that I can't even begin to tell you. I've never been beaten on the street with it, and I won't even mention how many victories I've had with it in fear of the 55 MPH people here condemning me.:D

[kj31067]

Oh, okay. My mistake. I should've picked up on that. It is I who owe you an apology. Sorry about that, and thanks for the explanation. ;) Anyway, I sure hope that I'm able to uncover something that's minor and inexpensive for me to fix when I look at the exhaust system and listen to the valve covers with a stethoscope, because it's beginning to look like that would be the only way that I'll be able to keep this car. And all I have to say for certain is that this car has been the best car I've ever had. I had so much fun with this thing that I can't even begin to tell you. I've never been beaten on the street with it, and I won't even mention how many victories I've had with it in fear of the 55 MPH people here condemning me.:D



we all have our fingers crossed for ya!!!!:)

[BillyGman]

Well, here's another nail in the coffin for my Marauder ownership:
I put a stealthoscop to the engine while it was warmed-up and running, and I couldn't hear anything wrong underneath the valve covers. that isn't a good sign, since the metal to metal sound I'm hearing must be coming from the bottom end......

[mtnh]

ouch. Maybe a loose rod bearing, and maybe it is salvagable if it gets changed really quickly! Best of luck to you.

[Krytin]

Billy I read above that you found a very loose bolt on the flex plate. I am assuming that it was one of the bolts for the T/C and not the ones in the crank hub. A loose T/C bolt can and many times will lead to a cracked flex plate which will continue to make the kind of noise you are getting. Just double checking that you did not miss this possibility! I hope you find a simple/inexpensive fix for this problem.

[Tallboy]

Billy I read above that you found a very loose bolt on the flex plate. I am assuming that it was one of the bolts for the T/C and not the ones in the crank hub. A loose T/C bolt can and many times will lead to a cracked flex plate which will continue to make the kind of noise you are getting. Just double checking that you did not miss this possibility! I hope you find a simple/inexpensive fix for this problem.

Plus one^^^^. I vote for a cracked flex plate, Billy.

This happened to my Cutlass. Quite a racket, indeed.

[BillyGman]

Okay. Thanks guys. Yes, it is one of the T/C bolts that was loose. In that case, I guess I'm going to have to drop the transmission to check that flexplate for cracks.

[sailsmen]

Somebody wants to give me $6000 for it plus a clunker to get me around for the winter months, and I hate to say it, but it's getting tough to refuse.

Think again on this. If it's something major on the engine you can get a used engine for a fair price. If it's the trans they go used for a few hundred.

Good Luck.

[BillyGman]

Somebody wants to give me $6000 for it plus a clunker to get me around for the winter months, and I hate to say it, but it's getting tough to refuse.

Think again on this. If it's something major on the engine you can get a used engine for a fair price. If it's the trans they go used for a few hundred.

Good Luck.I hear what you're saying. I mean after all, I do have $40K into this car including the price that I bought it for three years ago. And I can get a performance built shortblock for $2,500-$3,000. But with all the major $$$ I've been puting into this 70 Chevelle of mine, the fact is that I'm absolutely tapped, and my bank account is destroyed from that project alone.

So there's just no way that I can raise the $$ for a shortblock right now, and with winter on it's way, I need some decent transportation, and soon! So I just cannot afford to keep this car unless it turns out to be the flexplate being cracked or something like that. I can replace the flexplate myself, so all as it will cost me is the $$ for the part. Which can't be more than a couple hundred if even that. That kind of money I can handle.

So once I get the engine and transmission back into the Chevelle this weekend ( long story :rolleyes: ) then I can get it off of my brother's lift, and then drop the Marauder trans to take a look at that flexplate.

[Loco1234]

best of luck...

[BillyGman]

update...

my buddy was looking at it, and while we had it running, and it was making the noise ( it now makes the noise at idle too) he began taking off the plug wires one at a time, and when he removed #1 wire, the noise stopped, When he replaced it, the noise was there again. This is not good since it rules out anything like the flexplate being cracked.

I'm puting the car up for sale for $11,000. I'll be taking a big loss since I have $40K into it, but I need the money, and I just don't have the money to rebuild the engine on this car. I've put too much $$ in my Chevelle to be able to afford this major repair now required for the Marauder. The car runs great, and is as fast as it ever was, but I now have to take it real easy with it, because that noise is geadually getting worse. I believe it's a wrist pin that's damaged. :shake:

[RoyLPita]

I'm sorry to hear about this. At least it will be a great candidate for a beefier lower end rebuild and maybe even the twin screw setup.

