Rattling

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY
135,000 MILES • 2.4L • 4 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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CHRIS510
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I hear a rattling sound when in idle and under acceleration, it gets louder the more I accelerate. I removed the serpentine belt to see if it were any of the pulleys, but the rattle is still there. I was touching all over the engine with a screwdriver to see if it will help pinpoint the rattling. I started to feel the rattle in my hand when I put the screw driver on the oil pan and felt it more when I put it above the oil pan. I used some tubing to act like a stethoscope and was able to hear the rattling the loudest and clearest above the oil pan as well. So I feel pretty confident about it being in that area but I am not 100% sure. I blew a head gasket in February of this year that was caused by overheating from a cracked radiator. I took my engine apart and did it all myself. I put a brand new alternator, water pump, throttle body in as well when I did the repair. Has been running great since then. I know i need to change my motor mounts pretty soon because of some engine vibration. I do not think I want to take my engine apart again so I might take it to the shop. Does anyone have an idea of what it can be and if I should do it myself or take it to the shop?
Oct 8, 2017 at 1:30 PM
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STEVE W.
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 15,146 POSTS
When the head gasket failed you likely got coolant in the oil. Coolant and the materials the bearings are made of do not get along. The rattle you are hearing is very likely a rod bearing or two that are failing fast. At the moment you can easily save the engine because it is still turning. If you keep using it you could spin a bearing or a rod bearing can fail, snap the rod and destroy the engine.

A complete engine refresh of bearings rings and seals would be the minimum repair.
Better would be to machine the block and crank to eliminate any wear, new pitons, rings and bearings to match the new sizes. However, with the cost of the parts and machine work a replacement long or short block may be cheaper overall.

The vibration is likely from the bad bearings.
Oct 8, 2017 at 2:04 PM
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