Soon to be proud owner

[haros]

Hi guys,

I'm from Sydney, Australia. My first turbocharged car was a Nissan 180SX with the SR20DET engine. I got over performance cars but it is now a decade later and I have been made an offer too good to refuse.

Basically, this guy wants to swap me a 2000 model Galant VR4 for my old truck. The VR4 seems to be worth a few grand more however he did mention there is a rattling noise coming from the engine bay (I have not yet seen the car). Apparently it is a common and only minor problem on the Galants where a heat shield or guard rubs on something. Is this true?

Cheers,
Haros

[elnevio]

There could be a heat shield loose, but it's certainly not a common problem! Where to look will obviously depend on the type of rattling sound. A regular rhythmic rattle could obviously be engine related. Something else could be the downpipes. Engine mounts could be sagging and therefore the gearbox touching the crossmember.

A common problem, but one that isn't an issue, is that the lash adjusters can often be noisy. But I'd describe that as tappety, rather than rattly!


I'm now trying to think of a heat shield that might be loose - is there one behind the rear turbo? Can't be sure without looking, and Mrs B has taken my VR-4 to work...




And oh, I edited your Name in your profile, as it was inappropriate.

[Nick Mann]

Tappets? That's a common problem. And nothing to worry about.