engine noise

[westy]

my car is making a very loud noise when on high revs in all gears but also when out of gear and just revving
starts about 40mph in top really loud growl sounds very metallic
any clues ?
starts fine runs fine still goes 60 mph but whats the noise

oil level ok
is using about 1 litre of water every day { 50 } mile aday to work and back every day thats 250 a week
good fuel economy just noise is getting me worried

[aupickup]

water leak or maybe head gasket do a compression test

[mike.perry]

Is it using water or losing water? 50 miles to a litre is a lot of water. Does it show on the dipstick?
Are you overfilling the radiator and losing the excess through the overflow?
What is your oil pressure like, does the warning light come on after a run?
Is the noise coming from the clutch?

[taupe]

Could be your water pump seal and bearing?

[minormadman]

Any sign of weeping from the water pump area and is there any noticable play from the bearing ?

[westy]

cheers guys i will check the water pump
i fill the radiator to just below the cap level and the next day the water is well below the fins and i cant see the level and it takes a litre to get it back to the cap level
noise not on clutch / gearbox ares ? it does it whilst in neutral either costing or sitting still but revving
i have noticed the fan belt looks a bit loose so will check tomorrow fan belt and water pump

[westy]

water pump seems ok
tightened fan belt noise still there
no water on the dip stick
no oil light on after a run
there are a few oil leaks on the engine and one seems quite watery at the back of the engine on the passenger side ?

[Peetee]

tightened fan belt noise still there

Dont over tighten. You will put pressure on the dynamo/alternator bearings - which can then make a lot of noise.
Also is oil getting to the tappets and rockers?

[westy]

i only managed to tighten the belt a fraction it wouldnt move any more
how do i tell if the tappetts and rocker are getting oil ?
and if there not what causes that to happen ?

[Peetee]

The tappets and rockers should recieve oil just like the other moving parts of the engine. Without it they will wear very rapidly and be noisy with it. When you take the cover off the top of the engine the rockers will be exposed and it will be obvious if they are dry or well oiled.
The fan belt should not be 'ping' tight. you should be able to push the belt down a 1/4 inch or so.

[bmcecosse]

Take the fan belt off and rev it up - is the noise still there ?