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Help with rattle noise from engine when cold

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Old Nov 18, 2017 | 01:21 PM
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Default Help with rattle noise from engine when cold

I have an 06 MN6 with about 90K miles. I bought it with about 82K.

When the engine is cold I get a rattle noise that starts a little above 2500 RPM and continues to about 3500 RPM then goes away as RPM increases. This happens until the engine is at operating temperature, then I don't hear it again.

The noise sounds like the valvetrain, it seems like it's coming from the top of the engine, it's not down low. It's not very loud. Oil pressure is normal, oil is clean (no metal). I don't hear anything like this noise when it's at idle.

I'm thinking worn rockers, maybe lifters. Any ideas?

TIA
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Old Nov 18, 2017 | 05:59 PM
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Sounds like the same thing I’ve been trying to figure out for a few months.
I hear it from the top rear of the engine but while driving and only while the car is in gear and under power, not when I let off the gas.
The sound goes away after the engine worms up.
I figure it might be the exhaust manifold or something related to it.
That expands when it get hot and stops rattling.
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Old Nov 20, 2017 | 01:27 PM
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The LS2 motor is known for a ticking noise in the valvetrain. There are a few threads on the forums about it. Not sure if this is the same problem you are experiencing but could be. My 05 has done it for years.
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Old Nov 20, 2017 | 06:12 PM
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Originally Posted by Jack Boelte
I have an 06 MN6 with about 90K miles. I bought it with about 82K.

When the engine is cold I get a rattle noise that starts a little above 2500 RPM and continues to about 3500 RPM then goes away as RPM increases. This happens until the engine is at operating temperature, then I don't hear it again.

The noise sounds like the valvetrain, it seems like it's coming from the top of the engine, it's not down low. It's not very loud. Oil pressure is normal, oil is clean (no metal). I don't hear anything like this noise when it's at idle.

I'm thinking worn rockers, maybe lifters. Any ideas?

TIA
Even though it sounds like the noise is emanating from the top of the engine, it could well be caused by piston slap. LS engines are notorious for having audible piston slap during warmup. The cause is the large tolerance between the aluminum pistons and the steel cylinder sleeves which is built in by design. Aluminum expands more than steel when heated. So once the pistons become hot, they expand. The steel sleeve also expands a little. After expansion, the piston to sleeve tolerance is closed enough to eliminate the noise caused by piston slap.

Last edited by G8RC6; Nov 20, 2017 at 06:13 PM.
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Old Nov 21, 2017 | 01:59 AM
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G8RC6, that makes sense. I've heard of piston slap but wasn't aware it's common in our engines. I suppose a compression and leak down test is on my to do list.
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Old Nov 21, 2017 | 10:42 AM
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Originally Posted by G8RC6
Even though it sounds like the noise is emanating from the top of the engine, it could well be caused by piston slap. LS engines are notorious for having audible piston slap during warmup. The cause is the large tolerance between the aluminum pistons and the steel cylinder sleeves which is built in by design. Aluminum expands more than steel when heated. So once the pistons become hot, they expand. The steel sleeve also expands a little. After expansion, the piston to sleeve tolerance is closed enough to eliminate the noise caused by piston slap.
Mine does this too. All is good once it starts to warm up.
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Old Dec 2, 2017 | 07:47 AM
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Old Dec 2, 2017 | 12:35 PM
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OK so maybe this is the noise that I’ve been hearing in my engine all the time that I haven’t been able to find.
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Old Dec 4, 2017 | 07:02 AM
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Default Engine noise

Have a 2005 with 96,000 miles that does the same engine rattle around 2500 rpm. Been chasing the noise for some time. If it is piston slap won't it eventually destroy a piston skirt ? Is there a solution ? Better pistons with tighter tolerances ?
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Old Dec 4, 2017 | 10:04 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Paul1966
Have a 2005 with 96,000 miles that does the same engine rattle around 2500 rpm. Been chasing the noise for some time. If it is piston slap won't it eventually destroy a piston skirt ? Is there a solution ? Better pistons with tighter tolerances ?
Well I don’t know if that’s possible but it is reassuring to hear that someone else has the same rattle that I have and also can not find the sorce. it’s driving me crazy and I keep thinking well maybe it will just blow up and I’ll fix it. Many times it sounds like it’s coming from the exhaust manifold, other times I think it’s the transmission. I don’t hear it when the car is in neutral, only when under light acceleration. And some thimes when at a light still in drive, I hear what sounds like knocking. So what’s up with that? This is all happening when the engin is cold,, but lately it’s happening even after the engin warms up. I just want to find it so I can have it fixed.
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Old Dec 4, 2017 | 06:00 PM
  #11  
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Default Engine Compartment Rattle

Originally Posted by Jack Boelte
I have an 06 MN6 with about 90K miles. I bought it with about 82K.

When the engine is cold I get a rattle noise that starts a little above 2500 RPM and continues to about 3500 RPM then goes away as RPM increases. This happens until the engine is at operating temperature, then I don't hear it again.

The noise sounds like the valvetrain, it seems like it's coming from the top of the engine, it's not down low. It's not very loud. Oil pressure is normal, oil is clean (no metal). I don't hear anything like this noise when it's at idle.

I'm thinking worn rockers, maybe lifters. Any ideas?

TIA
This is not the same problem that you mention, but I initially thought I had an engine problem. It started as a mild intermittent rattle, noticeable at idle. As it became more noticeable, I took the car to the dealer. Their Corvette specialist, after a day of trying to find and identify the sound, determined it to be an air conditioner compressor piston going out. It was particularly hard to identify because either the ambient temp. had to be cool enough for the air conditioner to come on or the air temp. setting had to be low enough, before the noise began. I was a bit surprised that this was the problem, as my C6 only has 37K miles. It was a costly repair but not as bad as an engine failure.
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