[Zack]

Dont even bother people, I was the first to pm him.

[Agent M79]

Dont even bother people, I was the first to pm him.

I figured you'd be all over that.

What do ya think? Get it fixed up in an afternoon or what?

[BillyGman]

Zack, I'l give you a call later on when I get to work......

[Zack]

I figured you'd be all over that.

What do ya think? Get it fixed up in an afternoon or what?

I have a thing abot restoring cars and women to their former glory.
Doesnt always work for women though. :down:

[BillyGman]

oh, BTW, let me make something clear....

as much as I'd love to sell this car to a fellow Marauder owner here on the board, who ever it is that e-mails me, PM's me, or telephones me first is irrelevent. I'll telephone Zack to talk to him about it since he has requested that I do so via PM. However, until he or anyone else who has already spoken to me where I work about the car, sends me either a very sizeable down payment and that check clears, this is first come first serve, and who ever I get the cash in hand from first gets the car. yes, once I receive a check, that locks that person in atleast until that check clears, and if it does, then the car is then held for him, but just because someone sends me a PM first, that only means that I'll call him up on the phone before anyone else.

I'm explaining that because the recent news of me having to part with this car of mine has sent shock waves through my work place, and there are already many guys talking about buying my car. So the only fair and sane way for me to handle this is that I'm not taking anyone seriously and therefore nobody can lay claims to my car until I have the cash in hand, or I deposit a check in my account. In the mean time, this car is up for grabs here in Connecticut as well as on this board to anyone who is interested. So at this point, anyone who cares to e-mail me or contact me in anyway is free to do so.

I wanted to explain this since I'm very well aware that this is a fantastic price that I'm asking as far as I'm concerned, and as far as some people who I work with are concerned as well, and I have a lot of people talking about this.

[Agent M79]

Doesnt always work for women though. :down:

{Insert cartoon trumpet noise here} whaaaa-whaa.

[Zack]

Billy, call me asap and the check will be out!

[Loco1234]

Good Luck Zack....
Hope you get it if you want it...

[Breadfan]

My wire transfer flies faster than a check!

J/K, good luck Zack, this is a great deal for whomever get's it, what a car with some great history! The great burnout video!

Billy sorry you have to sell, it's a sad day I'm sure, but I completely understand the need, and it frees up the resources for the Chevelle project.

The only thing better than one Trilogy Marauder would be two, but my finances don't allow such a thing at this time, best of luck bro.

I'd pop a Cobra shortblock in it (yeah iron block I know) toss tons of boost at it and go run mid 11's all day. But that's just me.

[Zack]

I'd pop a Cobra shortblock in it (yeah iron block I know) toss tons of boost at it and go run mid 11's all day. But that's just me.


If you did that, it would be a slow, dissapointing PIG.

Low compression + Big Car = SLOW.

High Compression + Big Car + High Boost = Correct Recipe.

[RR|Suki]

If you did that, it would be a slow, dissapointing PIG.

Low compression + Big Car = SLOW.

High Compression + Big Car + High Boost = Correct Recipe.

I dunno about that, my engine compression was lowered when I had it bored, and it was faster when I got it back... as long as you are making the power what's the problem?

[Loco1234]

well boring it out will give it more power....

...but if you would have used pop up piston to retain compression you'd have even more power.....

[Breadfan]

Well I dunno, Sherman's car certainly moves! Saw him run an 11.46...actually a few cam'mers with this setup I think...

Anyway you forgot boost in the first equation. :D

[TooManyFords]

Low compression + Big Car = SLOW.

High Compression + Big Car + High Boost = Correct Recipe.

Lower Compression + High Boost = BEST Recipe and stays together longer.

;)

John

[RR|Suki]

well boring it out will give it more power....

...but if you would have used pop up piston to retain compression you'd have even more power.....

I would rather have my low comp, and just add more boost thanks, seeing as my blower can give me more boost and air than I could ever use.

on a seperate note, sorry to hear about the tick, it's unfortunate... you could maybe let it sit for the winter and get a little beater or something... It would suck for all that investment to go pooof

[BillyGman]

As far as my Marauder goes, the compression ratio hasn't anything to do with it. And like Zack said, if you go too low with the CR, then the engine won't produce the power, especially in the low RPM range, which is where you want it with a street driven car, unless perhaps you go sky high with the boost pressure. And you don't want to go past 13 PSI with the Eaton superchargers since 14+ PSI boost pressure levels are where heat becomes an issue with these.

