3.1L On It's Last Leg?

[DigitalBee]

Couple of questions ...

1) When I accelerate, either from a dead stop, or just increasing speed, I hear a "knock, or rattle" coming from the motor, as though it were getting bad gas, or too low of octane. this is not the case however, since I have tried several different kinds of gas and different octanes. I have also ran different fuel inujector cleaners as well.

2) I have a "Clicking" sound that my engine makes when the engine is warm, it's not all the time, sometimes is quiet as can be, other times it's very loud and annoying.

Although both of these sound bad, the engine still runs decent. The only thing is that it sometimes wants to cut out, as though it were missing every once in the while.

Any ideas?

[unvc92camarors]

valve float? just a guess

[3.4 slow to go]

Your lifters may be dying, timing chain stretched out too much & fudging up overall timeing.

[Phoenix]

If it's been a while since you've changed your oil or it's dirty it can cause a rattle from your lifters. If it does it at idle get a stethescope or a stick and try to find exactly where it's coming from.

[DigitalBee]

I replaced the lifters and pushrods about 5,000 miles ago, so I know they are good. The oil is not due to be changed for another 1,200 miles or so. I am running Valvoline DuraBlend (Synthetic) 10-30. This is the first time I have ran a synthetic, so I'm starting to wonder if they issue is related to the knocking sound during acceleration?

[3.4 slow to go]

I run that in the GP and haven't had any problems. If the 3.1 is dying,there is a 3.4 long block nt he for sale forum ;)

[Jerriko]

Synthetic oils are good but sometimes they can cause a problem for old motors or motors with a good amount of mileage. The synthetic oils are usually thicker than there counterparts. Normal 10-40 is just as thick as synthetic 10-30. This would cause excessive wear on oil pumps and other related items. If the oil is thicker, it will take a little longer to reach hard places and etc. Did you have this problem before you started using synthetics? I am absolutely not saying that this is your problem but this is a problem a lot of higher mileage cars are having these days.
Jim

[InsaneCamaro]

I dunno about them being thicker i was talking with my oil change guy and he said that the synthetics are smaller particles then the regular oil. Thats why the synthetics are suppost to be better because they coat quicker and supposedly they give more horsepower. I believe this guy because he used to work for quality oil out here and his job was to sell oil to oil change places. He knows almost everything and nething u wanna know.

[3.4 slow to go]

CHECK OUT THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jerriko]

I don't know about your guy but we just covered this in class last semester. We performed several different tests to prove that synthetics are thicker than conventional involving the same grade. We even had to factory reps from castrol and pennzoil and they both said the same thing. This is the part I always hate. Everyone always has an opinion.