scary engine noises Options

[Jaemus]

hey guys

i wondered if someone could help me with a problem im having with the GT4 (gen3 3sgte)

i noticed yesterday afternoon that it was making some uncharacteristic ticking/rattling type noises as i drove home - faint, but loud enough to hear from the cabin, and only under load at low rpms.

just now, i went out and started it up, and at low revs, as i play with the throttle, it is making a noise that sounds like if you were to tap the bottom of an empty tin with a key - it makes this sound just over 1k rpm (so not at idle) and it gets higher pitched and more frequent as engine rpm's increase. its scaring me and i dont want to drive it till i figure out whats going on (for fear of making it worse).

i cant quite identify where the sound is coming from - but it seems to be anywhere around the top of the motor.

any ideas? if you need more info ill do what i can.

PS. i tried to make a sound file with my camera, but the noise which is clearly audible over the background to my ears, gets drowned out completely on the camera. *shrug

[Jaemus]

well i got brave enough to take it for a drive

it dissapears sorta at higher rpms like 4-5k (and below 1k rpm)
the performance symptoms it is showing is the same problem i had before (missing, surging, pulling back) but MUCH worse - i was hoping was an ignition problem which i havent had time to fix yet

no check engine light, but i will pull the codes (there was a 23 and a 41 in there before from god knows how long ago)
cant see any smoke from where i sit (i did try) but the fumes smell much worse at idle.

at the end of the drive the ticking noise went away ALMOST completely - but the performance remained terrible.