Engine Knock

Z

ZRT10

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Hey all I've got an engine knock. Before you read below my ultimate questions are should I upgrade lifters, valves, and/or rods? (If it is a lifter tick) If so, what should I upgrade to? I don't plan racing or supercharging. I hope nothing warped or is damaged, but temps got high. Here's what happened:

It all happened quickly. The truck overheated a couple days ago. Check gauge light came on while on the freeway. I slowed down to see what was up, lost power steering quickly after, then pulled over. Temps were 260+ by the time I was stopped. No knocking then. A tow truck came and I drove it onto the bed (temps were down), and there was no knocking. Took it to the dealership where they tried to bend me over on prices. Said I was leaking coolant out of my heater hose and oil was low. But while checking everything out they discovered the ticking. Seeing how they charged me 350 for an oil change, topping off coolant, and not much else I decided I'd take it somewhere else. But first I wanted to see if it was bad spark plugs. All of the easy ones to get out were fine. The code is cylinder 9 (P0309) misfire. I can't get to the 9th plug because the truck has aftermarket wheels and there is one gyat damn lugnut that none of my sockets will fit on. So access through the wheel well is out. This is my dd and I have no other transportation to get what is needed and I don't think I can fix whatever is wrong anyways. Since all the others were fine I'm guessing the 9th is fine too? Unless the last owner encountered the lugnut when replacing and didn't bother with 7 & 9. I've got a power steering pump on the way from Scott at Venomous1 (thanks!) so I guess I'll just have a shop my cousin trusts tear the top down and look into it, while also doing the pump. Any thoughts or should do's? I have a short video clip of the knock but I don't know how to change format and/or upload. Thanks in advance for any responses!
Zach
 
I think a tear down is in your best interest. If your temps got over 260 you could have warped the heads plus low on oil could have caused more problems. For peace of mind i would tear the top end apart and see if you can find any issues and find where you are getting this knocking from. Mine did it awhile ago found out my keepers on one of my valve spring came halfway out and the rocker was hitting it. As far as upgrading i would find this issue first and go from there because those upgrades can get very expensive especially if you do your valves or need a valve job done
 
probbably bent a push rod or something,,, pull the valve covers for a simple check for anything lose or bent.... push and pull on each to see if one is loose or bent
 
If it was overheated heads are warped and likely bearing ruined or spun it sounds. A knock is lower in engine, tick will be higher in engine like lifters. Check out drain plug metal content. Filter content
 
check the harmonic balancer. see if it is wobbling. If it is loose enough the belt will slip and the power steering won't work, as well as the fan, could have caused the overheat issue. May even sound like a knock if it is loose enough. You NEED to get that lug nut off!! sooner or later...... get if off ,so you can do a compression test of each cylinder while you change the plugs. this is where to start..... Then chase issues that are found. next would be to pull the valve covers and check for broken springs/bend rods.... the compression test should tell you if you are having any issues...... my 2 cents...... :)
 
Thanks guys. What's frustrating is the dealership heard the tick/knock but did an oil change and coolant flush anyway, assuming they knew they (or I) would have to drain it all if it required getting to the heads. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them. It's not like I'm equipped to do this. I am going to read up as much as I can on it all though.

Iron I read it is easier to get to if you go through the wheel well. But the last plug is really close to the firewall, so maybe it might not be as helpful as I thought.
 
I did all my plugs from up top, not fun but it's easy to do
 
ZRT10 said:
Thanks guys. What's frustrating is the dealership heard the tick/knock but did an oil change and coolant flush anyway, assuming they knew they (or I) would have to drain it all if it required getting to the heads. Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on them. It's not like I'm equipped to do this. I am going to read up as much as I can on it all though.

Iron I read it is easier to get to if you go through the wheel well. But the last plug is really close to the firewall, so maybe it might not be as helpful as I thought.
Click to expand...

Swivel socket helps in that situation, you don't need to go through the wheel well.
 
There are some factors i guess like height weight and age of the person. Im 6'1 and still get on the motor to get to it.
 
