Very strange squeaking noise

[curtish57]

Hey all,

I am at a loss for the sound coming from my engine after it has warmed up. I initially thought maybe it was the water pump but as you can see in the video the belt is removed and the noise remains. I pulled the valve covers and checked that oil was getting all the way up there as I was told maybe it was an issue of oil not getting to the top end. I have 60+ lbs oil pressure when it's cold and right around 40 when it it warm. The engine is new, not even 500 miles on it. Flat tappet cam that I just got done checking by pulling the intake and inspecting. It all looked fine but the squeak is there regardless. 

Does anyone have any idea what this could be?

[420ponies]

Does that steering shaft have clearance on the header? Could the torque converter bolts be loose? Hate these issues on a rebuild. Hard to get a good feel for it. The time should be longer in the video, like 30 second clips.

 

 

Edited June 26 by 420ponies
Added content

[420ponies]

Definitely something that's rotating. Seems to go with rpm's.

[curtish57]

I'll post another video that's a little longer. I'll check the torque converter bolts as well. The headers are clear and have wrap so I don't think it's that. 

[Scott S.]

Did you soak your timing chain in oil before installing it ?

To me it sounds like the squeaking is coming front the front of the motor... 

[72 Monte Carlo]

The timing chain and sprockets should be getting their oil lubrication directly from the rotation of the crankshaft slinging it onto the chain and crankshaft sprocket.

[cbolt]

Hard to tell from the video, but the sound is certainly metallic sounding so I am inclined to side with the theory that it's coming from the flexplate/torque converter area. 

[Scott S.]

20 hours ago, 72 Monte Carlo said:

The timing chain and sprockets should be getting their oil lubrication directly from the rotation of the crankshaft slinging it onto the chain and crankshaft sprocket.

Yes, but the pins in the links take a while to get lubed..... 

I was always taught to let the chain bathe in a pan of oil for a few hours before installing. Gets into the nooks and crannies.   

[72 Monte Carlo]

I do the same thing. I was referring to it getting constant lubrication from the oil in the pan, unless a person runs the engine low on oil.

[cbolt]

17 hours ago, Scott S. said:

 

I was always taught to let the chain bathe in a pan of oil for a few hours before installing. 

I just learned the chain bath thing recently and have rebuilt several motors over the years without doing that. Never once did I get that squeaking noise during startup or break in. 

Now that I know it, all future engine rebuilds will certainly see me soaking the timing chain prior to installation. It will likely help with longevity. 

[Scott S.]

Quick question...

Nylon or metal teeth in the timing gear ??

[curtish57]

Thank you for the responses. Here are some follow up videos. The one with it up on the lift just for context the bit of oil is from when I had the valve covers off and I just didn't wipe it away after I took the inspection cover off. There isn't any active leak. Again this noise only occurs after the motor is warm. The other two videos from the top side just show where the squeaking is more it seems. I notice the vacuum jumping a bit too, I don't know if that's related? I have good oil pressure, it's not low on oil, I'm at a loss. 

 

PS I'll try to upload the video in a follow up post it keeps erroring out. 

 

[curtish57]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m97ePNZsTjVb3Wgo9 

 

That's the link to the videos. I don't know if they are too long or something maybe but it won't upload. It's not a virus, I'm not a scammer I just want to figure out this infernal squeaking!!!! 

[Dtret]

It sounds like the back of the engine. You can try to pull the three converter bolts and push it back towards the transmission. That should give you about an inch to run it and eliminate the converter and transmission. Be very careful if you try this there is not much room between the flex plate and converter. Another possibility could be a bad drive in the distributor. 

[Jason72]

The last video it gets pretty loud when you hold the camera at the front of the carb. Possibly a vacuum leak? 
did you check the distributor?

[curtish57]

1 hour ago, Dtret said:

It sounds like the back of the engine. You can try to pull the three converter bolts and push it back towards the transmission. That should give you about an inch to run it and eliminate the converter and transmission. Be very careful if you try this there is not much room between the flex plate and converter. Another possibility could be a bad drive in the distributor. 