So I'd rather have less boost, and more compression, atleast with these engines. But the problem with my engine right now, is a worn wrist pin ( as far as I know) on #1 cylinder, which hasn't anything to do with compression ratios, nor with detonation in any way. I drove this car hard for 54,000 grueling miles ( 43,000 of them being supercharged), and now I'm about to pay the price by having to put this car up for sale. And believe me, I'm really dragging my feet about the idea of selling it. I haven't any choice financially though. My Chevelle project has totally drained all my funds, and I'm literally living from paycheck to paycheck now, and working much overtime including 7 days a week which I've never been known to do in the past.

In fact, when I began a couple weeks ago saying "yes" to my supervisor at work when he came around asking for overtime, he was shocked. And when my co-workers saw me at work on Saturday and Sunday, a number of them began jokingly asking me things like..."Are you feeling alright?"..."What are you doing here on a weekend?"...or..."That chevelle must be costing you a whole lot of money if you're here today." :D

But I don't regret how I drove this car. I drive all my cars hard. And when my Chevelle is done, I'll be driving that thing hard too. It's never been in my line of thinking to spend thousands of dollars on a car over and above what you would've otherwise for transportation, just to make it real fast, and then baby it when it's being driven.

I don't spend hours and days working on my cars to make them perform on a high level, just so that I can walk around bragging to people how much HP and torque the engine makes, nor just to have them sit in some parking lot at a car show with the hood open, to show people the engine, and/or a supercharger sitting on top of it. I spend the time, money, and labor on them so that they move, and move good, and then I enjoy that power when I drive them. That's the way I'll always be until I get old enough to let this high performance thing go, and just stick to economy cars.

I've only put 20 passes on this car at the dragstrip ( since we don't have one here in Connecticut and I therefore have to travel out of state to get to a track) but I've been in about 67 street races that I can remember ( yes, I made up a list :D ). And I've never been beaten with this car on the street, and I've had more fun with this car driving it on a daily basis than I've ever had with any other car that I've owned. I LUV these cars. They look so cool for a big car, and when you put a Trilogy supercharger on them along with Kooks headers and exhaust like I have, you have it all in a package that offers everything you can ever want in a daily driven street car.

I haven't anything bad to say about Marauders. They are great cars!!! I think that the only negative thing that I can think of to say about them if I had to is that I wish that they had come with a bigger engine such as the 5.4L one along with this same Eaton supercharger that I have on my car, from the boys at Trilogy Motordsports . My friends joke about how I have a fan club where ever I go with this car. People are drawn to how it looks, and many of them are in awe when they see how well my car moves even to this day ( and I'm sure that many of you other supercharged Marauder owners can relate to that). Which is the difficult thing about driving it now that it needs engine work. Because I have to stay out of the boost, which isn't easy for me. The engine still runs fantastic, and the car can still fly. But because I still need it for my daily transportation, I have to try and take it easy on it. Sorry for the rant..... :banana2:

[LordVader]

Don't worry Billy, the go fast thing hasn't left me yet! I'm ten years older than you and it still gives me a thrill when I can get into the pedal. Believe me, that hasn't changed from day one and I don't think it ever will. My MM hasn't got any mods yet, but they are coming very soon and there's no sense in having this puppy if I can't get on it at least once a week!

[BillyGman]

Yeah, I don't think it will leave me until I'm well into my 60's. I can't say that I've hit full throttle every single day that I've driven my Marauder, since you have to have very light traffic conditions and plenty of room to do that sensibly with a supercharged Marauder anyway. But I have been into the boost atleast momentarily every single day I've driven it up since 2 1/2 years ago when I first installed the supercharger, up until about two weeks ago when I began hearing the ticking noise. And up until then, I did hit full throttle every week.

[Zack]

Loan App. in process....

[BillyGman]

Well it sounds like Zack is very serious about this, and I think that's fantastic! It would be great to sell my Marauder to a fellow board member here!! I hope the loan pans out okay for him. This is so cool.... I'd get to hear about what happens to the best car I've ever owned! :banana2:

[Zack]

Loan approved!

[jgc61sr2002]

Loan approved!



Zack - Congrats.:D

[Loco1234]

Best of luck Zack...
...and keep of posted....

[Bradley G]

It has taken me a while to think of the words.
I wish thier was another solution to your problem.
Charity, may not be your idea of help....however
Would you reconsider, if some financial assistance, was made available?

