Diagnosing engine knocks...

caballo

I'm the bastard love child of a threesome gone awr
Jun 4, 2004
0
0
16
Colorado Springs, CO
You guys probably remember my engine problem that arose a short time ago. If not here's the cliff notes

spark plug ejects.
no start condition w/ various codes.
replace fuel pump
will not idle
fuel injector wide open.
trip to ford dealer-knock appears. 200.oo bill and no progress.
replace injectors, replace cop's, replace fuel pressure regulator.

NOW car idles and drives but there is a knock.

1) any tips/tricks (oil additives that might make it go away)

or

2) any advice on how to diagnose the knock ie. main vs rod bearing or maybe valvetrain...

Thanks again...:SNSign:
 
40th GT said:
Piston slaps are supposed to be heard even at idle. One way to find out if a car is knocking or not, is to check the spark plug electrode color. White is a sign of knock.

I meant like rod bearing or main bearing knock. It's almost quiet at idle, but you can definitely tell when driving. It's not louder(well, maybe a little) it just gets faster...
 
What are you mods and what type of plugs were you using. Stock or after market. You have to make sure you use the correct thread length on them, most people put too long of a spark plug into the PI heads.

correct threads

Does the sound seem to go away after your car hits operating temp? If so, it is probably a road knock or a wrist pin problem.
 
mogs01gt said:
What are you mods and what type of plugs were you using. Stock or after market. You have to make sure you use the correct thread length on them, most people put too long of a spark plug into the PI heads.

correct threads

Does the sound seem to go away after your car hits operating temp? If so, it is probably a road knock or a wrist pin problem.

stock replacement autolite platinums.

Sound doesn't change based on temp. sound only changes with rpm...
 
For a knock sound that's happening while you drive, it's hard unless you have access to a lift, or have friends who will get up under the car to listen while you jack the rear end up and spin the wheels.

I know this sounds harsh, but if it were me, and I were hearing a continuous knock while driving, I'd be buying a cheap beater car to drive around while I pulled the motor from the stang to diagnose.
 
sgarlic said:
For a knock sound that's happening while you drive, it's hard unless you have access to a lift, or have friends who will get up under the car to listen while you jack the rear end up and spin the wheels.


So I unplugged each spark plug (one at a time) while the engine was running and the sound didn't change. Then I put a piece of pcv(no hose available) up to my ear and went up and down both valve covers and didn't notice a change in volume.

So I'm thinkin' maybe it's a valvetrain or timing chain thing...

Any thoughts?!
 
Was your spark plug whole? (missing pieces) Entertain the possibility of ingestion of pieces. Did you do a compression test? Would rule out valve/piston/ring issues. Does the noise change with clutch in/out? Does the sound occur only under a load? Dissect your oil filter to look for any "floaters" metal, etc. How many miles on motor?
 
willit said:
Was your spark plug whole? (missing pieces) Entertain the possibility of ingestion of pieces. Did you do a compression test? Would rule out valve/piston/ring issues. Does the noise change with clutch in/out? Does the sound occur only under a load? Dissect your oil filter to look for any "floaters" metal, etc. How many miles on motor?


plug was whole.

Compression test good.

Auto; no clutch.

Sound is constant. increases in frequency with rpms... (slightly louder)

81k miles on motor.