Hello all,

Bonnie has officially become a side car. After stalling for different reasons for the third time this month, I decided it was time to move on. I'm going to try and get her up and fully running and then pass her on to another lover.

Anyway, I about a week or two ago I had a shop replace the timing cover gasket. They said there was a leak in the lower intake. I replaced these gaskets within the past few months, but ran into a few hiccups getting it back together (sat half torqued overnight), but I'm pretty sure everything sealed up reasonably well. After the shop replaced the timing cover gasket, I would see some small puddles, very dark fluid, on the garage floor overnight. I watched the coolant and oil levels though and never saw a reason for concern. The oil was just recently changed as well with synthetic oil, and the oil on the dipstick is very clean. So unless it is getting dirty on its way down to the floor which is very possible, I don't think it'* oil, and definitely not coolant. If it is oil, the level is high enough it didn't cause failure, unless the timing chain gasket replacement somehow caused the pump to fail and oil is not properly circulating. The shop also did a tune up, plugs, wires, and cleaned the fuel injectors.

After getting it back from the shop, I still wasn't happy with the response after all of the money I had paid. So I decided to get a can of Seafoam, and I added it to the intake, gas, and crankcase as directed. White smoke came out for a short while, not as long as I expected, and it did increase response time a bit. After this tank of gas with the Seafoam added got low, I filled up and had to do some highway driving. I drove for a while on the highway, had to get off and make a stop. On my way back onto the highway, I tried to accelerate somewhat hard - not floored or anything - but I would have probably hit 3500 RPM or so - and I noticed it really didn't get up and go much. It did accelerate enough to get me on the highway though. So I'm driving about 65 for a few min and go to accelerate a little more to get in front of a car, and I notice I can't accelerate. After I tried a couple of times, the engine was still running but the MPH started slowly dropping. Then of course the engine shut off, and wouldn't restart. I had it towed back to my apartment, and since I had tried to crank it a few times the battery was dead. So I had the AAA guy charge it up, and after a good charge and many crank attempts, we got it to start up again.

I haven't tried it since because I fear the worst, but while we had it running, it idled fine. But as soon as I opened up the throttle body at all to increase the RPMs, you would hear a ticking which was very much in sync with the RPMs - the faster the RPMs, the faster the ticking. It sounded similar to as if the drive belt were whacking something, but it was most definitely not it. I believe it'* coming from the block.

So my question is - where do I begin? First and foremost, is it possible the Seafoam clogged something up? I can understand how this would cause the stall, but I don't see the relation to the ticking.

Is it possible the timing chain gasket work also was either a) done improperly or b) caused something else to fail? I have been reading high oil pressure (around 100 psi), but I mentioned it to the shop and they didn't seem concerned.

This isn't as urgent as usual, but I'd love to get it up and running. I would consider having a shop run diagnostics, but I would have to have it towed so I prefer not to. I had the shop check fuel pressure because I have personally seen low pressure and bleed pressure, but they said the pressure was just slightly low and not bleeding at all - they thought I may have a defective gauge. I'll stop babbling now and let the experts chime in The shop is very reputable also.

Also, it has been very hard to get running lately. It either stumbles and has sort of a "muffled" crank, a pause, and another muffled crank, or what seems to be weak extended cranking. This is especially true with a WARM engine. COLD starts were usually not an issue. I somewhat suspect the ICM, but again, this is not causing the ticking.

I am one of the new guys on the forum but my starting point thoughts would be:

Extended cranking when warm but ok starts when cold could be a fuel pressure regulator I would verify that is it not leaking fuel into the vacuum line. I would look at the ICM and clean if needed. After doing the Seafoam you need to change the oil that might help the ticking.

Sounds alot like a crank sensor issue.

Crank sensor was replaced either one or two years ago. However, I took it to the same shop that did the timing cover gasket earlier this year when my tensioner gave out and my serpentine belt shredded. They didn't put the car on a lift, and therefore didn't catch the shreds of drive belt woven through the harmonic balancer. I found it at the next oil change which happened to be a few days later. They checked for wiring issues and such and said they didn't find anything, but that'* not to say there definitely wasn't. They just basically put it on a lift and looked at it with a flashlight. I'm considering having it towed over there for diagnostics so if it is something that comes back to them its covered on warranty.

Fuel pressure regulator.. so from my own personal tests as of a few weeks ago, I did not see or smell any gas in the FPR vacuum line. I don't have the greatest sense of smell, but I think I would have noticed.

The gauge I was using read 38 psi or so at idle, and it did jump up when I pulled the FPR hose. It did not get up to the range specified in the FSM, but 38 is low to begin with. I had been dancing between FPR and pump for a while, but couldn't find a way to pin it on one for sure.

To check the FPR start the engine and pull the vacuum line on the FPR, watch for small amount fuel coming out of the FPR – watch it for 2-3 minutes with the vac line off engine idling. A lot going on here but thinking about a somewhat low fuel pressure, engine can't accelerate under load, I would wonder about a restricted fuel filter. Did the “ticking” turn out to be the shredded Belt?

Yes, that is how I checked the FPR. I didn't leave it off for that long, but I pulled it, smelled for gas, watched the pressure gauge jump up, and replaced line.

The shredded belt was back a few months ago - ticking just started this past weekend. I have a fear of damaging the engine so am trying to keep any troubleshooting where the engine has to be running to a minumum and try to knock multiple things out at once.

Fuel filter was replaced just before the Seafoam-ing. Of course, the Seafoam could have clogged the new filter.

Clarifying - ticking started when I got the engine running again after the engine stalled

Don't think Seafoam would clog a new filter - have you changed the oil after crankcase Seafoam? would be a good idea and should be done , could help knock/tick. How much Seafoam in the crankcase? Should be around 5-6 oz I think -max, Plus you did Seafoam in the intake and fuel. Dip stick ok - or over full. If you can I would change the oil and use what has been used in the past to start with ASAP. I believe in Seafaom but maybe oil is diluted.