[BillyGman]

It has taken me a while to think of the words.
I wish their was another solution to your problem.
Charity, may not be your idea of help....however
Would you reconsider, if some financial assistance, was made available?Thanks so much for that offer Brad, but I'd feel real funny about excepting that as nice as the thought is. I mean I've helped a few guys out on this board over the years, sure....but many have helped me out too, and I've never even attended any of the "Maraudervilles", so many of the guys here haven't even had the chance to meet me face to face, and I couldn't expect anyone to donate $$ to my repair bills, especially when this is all due to how hard I drive my cars.

I've had well over 3 years of fun and laughter with this car, and to me it was all worth it. I hate to let it go, sure, but most of my cars only last me 2 to 3 years anyway. So while this has been an expensive endeavor for me, I'm kinda used to the "changing of the guard" being every few years when it comes to my cars, and my main focus is on my Chevelle now anyway. And I sure have poured alot of $$$$ into that car. More than I ever had in my Marauder. So that's the primary reason that I can't afford to do major repairs to the Marauder. So I'm not any martyr here. I played, and now I have to pay. I guess that's a law of ethics that we just can't get around, and I fully except that, and don't want to think of myself as any victim here, nor do I want to give anyone the impression that I am either. I put myself here in this situation, and it's only because of my actions that I am in it. but the road up until now was soooo much fun! So thanks anyway pal. I plan on continuing my membership here on this board, as well as my participation at least every now and then. there are so many great people here, and this board has been real good to me overall. So I'm not planning on leaving. As long as you guys don't mind me posting a few Chevelle project update pics in the "Lounge" forum every once in awhile. And I'll also offer my viewpoints and my input on Marauder stuff just as I have in the past, in hopes to be of some help to someone, just as many have helped me.

[SergntMac]

"Just tuning in here", ahhh...excuse my pun?

Dayum Billy, sorry to read all this news. I hope all works out well for you.

If it's the #1 cylinder showing poor performance, a lot of '03/'04 Cobra owners have complained about a follower popping off.

A "follower" on our engines looks just like (and function as) a valve rocker arm on a push rod engine. They snap into place on our engines, and snap out of service too. No real way to anchor them in place, except with an aftermarket upgrade (that may not fit under the MM valve cover).

When one does snap out, you suffer little in overall performance loss, 'cause we have two each of intake and exhaust valves working. Yet, the follower is bouncing around in that 4V valve train mess, must bang around a lot and without causing much damage at all.

A 100K mile used Marauder engine I bought recently, had a follower off, and not "following" anymore. In this case, that valve ceased to function at all, just stayed closed. The seller of this engine complained (warned?) of some engine noise, and some other irritating issues, but I didn't diagnose this engine while running in the car myself, I just broke it down for rebuild after delivery. No serious problems found, but I did discover a follower off on one of the #1 cylinder exhaust valves under the valve cover, with a lot of dents in the valve cover's baffle.

I can only imagine how this must sound in a running engine, and yes, it's going to sound different than noises we have talked about here before. It may sound like a more serious a repair than pulling a valve cover and inspecting the valve train would show. Stethosope, leak-down and compressions tests may be likewise misleading, as the noise this loose part must make travels (and telegraphs) elsewhere, as the follower moves about the tight quarters it resides in. As any loose object in circulating oil in a recriprocating assembly may sound.

It may be a piston wrist pin after all, but maybe not. It's a true "toss of the dice" until more can be heard by familiar ears. If Zack is willing to toss this set of dice, best wishes to him.

At least I know we have one more engine build-up in the works, that could get this very special Marauder back to health in a short period of time. Let me know what you need, Zack?

Just my .02C gents, carry on.

[BillyGman]

Thank you very much for chiming in here Mac. I was wondering if it was simple at first, and I understand your point. In that respect, it wouldn't be Zack who's taking the chance, because even if the entire engine has to be rebuilt ( which I think that it does, since I think that it's a wrist pin ) he is still getting a fantastic price on this car, and I haven't any doubt that he is well aware of that.

If anything, it is I who is taking the chance, because if Zack buys it for the $11,000 price tag that we agreed upon, and the problem turns out to be something more simple like you're talking about, then not only would i feel real stupid, but I would've thrown away even more money than I needed to.

The only other thing that I can say is that I put a stethoscope to both valve covers while the engine was running, and they were pretty quite, and sounded perfectly normal. I'll have to do that again tomorrow now that the noise is getting a little louder. However, the other thing is, that I would think that if the problem was something like you've described, then it would continue to make that noise whether the sparkplug boot for that cylinder was on or off since all of the parts of the entire valve train for each and every cylinder are turning around regardless of how many spark plugs are firing. So those are my thoughts on this.