Ha I'm 5'9 and a buck seventy. I got on top after taking the heat shield off and was able to get to the 7th and 9th fairly easily. 9th was bad but all others were just mildly worn. Replaced with copper champions. Not surprisingly though the knock is still there. I'd really like to do this project myself and save a few grand, bought the chilton service manual online, but have been repeatedly advised by friends and family family to bite the bullet and take it to a shop. I've got 100k in student loans so what's another 5 right? ... right? :eek:
 
Fairly easy to remove valve covers and check pushrods vavles springs and rockers if its a top end issue can also run without the valve covers to pin point where noise is coming from
 
ZRT10 said:
Ha I'm 5'9 and a buck seventy. I got on top after taking the heat shield off and was able to get to the 7th and 9th fairly easily. 9th was bad but all others were just mildly worn. Replaced with copper champions. Not surprisingly though the knock is still there. I'd really like to do this project myself and save a few grand, bought the chilton service manual online, but have been repeatedly advised by friends and family family to bite the bullet and take it to a shop. I've got 100k in student loans so what's another 5 right? ... right? :eek:
Click to expand...

Where are you located? We can point you in the right direction to get this sorted out if we know where you are.
 
Well it's not looking good. The pushrod was severely bent and the heads are warped. My mechanic is away until Monday when he will pull the heads and check the block to see if there is any damage there. If so then I don't know what I'll do. If there is no damage to the block then I'm looking at $4k for parts, labor, and having the heads machined. Are performance heads worth an additional $2k or so? I know everyone has allegiances to various vendors but roe racing has some heads for ~2750. Are there others? The reason I ask is that, and my thinking is flawed (I know), but if I'm spending 5k or more I don't want to get my truck back and it merely be operating "normal". It's like I'm spending all that money to break even (even though I'd technically be spending it to get a functional vehicle). After all of this, if I get performance heads, I can at least say "yeah it all sucked but at least I got an additional 35 horses out of the ordeal"... or something to that effect. Let me know thoughts.
Even my dog is sad (second pic "blue brindle" great dane):
 

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ZRT10 said:
Well it's not looking good. The pushrod was severely bent and the heads are warped. My mechanic is away until Monday when he will pull the heads and check the block to see if there is any damage there. If so then I don't know what I'll do. If there is no damage to the block then I'm looking at $4k for parts, labor, and having the heads machined. Are performance heads worth an additional $2k or so? I know everyone has allegiances to various vendors but roe racing has some heads for ~2750. Are there others? The reason I ask is that, and my thinking is flawed (I know), but if I'm spending 5k or more I don't want to get my truck back and it merely be operating "normal". It's like I'm spending all that money to break even (even though I'd technically be spending it to get a functional vehicle). After all of this, if I get performance heads, I can at least say "yeah it all sucked but at least I got an additional 35 horses out of the ordeal"... or something to that effect. Let me know thoughts.
Even my dog is sad (second pic "blue brindle" great dane):
Click to expand...

Call Tony JTS Mate... Just did my motor , pick up and delivery...:rock::rock:

thewelshm
 
Damn that's a bent pushrod. How bad are the heads warped? Could you just have them shaved? If no motor damage what all parts will you need.
 
ZRT10 said:
Well it's not looking good. The pushrod was severely bent and the heads are warped. My mechanic is away until Monday when he will pull the heads and check the block to see if there is any damage there. If so then I don't know what I'll do. If there is no damage to the block then I'm looking at $4k for parts, labor, and having the heads machined. Are performance heads worth an additional $2k or so? I know everyone has allegiances to various vendors but roe racing has some heads for ~2750. Are there others? The reason I ask is that, and my thinking is flawed (I know), but if I'm spending 5k or more I don't want to get my truck back and it merely be operating "normal". It's like I'm spending all that money to break even (even though I'd technically be spending it to get a functional vehicle). After all of this, if I get performance heads, I can at least say "yeah it all sucked but at least I got an additional 35 horses out of the ordeal"... or something to that effect. Let me know thoughts.
Even my dog is sad (second pic "blue brindle" great dane):
Click to expand...

That really sucks! We can help you out with whatever you need.
 
Odd that the heads are not off yet and the prognosis is heads are warped......:(
 
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