I forgot to mention when I checked the torque converter bolts and 1 of the 3 I would call loose. Not crazy like finger spin loose but definitely not torqued. I would call the other 2 "tight" but not torqued all the way down. I tightened them and drove approximately 8 miles and put it back on the lift. The bolts hadn't loosened up and the noise is less to me down there. The video in the link shows that, to me at least my ears are very bad. 

The bad drive in the distributer is curious to me. Have you had one make that noise> I do have another China MSD knockoff I could try and see if it is that. 

11 minutes ago, Jason72 said:

The last video it gets pretty loud when you hold the camera at the front of the carb. Possibly a vacuum leak?
did you check the distributor?

I am thinking about this as well as the video demonstrates the vacuum fluctuating at idle when warm. Check the distributer for vacuum leaks? One thing I am just thinking/writing out loud here is the distributer just has like a molly gasket material around the base (it's an MSD) so I didn't use the gasket that would normally go there. I could pop that on? I took the intake off a couple weeks ago looking for the source of the noise as well and it's back the same way after I reinstalled the intake. 

Also would a vac leak present itself only when it's warm? 

[Jason72]

Check the distributor for the noise, it rotates. 
Vacuum leak at the base of the carburetor. 
also, I’ve had great success locating noises with one of them stethoscopes https://a.co/d/eS0t4tT

the funnel looking part is used to pick up noises like you have 

[curtish57]

I ordered on of those stethoscopes I'll try it later today or tomorrow. How should I check the distributer for noise? 

[Scott S.]

Put the "listening end" on the body of the distributor, the squeaking should transfer up the housing....

Also on the intake around where the distributor goes in. 

[Scott S.]

Just to mention.... 

The gear end of the distributor is another one of those things that should soak in an oil bath before installing.

So many nooks and crannies that don't get lubrication at start up.  

[curtish57]

I used the stethoscope on the engine last night and I really think it's coming from the valvetrain. The air listener didn't pick anything up that I could decern. The other one worked and I couldn't hear the squeaking in the distributor but when I stick it to the valve covers I can hear it the loudest. It builds as it gets warmer. It's essentially not there at all when its first started but you can hear it build as it warms. I double check oil level, and it's good, also plenty of oil pressure. 

 

Any thoughts? 

[Scott S.]

55 minutes ago, curtish57 said:

I used the stethoscope on the engine last night and I really think it's coming from the valvetrain. The air listener didn't pick anything up that I could decern. The other one worked and I couldn't hear the squeaking in the distributor but when I stick it to the valve covers I can hear it the loudest. It builds as it gets warmer. It's essentially not there at all when its first started but you can hear it build as it warms. I double check oil level, and it's good, also plenty of oil pressure. 

 

Any thoughts? 

Did you soak the lifters before installing ???

And are you getting oil flow up through the push rods and onto the rockers ?

Might just be an unset rocker arm not pushing the lifter/ pushing the lifter to much. 

[curtish57]

56 minutes ago, Scott S. said:

Did you soak the lifters before installing ???

And are you getting oil flow up through the push rods and onto the rockers ?

Might just be an unset rocker arm not pushing the lifter/ pushing the lifter to much. 

I didn't soak the lifters no I bought the engine from a shop that built it. I just installed accessories, intake, carb etc. 

I pulled the valve covers and turned it over to the other day and thought enough oil was getting up there, here is the video:

 

Sorry I am no videographer lol and this is the only clip that will upload. I think because of the size of the videos I can't really go beyond about 15 seconds. Anyway, just thinking out load here, if I'm not getting enough up there could my oil pump pickup screen be clogged or restricted? That would maybe explain the oil pressure and the squeaking due to lack of oil on the top end? I have changed the oil in the car once since initial break in of the cam but didn't drop the pan to check the screen. 

 

 

[curtish57]

I don't know if this matters but here is the oil I am using:

Lucas Oil 10631 SAE 30 Racing Engine Break-in Oil - 5 Quart- https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Oil-10631

[Dtret]

Does it have roller rockers or roller lifters?