When my car first starts it sounds like a bag of rocks banging around down there and quiets after couple minutes. I had just read in one of the fourms about these cars prone to have starter drag. Could that be what I am hearing...starter not disengaging from flywheel? I am also getting quite a lot of oil dripping from (breather tube?) under car.

Ron:

The term starter "drag" is something my generation grew up hearing.  I imagine that started when the bushings in the starters became worn, and the armature would "drag", or rub, in the field coil pole shoes.  This grounded out the magnetic field from the coils and the starter would turn very slowly.  I doubt if this is what you have.  The starter could not be failing to disengage for "a couple of minutes" many times, the drive would be destroyed.  It would produce a whirring sound, not a knock.  The noise you hear may be engine bearings, knocking until they receive a good oil supply under pressure, or loose pistons, which get quieter when the warm up and expand.  Blowby, causing oil to drip from the breather, would also indicate worn pistons.  Without hearing the noise, I can only make these guesses as to what they are.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

A trick that you can use to isolate the general area that a noise is coming from, take a wooden handle (paint roller extension handle works well) or some other stick 3 or 4 feet long. Have someone start the engine, place you thumb over one end of the stick and the other end in the general area of the noise, place your ear against your thumb, move the stick around from area to area. When you hit the right spot, you will know it! Works just like a stethoscope. A length of plastic garden hose works good too. May not tell you whats wrong, but will let you know where to start looking.

Glen Henderson



Freedom is not Free

Letohatchee, AL

Ron:

I thought of another possible source of noise.  If the car is an automatic, the flex plate ears could be cracked, causing a knocking noise.  I wouldn't think they would quit making noise after a time though.

John

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Thanks, all the replies are helpfull and I'll now have an idea where to look. The engine and auto trans are tired for sure but the thing runs so damn good hate to tear into it. Only bought car several weeks ago and want to get some use out of it before it goes up on blocks or start tearing things apart. Just joined AAA so if it fails me I can at least get free tow home