Feel free to add more input if you see fit. I'm certainly not looking to debate in any way. Just sharing my thoughts are everyone else is.;)

[Tallboy]

Thank you very much for chiming in here Mac. I was wondering if it was simple at first, and I understand your point. In that respect, it wouldn't be Zack who's taking the chance, because even if the entire engine has to be rebuilt ( which I think that it does, since I think that it's a wrist pin ) he is still getting a fantastic price on this car, and I haven't any doubt that he is well aware of that.

If anything, it is I who is taking the chance, because if Zack buys it for the $11,000 price tag that we agreed upon, and the problem turns out to be something more simple like you're talking about, then not only would i feel real stupid, but I would've thrown away even more money than I needed to.

The only other thing that I can say is that I put a stethoscope to both valve covers while the engine was running, and they were pretty quite, and sounded perfectly normal. I'll have to do that again tomorrow now that the noise is getting a little louder. However, the other thing is, that I would think that if the problem was something like you've described, then it would continue to make that noise whether the sparkplug boot for that cylinder was on or off since all of the parts of the entire valve train for each and every cylinder are turning around regardless of how many spark plugs are firing. So those are my thoughts on this.

Feel free to add more input if you see fit. I'm certainly not looking to debate in any way. Just sharing my thoughts are everyone else is.;)

Don't sweat it, Billy. Depending on what you get for a daily driver, I have no problem borrowing the Chevelle the next time I'm back home...:D

[Zack]

I promise to restore the car to its former glory and daily drive it just like you did Billy.
Unless you named your car Lynn, all will be well.

(Inside joke and a select few are laughing really hard right now)

[RoyLPita]

So, Billy, What is your winter beater going to be after all this done?

[BillyGman]

Don't sweat it, Billy. Depending on what you get for a daily driver, I have no problem borrowing the Chevelle the next time I'm back home...:DLOL......how generous of you Chuck....... ..."what are friends for?"...right? :D

[BillyGman]

So, Billy, What is your winter beater going to be after all this done?I'm going to take the money from the sale of the car(well, most of it anyway) and try to find some decent transportation. Probably something that's a RWD V8 car (ie. crown Vic, grand Marquis, or maybe a Caddy or the like) that has relatively low miles on it. There's a used car lot located a couple towns away from me that sells nothing but V8 American luxury cars who I once purchased a car from, and was impressed with the owner's honesty and customer support. So I plan on going there to see what they have on their lot.

Oh BTW, another reason why I don't believe it's anything in the valve train as MAC was thoughtful enough to make mention of, is that this knocking/ticking noise that the engine makes does NOT occur at all while the engine is cold, and it takes about three minutes of run time for it to begin making the noise. During the first three minutes that the engine is running, the noise cannot be heard at all, unless the engine is already at least partially warmed up. I stood there in front of the car while the engine was fully warmed up and running at idle while a friend of mine took the #1 cylinder spark plug boot in his hand, and he began to pull it off the spark plug, and replace it back on. he did that repeatedly, about once every two seconds, and every time that he removed it, the ticking noise vanished, and the noise immediately returned as soon as he replaced the boot back on that spark plug every time.

This is why I was convinced that the problem exists in the bottom end of the engine, and two different mechanics who I know well, have already told me that they can tell by the sound that it's a damaged wrist pin, and that they've heard that sound plenty of times before in the past from other engines that they had worked on. Believe me, I had arrived at this conclusion reluctantly. I didn't want to believe that it was something serious. But after investigation, I found it very difficult to continue to hope that the problem was something minor. If Zack begins dismantling the engine of this car, and finds that it was in fact something minor, then he lucked out, and it therefore would be my loss. In that case, more power to him, and he has earned it because of his efforts. But as it sits right now, I've done enough investigation and diagnosis to be convinced that this engine will need to be rebuilt due to a damaged wrist pin on #1 cylinder, or at the very least, something else that is major in that cylinder. So I have to let the car go. I wish Zack all the luck with it, and I look forward to reading on this board, of him restoring the car, and having as much fun with it, as I have had. It was simply fantastic beating Porches, Vettes, Camaros, and Mustangs with this car once I supercharged it. And I remember how a few of them ( like two of the LS1 engine equipped Camaros, a Porsche 911 Carrera, and a 2002 Z06 vette), tried repeatedly to keep up with this car on the highway, and just failed to do so every time regardless of it being from a standing start, or from a 80 MPH roll, and anything in between. I'll never forget the enjoyable experiences that I've had with this car once it was "Trilogized"..... GO ZACK, GO!!!

