My son & husband just rebuilt a B20 & put it in our 544. Works, but very noisy. Loud clacking/ticking coming from right under the timing gear housing. Any idea what they did wrong? Could they have put the timing gear on wrong (so it wasn't getting lubrication or something)? Any way to check it/fix it without pulling the whole engine out again?

Did they make sure the oil sprayer for the cam gear isn't blocked, and put it back facing the right way.

If they replaced the camshaft did they fit the spacer ring between the camshaft and the timing gear.

Timing gear itself as others have suggested.


Are all the con rods in the right way round, interesting knock that, if you get it wrong.

Dent in the rocker cover, rocker tapping on it.


fan catchimng on something.


Regards


Pete

The clanging sound can indeed be generated by the fan catching on something. There is little clearance between the protective metal shroud below the fan and the fan blades. It was easy (for me) to deform the shroud while lifting the front end of the car. Very nasty and noisy it is.

Joe Menacker

If they put the old fiber timing gear back in it would be my
guess that it is on its way out. Every engine I've had that uses
that gear has had one fail, mostly by getting loose on the steel
hub. They are really noisy when they do.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Mom;

If you use a solid rod held to the timing cover and to your ear (respective ends) you will be able to confirm sounds are coming from there...and if this is the case, I wouldn't run it too much more before finding and resolving the problem.

Some problems which might occur under timing cover are:
Cam nut loose and pinging against cover(BTDT...safety wire that ***!).
Problems with Cam thrust plate and/or hardware (aint done that yet!).
Oiling fitting blocked or not installed in correct angle (aint done that yet either!).

You would be able to remedy these items removing timing cover only.

Good Hunting, please let us know what you find.

The fiber gear might be separated from the metal "backing" that goes onto the shaft allowing the fiber gear to rattle back and forth as the engine runs. This assumes that the rest of the engine is OK. I had a 122 with this problem that sounded like a diesel and I actually drove it like this for several hundred miles, but I don't recommend that.