Ok, coming back from NYC the other week one of my plug wires gave up on me and I drove home on three cylenders. Half way home a tapping noise started that sounds kind of like a fan, when the RPM's go up it sounds louder and faster. So I changed my spark plug wires, distro cap, ignition rotor and changed my oil (didnt see any metal particles in the oil). So I brought my car to a local mechanic and he said that most likley the valve needs to be re-adjusted. So I took it to my freinds mechanic for a second opinion and he said that something was wrong with my crank and that it would be cheaper if I just replaced my motor instead of fixing this one. So if anyone has any info it would be great. Any suggestions would be great too.

 

If the tapping is from the top of the engine, it's probably your valves. It should take you or your mechanic no more than a hour max to do the valves and they have to be done when the engine is cold (off for at least 4 hours). Good luck. How many miles on the engine?

 

170k Miles, its the 1.6L on a 95 Civic

 

How long did you drive it on the 3-cylinders? If you had no ignition in one cylinder for a long time, you'd still have an injector dumping gasoline into the bore, and if it hasn't burned off and/or created a lot of carbon, it may be fouling that one plug.

Check the plug for black carbon build up.

 

Rod Knock!

 

Nah, I'd go with vlaves.

 

I was driving for a while on 3 cylenders before it started to make that noise, about 30-45 mins. So you think its a spark plug? or the injector?

 

It's just a theory, and not your injector, just a fouled plug. It just seems odd to me that it would happen immediately after you've driven on 3-cylinders for some distance. Just check the plug, otherwise I'm guessing valves, but that doesn't make any sense really.

 

valve is the only thing that comes to mind.. couldnt the engine shaking so much from driving on 3 cylinders bend a valve?

 

Really doubtful.