[chancrum94]

Engine has been making a knocking noise for a while! So i i took the valve cover off to see if it was the timing chain. Everything looks O.K. but wtf do i know. One thing i did notice is that the driver side guide will move a lot if i push on it, it looks like the top bolt that holds it on isn't doing anything.
Is this what my noise is coming from?

Pleas help!!

 

[twitch88]

the plastic chain guides break and then you get a pretty shitty noise, replace the chain and guides.

 

[chancrum94]

Ive been told by some people that the noise my truck makes is a rod knock. Would the chain make a simillar noise???

 

[VT_Toy]

Yes, your engine is getting ready to self-destruct. Replace the timing chain and guides soon, or risk much worse damage when the chain breaks!

engbldr.com has a kit with a steel guide that replaces the plastic guide that usually fails.

 

[Izeloz]

Ditto on the engine builder chain kit. I just barely got one and put it in. Neither guide should have any play in them, so if yours can be wiggled around, it's time for a new one.

 

[chancrum94]

I have been putting water inn every 2 weeks and i cant find any leaks. I drained the oil and it looked fine, so im hoping the cover is ok but where is the water going??

 

[Oatmeal]

If it's knocking, I doubt it's the chain especially since you said both guides are still in place (it's usually more of a rattle). Is it more pronounced when it's cold and tapers off as it warms up? It's probably piston slap then (it seems to be quite common in the R series motors especially the low deck, '85 and up models). Don't wait too long to address it though, as the piston can and will, eventually come (catastrophically ) apart. Don't ask me how I know :shaking: Now, if it gets louder as it warms up (oil warms up and thins a bit) it could be a rod knock. If you catch it in time you might just be able to drop the pan and deal with it from below. Good luck!...........Hans

 

[Oatmeal]

Oh, and the chain guide on the drivers side has an obolong shaped top hole and a shouldered bolt so, it will move some (it pivots on the bottom bolt) is that the movement you're seeing? It's normal.......Hans

 

[Big Rig Wrecker]

u might wanna replace the timing guide and do the guess and check thing.. because if it doesnt work then you know its a rod knock. Rumor has it you have the timing chain parts already. git-r-dun!!

 

[chancrum94]

Oh, and the chain guide on the drivers side has an obolong shaped top hole and a shouldered bolt so, it will move some (it pivots on the bottom bolt) is that the movement you're seeing? It's normal.......Hans

I looked at some pictures of a stock guide and its an actual hole, on mine its like a half of a hole like it broke. (does that make sense?)Also i have no idea what piston slap is. I would just hate to do all this work for nothing!!!

 

[silor]

Read the reply i left for you in newbi section

 

[silor]

K
1-if the guide is moveing order a timeing chain set from
TED @ www.engnbldr.com he is a great guy. get the set with the steel guide i think it was 65 out the door with the speedy seal make sure you get that
2- the radaitor fluid losse can be caused be lots of this
leaky hose
bad radiator with a leak might not be able to see it (was also my case)
Bad Head gasket and it just steaming out cause it not bad leak
just to much vearables with that
if you need timing chain guide info for R&R let me know ill E-Mail the service manual info i got from a nother member
anything elese PM ill help as best i can
Sil
__________________ :flipoff2: PS WELCOME NOOBIE

 

[chancrum94]

Thanks for the help guys!
I have one more question, will a compresion check be able to tell me if the head gasket has a leak?

 

[Oatmeal]

I looked at some pictures of a stock guide and its an actual hole, on mine its like a half of a hole like it broke. (does that make sense?)Also i have no idea what piston slap is. I would just hate to do all this work for nothing!!!

Well, then it sounds like it's broken, however, with the rest of the guide still being there, the chain wouldn't be hitting the timing cover (although you should replace it) . The knock you're talking about (did you read my first post about when it does it?) might still be a rod bearing or piston slap (hope not, though )............Hans

 

[VT_Toy]

I had a bad head gasket that caused my 22RE to use water, but none showed in oil. Compression was fine too. But it would sometimes have a hard time turning over when it started, due to water in the cylinder, and then blow white smoke for a little bit.

How many miles on this engine? Do you have an oil pressure guage? When does the knock occur, just at startup? Or all the time? If so, at what RPM range? I had my oil pickup screen get clogged and I would have really low oil pressure at low RPMs and it would knock a little.

 

[VT_Toy]

I've heard of loose chains rubbing a hole in a coolant passage. That can let coolant into the oil. Could be a small enough hole that the coolant is getting boiled off fast enough to not make the oil foamy.

 

[chancrum94]

The engine has 120k on it. The oil presure seems to be ok on the gauge. The knocking noise is loud upon start up and after it warms up you can hear it at about 3000 rpms. Is there a way i can check to see if its a rod knock for sure?

 

[Oatmeal]

The engine has 120k on it. The oil presure seems to be ok on the gauge. The knocking noise is loud upon start up and after it warms up you can hear it at about 3000 rpms. Is there a way i can check to see if its a rod knock for sure?

Piston slap and a rod knock sound very similar. You said it's loudest when it's at start up (fairly cold) and quiets down once warmed up? I hate to say it but, that's exactly how mine (piston slap) started out. After awhile (many miles) mine got louder and I'd hear it all the time (really loud crawling under a pretty good load like in low range dragging the brake) then finally :nuke: You could identify which cylinder it is by pulling a plug cable while it's idiling and see if it quiets substantially, that'll be the one. It's not hard to drop the pan (solid axle?) and pull the rod cap of the suspected cylinder and inspect the bearing shell, then you'll know......Hans

 

[chancrum94]

Damn, i wish i would have known that before i took all my shit apart!!!!

 

[Gnarly4X]

Chancrum,
There is a big difference in sound between a timing chain slapping on the cover and a rod knock. I agree with Oatmeal, but piston slap and rod knock sound slightly different. Most people don't even know what piston slap sounds like, unless you are a mechanic and repair lots of engines. Piston slap in the 22s is NOT nearly as common as mentioned, at least according to my research. If you can move the guide it's probably worn thin or broken. The timing chain slap will sound loud at start up and sound more like the "tick" of lifter or rocker arm and close to the front of the engine. Loose rods will sound like a knock down by the oil pan and tend to continue from startup while driving. Worn rods and timing chain guides are fairly common on high mileage 22s. Using water when you can't find a leak is usually a head gasket problem or a cracked head. This is fairly common any time after about 100K miles. A leak-down test will most likey tell you if you have a blown head gasket or a cracked head. If you suspect it's a rod bearing, you can put in a can of STP Oil Treatment, if the knock goes away or quiets down, it's most likely bearings. I've heard of a knock caused by too much end play in the crankshaft, but I don't think that is any more common in the 22s than piston slap. TJMHO.
Gnarls.