Dephaser solenoid

[mikekean]

I noticed on my car the other night when reving the motor with the bonnet open that there is a clicking/clunking noise come from around the cam pulley side of the engine. Basically if rev it up to about 3-4k after letting off the throtle and the revs start decrease i can here a click/clunk noise. Is this normal? I assume its just the Dephaser solenoid but are they meant to operate silently..

 

[Jonny1*2]

doubtful mate. you won't be able to hear that over the noise of the engine. Unless you're spiderman

 

[mr.pink87]

Could be the dephaser pulley itself, they start to make noises when they have play in it.

 

[mikekean]

doubtful mate. you won't be able to hear that over the noise of the engine. Unless you're spiderman

Yeah i know under normal conditions you wouldn't hear this noise as my other 172 doesnt make it, but this one does so im trying to figure out what it could be before i start taking it apart to investigate.

Could be the dephaser pulley itself, they start to make noises when they have play in it.

When i did cam belt about 200 miles ago i looked for play in the dephaser. There was a very small amount which i was told was normal, the car also doesnt make the normal tappy diesely sort of noise that is common on cars with dodgy dephasers. It literally one click like something engaging/disengaging.

 

[jinjur]

Air con clutch engaging and disengaging

EDIT: Oh, its a cup....you have no aircon

J

 

[MicKPM]

When i did cam belt about 200 miles ago i looked for play in the dephaser. There was a very small amount which i was told was normal

There should be no movement in the dephaser pulley assembly.

 

[mikekean]

There should be no movement in the dephaser pulley assembly.

Not even a fraction? it wasn't even 0.5mm on dial guage when i measured it. My car doesnt make the noise the car with a dodgy dephaser normally would, sounds just like my road car apart from this click/clunk noise.

 

[Fred@BTM]

it will have a gnats **** of movement

check the cambelt tensioner is still on its marks

 

[mikekean]

Yeah it was literally bugger all, you can just about feel it.

I will given the tensioner another check, it was still on its marks last time i checked it a few hundred miles after i replaced the belt. It basically done no work since then so should still be fine.

Might just change the solenoid to rule it out, another job to add to hundred jobs i already have before the Jersey rally in 2 weeks time.. FML

 

[mikekean]

Tensioner isnt quite on its marks anymore, which is strange as a checked the tension like a million time before putting the motor in the car. I marked everything up with a paint pen aswell and nothing has moved as far as i can see. Do the belts stretch at all? and can i re tension the belt without backing off all the pulleys? I dont really understand how this could be making the noise though..

 

[Fred@BTM]

turn the engine over by hand and see if the marks line up as the belt rotates

the tensioner will make an intemittant "tap" noise if someting is a miss (with the engine running)

where does the allen key slot on the tensioner sit? Vertical? 2 o'clock? etc etc?

 

[mikekean]

I tried that and it still doesnt quite line up properly.

The noise isnt intermittant though, althought it wasnt at 3-4k like i remebered (last time i started the car was about 3 months ago) its actually when the motor is coming back towards idle. Im guessing when the dephaser pulley stops working, so it looks like its probably the dephaser.

Ill have to check where the allen key slot is cant quite remember.