[Sully008]

Billy,

I hadn't followed this thread but I'm sorry to hear you're selling your Marauder. You were the first to PM me and welcome me to "The Machine". I'm glad that you'll be sticking around though, and the car will be going to a good home. You're burnout video is still my all time favourite Marauder video, bar none!:bows:

[BillyGman]

Billy,

I hadn't followed this thread but I'm sorry to hear you're selling your Marauder. You were the first to PM me and welcome me to "The Machine". I'm glad that you'll be sticking around though, and the car will be going to a good home. You're burnout video is still my all time favorite Marauder video, bar none!:bows:LOL....it always amuses me when someone brings up that burnout video of mine. I get a big kick out of it, and it was also really fun performing the burnouts that I did in that vid. They were also very enjoyable experiences in deed. The thing that's the most amusing is how that vid has actually acquired a cult following. I mean, I've been approached by guys at the gas station while I was pumping gas into the Marauder who I don't even know, who have claimed to be employees of the local tire place where I've not only left a copy of that vid for them upon their request, but where I've also laid down some big smoke shows in their parking lot as I left, leaving all three of their garage bays engulfed with smoke. :D And they had requested additional copies of that video for their friends.

I also have searched the web, and have actually found my video on foreign websites with commentary in different languages such as German, and Japanese!! I really had no idea how popular that vid would eventually become in the future, when I was producing it. My focus at the time of it's production, was just to obtain victory over all my brother Trilogy equipped Marauder owners, with special emphasis on defeating Dave ( aka "MI2QWIK4U") since he had challenged me with the words on this board that he had typed......"I'll be making my own burnout video, you're going down this time Billy" which was when Jerry Barnes of Trilogy Motorsports had made the official announcement of the video burnout contest for his Trilogy Supercharger customers. But I'm glad that everyone has enjoyed thaty video as much as I did making it. And yes, I'll be sticking around here. There are many cool people around here. :)

[Bradley G]

I too have enjoyed the imfamous vid.
When Billy mailed me a copy, I took it with me to show anyone who showed interest in viewing it.
I played it once at a Circuit City on a Big screen and theater sound.
People from all areas of the store, were looking to see, the comotion we caused.

I played it for a coworker, an hour ago.

[BillyGman]

:laugh:This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.That's priceless.:D I hope that in some way, that vid is a celebration of Marauders everywhere.

I too have enjoyed the imfamous vid.
When Billy mailed me a copy, I took it with me to show anyone who showed interest in viewing it.
I played it once at a Circuit City on a Big screen and theater sound.
People from all areas of the store, were looking to see, the comotion we caused.

I played it for a coworker, an hour ago.

[shakes_26]

Billy they played your video on Woodward Ave at the Eaton booth last year (MVIII), continuous rotation all day. Lots of open mouth stares, 'effin sweet' comments being tossed about too.

The legend of BillyGman....maybe they'll make a movie...

[BillyGman]

Billy they played your video on Woodward Ave at the Eaton booth last year (MVIII), continuous rotation all day. Lots of open mouth stares, 'effin sweet' comments being tossed about too.

The legend of BillyGman....maybe they'll make a movie...That's so cool!!!! I didn't know that. thanks for sharing. :D

[Tallboy]

I'm going to take the money from the sale of the car(well, most of it anyway) and try to find some decent transportation. Probably something that's a RWD V8 car (ie. crown Vic, grand Marquis, or maybe a Caddy or the like) that has relatively low miles on it. There's a used car lot located a couple towns away from me that sells nothing but V8 American luxury cars who I once purchased a car from, and was impressed with the owner's honesty and customer support. So I plan on going there to see what they have on their lot.

Oh BTW, another reason why I don't believe it's anything in the valve train as MAC was thoughtful enough to make mention of, is that this knocking/ticking noise that the engine makes does NOT occur at all while the engine is cold, and it takes about three minutes of run time for it to begin making the noise. During the first three minutes that the engine is running, the noise cannot be heard at all, unless the engine is already at least partially warmed up. I stood there in front of the car while the engine was fully warmed up and running at idle while a friend of mine took the #1 cylinder spark plug boot in his hand, and he began to pull it off the spark plug, and replace it back on. he did that repeatedly, about once every two seconds, and every time that he removed it, the ticking noise vanished, and the noise immediately returned as soon as he replaced the boot back on that spark plug every time.

