Thread: Rod Knock or Lifter?

Okay so I tore the valve cover off I didn't notice anything unusual, the sound did seem to come from deeper in the motor like the piston was hitting something? I did run it with the belt off and it still made that noise. I have a few pictures not sure if they will say anything tho, also can you run the car with the valve cover off or will it piss oil everywhere? The oil may have had very very tiny glitter like metal in it or it could have been something else hard to tell it was really small.

Imgur Album: imgur: the simple image sharer
Youtube Video of it (doesn't show much but I took it anyway): VIDEO0160.mp4 - YouTube

Still have to check the spark plug's what size socket is it? I feel like removing the LIM is going to happen, just dandy because I don't want to do it. Not my car <---Rage

you can run it with the cover off, it may shoot oil. or it may dribble. that v/c looks like its got coolant mixed in with oil. that brown frothy looking stuff.

Wouldn't surprise me this car drinks coolant when it was the DD we always had to put coolant in it after a month or so. Can't that sludge plug lifters and then the lifter can make that noise? Because the car ran fine the night before this happened.

you maybe in bigger trouble then you think, dump the oil into a clean container, and check it out.

if its glitter looking or mud like your valve cover that means the lim let go on ya. and killed a bearing somewhere.

it kinda looks like nasty mixed oil was pumped through the rocker and nailed the cover. if so that could be why its ticking, water is not oil so the lifter would stop pumping up. aka collapsed.

Originally Posted by FordMan77

Eww. Not looking good. Do what scotty suggests and see what you get. Good scenario- the oil is fine and you change the LIM gaskets and the oil twice and all is well. Worst case- you need a used longblock and then change the LIM gaskets.

Question is, how long has it been doing the "disappearing coolant" act?

Umm....Prob a few years. That car has been so neglected, and beat to hell. Could possibly like some cleaning agent of some kind mixed in the oil fix the problem? I'm thinking That just dropping in a new motor/trans would be so much easier because the Trans is bad also.

dump the oil, see whats what, no sense in wasting money on a engine if you dont need one.

Run with valve cover off. If that doesnt yield anything then based on the milkshake surprise i would try seam foaming car first hoping it was a gummed up lifter. Either way an LIM gasket job is needed and likely need with a used engine if u go that route eventually.

How do you use seafoam? Wait I'll just google it...

dont bother, it wont help at this point. dump the oil.

I'll do that tomorrow after school.