When I insalled my Stillen HF intake the other day, I noticed that the engine was knocking more (had that ping sound) then it usually did before. I usually put in 89 octane gas in my car. I put in 93 the other day, and drove around for 30 miles and it still knocks. Why such a change when I installed the intake? :confused:

did you mess with the timing at all?

I belive its either the timing or the MAF. The MAF could have been messed up and started running too lean.

Do you notice it at idle? It could just be valve tap. The SR motors have very loud valvetrain and opening up the air box just makes it more obvious.

Could you describe the symptoms more?

be careful, my valves were tapping too. The engine finally went and now the new motor is going in!

Originally posted by 93InfG20
be careful, my valves were tapping too. The engine finally went and now the new motor is going in!
Maybe tap was a bad word. More like a ticking. I've heard it on numerous SR20's.

I think mine was tapping a little too hard and something finally broke under the valve cover, then all i hear is parts flying around and ruining the inside of my old engine :*(

I only notice it when I am at idle, and when i have my hood open and looking at it. When I am in the car, I dont hear it, all I hear is a low whistling noise from the intake, which i think is fine. I just noticed a little more knocking after I put in the intake when I got the hood open. I didnt really mess with any sensors, because the only sensor that I actually tried to remove was the temp sensor, but I wasnt able to take it out, so I just kept it in the stock pipe. I didnt really mess with anything else in the in the car.

when was the last time you changed your oil. if you are low on oil, you will hear the valves tapping. also if you open the hood right when you start it, you will hear it more since the valves are the last part to get oil from the oil pan. try listeneing to it when the engine is warmed up, or after you change the oil

Mine does this too...exactly what ur talking about. I have the POP on it. Its a high port. Like you can hear it about every .5 seconds clicking away.

Yes exactly. I took it to a mechanic today at Midas, and he took and a look and listened, and said it was perfectly normal. He said that the noise is just the valves or injectors or something like that knocking away. Its a very faint knock too. He said you notice it more when you put something like an intake on the car. Told me not to worry about it and that it is very normal. So that made my day today...=) =) =)

So you mean more of a click or tap, rather than a knock. When i heard knock, i think of a spun rod bearing, and someone knocking at the door. Valve noise is more of a ticking, or faint tapping. After i advanced my timing one time a while back, the valvetrain became quite a bit louder, but then went away after a couple days. I also notice after a long time with the same oil, it becomes more apparent as well, or it was just a coincidence, i'm not totally sure yet, but either way i change my oil as soon as possible (after about the 3500-4000 mile mark). I'm not super worried about a couple extra miles, as I run full synthetic, so another 500 mile or so probalby isn't gonna kill the motor, i just make sure if i'm gonna go racing that there's good oil in the motor, not stuff that's been in there 4000+ miles =)

I notice it more at idle. I dont think I hear it when I rev it up. You can not hear it inside or the outside of the car. Mostly when the hood is open. But I think it is just the valves pinging because more air is coming into the engine (with the intake) the previously


Originally posted by G-Forces
Do you notice it at idle? It could just be valve tap. The SR motors have very loud valvetrain and opening up the air box just makes it more obvious.

Could you describe the symptoms more?

Originally posted by Koojo
Yes exactly. I took it to a mechanic today at Midas, and he took and a look and listened, and said it was perfectly normal. He said that the noise is just the valves or injectors or something like that knocking away. Its a very faint knock too. He said you notice it more when you put something like an intake on the car. Told me not to worry about it and that it is very normal. So that made my day today...=) =) =)

Yeah when you said knocking, i was like oh no somebody has rod knock, and yes i'm speaking from experience. Ticking is fine to some extent.