This is why I was convinced that the problem exists in the bottom end of the engine, and two different mechanics who I know well, have already told me that they can tell by the sound that it's a damaged wrist pin, and that they've heard that sound plenty of times before in the past from other engines that they had worked on. Believe me, I had arrived at this conclusion reluctantly. I didn't want to believe that it was something serious. But after investigation, I found it very difficult to continue to hope that the problem was something minor. If Zack begins dismantling the engine of this car, and finds that it was in fact something minor, then he lucked out, and it therefore would be my loss. In that case, more power to him, and he has earned it because of his efforts. But as it sits right now, I've done enough investigation and diagnosis to be convinced that this engine will need to be rebuilt due to a damaged wrist pin on #1 cylinder, or at the very least, something else that is major in that cylinder. So I have to let the car go. I wish Zack all the luck with it, and I look forward to reading on this board, of him restoring the car, and having as much fun with it, as I have had. It was simply fantastic beating Porches, Vettes, Camaros, and Mustangs with this car once I supercharged it. And I remember how a few of them ( like two of the LS1 engine equipped Camaros, a Porsche 911 Carrera, and a 2002 Z06 vette), tried repeatedly to keep up with this car on the highway, and just failed to do so every time regardless of it being from a standing start, or from a 80 MPH roll, and anything in between. I'll never forget the enjoyable experiences that I've had with this car once it was "Trilogized"..... GO ZACK, GO!!!


This may sound silly, but did you pull the plug? Is it OK? Even a small piece of porcelain, if broken off the plug, can make a hell of a racket. Crank the engine up with the offending plug removed, re-install it, and check again?

This has happened to me before. Ask Mr. Barnes.

[BillyGman]

This may sound silly, but did you pull the plug? Is it OK? Even a small piece of porcelain, if broken off the plug, can make a hell of a racket. Crank the engine up with the offending plug removed, re-install it, and check again?

This has happened to me before. Ask Mr. Barnes.But if that's what it was, then wouldn't it be making that noise as soon as the engine was started when it was still cold? Remember, the noise in my engine doesn't begin until it's been running for atleast three minutes, when it begins to warm up.

[CRUZTAKER]

I too have enjoyed the imfamous vid.


....I hope that in some way, that vid is a celebration of Marauders everywhere.

Indeed by far the only MM burnout video worth watching. The rest are poseurs.
On one hand, I am really sad to see you go...on the other...I just just lost my competition.;)

Booya Burnout king-I. :bows:

[BillyGman]

Indeed by far the only MM burnout video worth watching. The rest are poseurs.Thanks Barry.
On one hand, I am really sad to see you go...on the other...I just just lost my competition.;)

Booya Burnout king-I. :bows:Ha Ha Ha.... that's a cheap victory my friend. :D Anyway, maybe I'll do a burnout vid with my Chevelle, but I know that even if it gains notoriety across the internet like my Marauder vid has, it still won't have the same effect on this board.

BTW, Chuck, I checked out the plug, and did what you suggested about running the engine with that plug removed, and then replacing it, but to no avail. The noise is still there. I guess it didn't hurt to check, so that I could rule out that one last simple thing. Thanks for the heads-up just the same pal.

[thePunisher]

hey billy long time no speak...i havent read this whole thread...but it sounds to me like youve spun a rod bearing.....seen plenty of 4v motors chew rod bearings at the dealer ship....never seen a wrist pin go....

[BillyGman]

Well, she's gone.:( ...my beloved supercharged Marauder is now gone with the wind, regardless of what the problem with the engine is. I've also noticed how the engine has been using oil lately, although there isn't any smoke coming out of the tail pipe that I'm aware of. However, be it a rod bearing or wrist pin, I'm convinced it's something happening with the bottom end, and the engine is in need of a rebuild which I just couldn't handle right now.

I met Zack at the airport with it, drove him to my house, closed the deal, and he drove her away. Boy did she look pretty driving away. :alone:

Right before he drove her away, Zack was even nice enough to roll down the window and say....."Are you sure?"...."You can give me a couple hundred bucks for air fare, and drive me back to the airport if you want."

As much as I wanted to take him up on that, I knew in my heart that it wasn't in the cards for me to do that. I just couldn't swing it. It sure was thoughtful of Zack to even say that though. I wish you the best with it Zack. And although I'll miss her, I'll still take joy in hearing about you restoring her, and having some fun driving experiences while behind the wheel. :banana2:

[Marauderjack]

Is he gonna drive it back to Chicago with it KNOCKING??:confused:

If so.....He's got GIGUNDO CAJONES!!:eek:

Good Luck Zack!!:beer:

Marauderjack:burnout:

[BillyGman]

Yes he is. I drove it one hour to the airport to pick him up, and then another hour back to my house before he took it away. And up until just yesterday, I've been driving it every day to work. Like I previously stated, it runs great, and still has the same excellent power as it always had since I installed the Trilogy supercharger kit.

