5sfe engine noise...rattle, loud rattling sound from front of engine Options

[axelrduvirage]

Has anyone else noticed a loud annoying rattle coming from the front of the 5sfe engine ? i thought it was the A/C since it was banged p pretty bad, needed a new drier and compressor and had leaks. i had the whole A/C system pulled but the sound didn't go away. i thought after removing the A/C pulleys and going to a short belt it would stop. it is really loud from a cold start and "seems" to die down after a few kms of highway driving (25 km to work every morning). i am wondering if it is a timing belt pre-failure thing or it could be a loose cover or i don't know what. before i pay my tech to troubleshoot it ($.$) i would really appreciate any input, related experiences or good guesses as to what this might be. all i know is that it can be really loud and really really really annoying. people are staring at the CeliPig for the wrong reason. the car otherwise runs great. doesn't burn oil, idles just below the hash mark, accelerates normally, temp is normal and gets OK fuel consumption numbers-- 9l/100km or 26mpg.

thank you all

peace

This post has been edited by axelrduvirage: Sep 17, 2008 - 8:25 PM