Any one who know alot about engines...318s in specific

[81Ramchargerman]

I have a knock in my engine, at first I thought it was a rocker, but as I have had a chance to listen to it more, it seemed like a con-rod, my pops seems to think it is a collapsed piston skirt, mom thinks it is a water pump. Sounds like a ticking/knocking, and seems to come from the front of the engine, also, it started quite a bit more quiet than it is now, and seems to be more quiet when it warms up. When I pulled in to my parking spot, I didn't here it, then I touched the gas, and there it was again. Thoughts, ideas, suggestions???

 

[drylok]

If it is a piston or rod that is making the knocking noise I would not drive it until you get it fixed. If it comes apart because you keep driving it you are looking at $$$ to have the engine rebuilt, assuming that you didn't destroy the block and some other vital components.

 

[81Ramchargerman]

That's the weird thing, my dad said he didn't think it was a con-rod, and if it is a piston skirt, he said it shouldn't really hurt it for me to continue to drive it. He lives 50 mi away and I wanted him to look at it last night, but my step mom hates me, so she made up his mind for him (even after he said he would stop by on his way out of town). Do any mechanics on this forum have any ideas?

 

[81Ramchargerman]

BTW, it was supposedly rebuilt just 6,000 miles ago... it looks like it was just a shi!!y rebuilt to me... What I am mainly concerned about is whether or not it is going to damage the engine if it is a collapsed piston skirt. My dad is a excellent mechanic, i'm just sort of looking for a second opinion

 

[troutbum]

pretty tough to diagnose on the interweb , you need to isolate top end or bottom end you can use a mechanics stethoscope or a long screwdriver to isolate the noise.

Couple of other things to try, short out the plug wires one by one, if the noise stops on one of the wires, it is a bottom end prob, and is time for a tear down.

The same thing can be accomplished with a timing light, once you have the knock identified to a specific cylinder throw the timing light on that wire listen and watch if the flash and the noise coincide it is prolly bottom end.

The fact that is worse when the engine is cold, might also lean towards rods.

None of this is fool proof, but might help.

 

[81Ramchargerman]

So is the piston skirt out the window? I will try the stethoscope or screwdriver, thanks for the input.

 

[val gibson]

do you have water in the oil. i had a crack in a cylinder wall once, and at idle you couldnt hear a knock, but as soon as i gave it gas the knock came alive again. nothing was broke just the crack in the cylinder, i coulndnt even find out how it got there, this happened after about 20k on a rebuild.