'02 Toyota Celica GT Making weird sound..

[mrmehic]

I was wondering if anyone has ever experienced any of this, or give me some good advice on how to look further, or maybe tell me what the problem is if you already know. I am currently Active Duty Army, and PCSing soon to go from South Carolina, to Oklahoma, and would like to get this resolved by the end of the month. I am short on time and cash. So any knowledge will help!

What is happening is, when I accelerate, I get a ticking sound. The sound only lasts (at operating engine temp) from about 1900 to 2600 RPM. During those RPM, the harder I press the gas, the faster the tick, but the ticking is pretty fast reguardless. At idle, the sound is not present, nor is it at higher RPM.. It doesn't really make the sound usually if the vehicle is not in gear with the E brake on. Ocassionally I can get it to do it then, but usually it's just when I am in a gear. It does it in all gears, up shifting, and down shifting, so if I down shift and am at 3,000 RPM, as the transmission slows the vehicle down, and the RPMs lower, it still makes the noise within the certain RPMs.. The sound comes from the front end of the vehicle, somewhere around the engine, sounds like it is behind the engine. Maybe the manifold? Maybe the CatCon? Any advice please?

[lajlijthoj]

I think there were at least two-three forums about this. But I believe it could be a transmission problem, something with the bellhousings? At least someone with a similar problem told me that, and at the moment I'm a little low on cash too so it's still driving so I'm still driving it.
Anyways don't you guys go overseas in the summer? My brothers stationed in NC now too with his fiance and they're coming back May for the wedding and then he goes overseas later.

[mrmehic]

Not sure what a bellhousing is. I think if it were the transmission it would make a noise in only certain gears unless there was substantial damage, but I don't know for sure. It is a manual transmission. As far as going over-seas, we do that year round, makes no difference what season it is lol. I've already been there, this is my first station in the US. About to go to my second one at the end of the month. My first station was in Germany, and I deployed to Iraq from there. Anyway, anyone have any ideas about the sound? Could it be the manifold, or catalytic converter? I took this car to the Toyota dealership and got a full inspection done for $50.. They said "Noise coming from rear-manifold. Suggest replace catalytic converter." So I called Toyota, and asked, which is it then making the sound, the manifold, or catalytic converter? He said, the manifold, but the catalytic converter is part of that on your vehicle, so if you replace the catalytic converter, you are also replacing the manifold.. However, when I look at the back of my engine, down upon the rear manifold, I see that the catalytic converter is bolted into the manifold... Everywhere I looked online, I seen catalytic converters for sale for my vehicle.. However, none of them come with a manifold... When I search for a manifold, they are rather hard to find.. I actually have no idea where to get one from.. Then again, hearing the people at the Toyota Dealership, I don't think they are even sure which one it is by the sounds of it. But they want $530 to replace to catalytic converter... If that is all that needs replaced, I can buy an aftermarket performance one from magnaflo for $200, and spend a couple hours bolting it on myself.. Same for the manifold, if I could find one, and if I knew that was the problem, I would just replace that, and maybe bolt it on myself? Not sure how much those are, or if it is simple to put on.. I am pretty machanically enclined, I can just look at things and figure them out but this has got me

[mrmehic]

The problem that the Toyota dealership told me was way off. They said I have a bad manifold. They said because I have a bad manifold, I need to replace my catalytic converter. Well... Nothing is wrong with my Catalytic converter. Also, my rear manifold, while it may be a little rusty, is otherwise fully functioning.

This was the problem!!! Sounds stupid now, I know... But it had every place I went pretty stumped, or they said maybe I need a new timing chain, or my valves are going bad, basically, really expensive things..

Soooo, it was the heat shield above the rear manifold. The heat shield bolts on to two pieces of metal that come out at the top of the manifold/engine. While taking my heat shield off to inspect the manifold myself, I hear a "clank" when I take the first bolt out. I know there is no nuts on these bolts, so nothing should have fallen. It was the piece of metal that the heat shield bolts to had broken off. Causing the manifold to expand as it heats, and the heat shield not being secure, it was hitting against the manifold when the engine had the "right" amount of vibration to it.

So I took the heat shield off, removed all four bolts, and pushed it further down the manifold. Until I figure out what to do with it. I think my options are either, get someone to machine a new piece to bolt the heat shield onto and weld it on and tighten the heat shield back down, or cut out the heat shield (since physically pulling it out is impossible because there is not enough room anywhere to fit the odd shaped piece out - and wrap the manifold in some kind of thermal wrap for exhaust, orrrrrr, cut the heat shield out, throw it in the trash, leave the manifold as it is, and be done with everything. Any suggestions on which option I should take? :)