But it is only a matter of time that it will stop running, and the engine will run it's course and run out of life. A number of people tell me that it could last for quite awhile longer the way it is, particularly if it's driven very easy. But there are no guarantees of course, and it can go at any time. So hopefully, Zack will make it home okay, before that happens. I believe that it's very likely that he will, but only time will tell. Both Zack and I agreed, that it's a very peculiar noise that the engine is making. But then again, I've never had any engine bottom end problems with any of the other cars I've had in the past. I've only had top end problems before with the others.

[Agent M79]

Sad that it is to see it pass from your hands, Billy, but it is good that it is still in the mix here on mm.net.

[Jerry Barnes]

Billy,

I am very sorry to hear you sold your car. It has been great having you be a Marauder owner. Please continue to hang out with all of your friends on the board. I am very sorry to hear your news! Zack got a very good deal and a great car!!! You and this car are a major piece of Mercury Marauder history!!!! Mark is correct, the EATON people played our video over and over at the Dream Cruise. People were amazed. I love that video and always will.

Please stay in touch and good luck to you my friend!!!

Jerry

[BillyGman]

M79 & Jerry,

thanks for your posts. I'll be hangin' around here for sure. The membership of this board is truly outstanding, and I've learned so much here from a good portion of my fellow board members.

[jgc61sr2002]

Billy - Sorry to see your marauder go.:(

[MM03MOK]

Is he gonna drive it back to Chicago with it KNOCKING??:confused:

If so.....He's got GIGUNDO CAJONES!!:eek:

Good Luck Zack!!:beer:

Marauderjack:burnout:
Just spoke to Zack. He's on I-80 and it's running like a champ! Went head to head with a KB Cobra and beat the snot out it!! He said it's ticking, not knocking.

Billy, continued good luck on your new project.

[bigslim]

Billy, sorry to you sell the MM. You are truly a hero on this board as well as some others. Everyone I have ever shown that video too is amazed by it. It has been nice having you as a "Trilogy" bother. Hope to still meet you one day. Who knows, maybe you can bring that new beast to the Dream Cruise one day.

Congrats Zack for now owning a big piece of Marauder history. Nice kill BTW!!;)

[CRUZTAKER]

Is he gonna drive it back to Chicago with it KNOCKING??:confused:

If so.....He's got GIGUNDO CAJONES!!:eek:


Just .... Went head to head with a KB Cobra and beat the snot out it!!


:coolman: PROZACK:coolman:
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/6/2/6/ZACK.bmp

[BillyGman]

Just spoke to Zack. He's on I-80 and it's running like a champ! Went head to head with a KB Cobra and beat the snot out it!! He said it's ticking, not knocking.

Billy, continued good luck on your new project.Thanks for the best wishes, and for that update on Zack as well. That car just wants to beat everything on the street. And it always has. I hope that he takes it easy for the rest of his journey home! I'd hate to hear of him breaking down with it. It's pretty cool to hear that he's already having fun with it though. ;)

[RCSignals]

Billy, there will always be another Marauder somewhere with your name on it, when you are ready.

[BillyGman]

Billy, there will always be another Marauder somewhere with your name on it, when you are ready.Yep, I believe you're right about that.

[Motorhead350]

I saw your car last weekend. I think I was the first to notice you put your stock rear tires in the front. Everyone noticed the biggys in the back though. :D I will always have your car in my page on myspace!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.view profile&friendid=9128766

[Zack]

Barry, who is this?
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/6/2/6/ZACK.bmp

Striking resemblance!

[Tallboy]

Barry, who is this?
http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/6/2/6/ZACK.bmp

Striking resemblance!


The guy from the "White and Nerdy" video!

[KillJoy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xEzGIuY7kw

:D

KillJoy

[BillyGman]

I saw your car last weekend. I think I was the first to notice you put your stock rear tires in the front. Everyone noticed the biggys in the back though. :D Very observant. Yes, I did that for two reasons. One is that I really never liked the look of the forward rake stance that the Marauders came with from the factory. And the other reason is that at the dragstrip, and maybe even a little on the street, having the taller tires in the front I believe helped give the car better traction off the line, since the weight transfer to the rear had a head start.