318 just started knocking???
I was afraid of the rod scenario, but I'm thinking this is what we may have here. Is there an easy way to turn the rotating assembly in the motor if I drop the pan and try to go at it from below to check those bolts? There is almost no circumstance in which I plan on pulling the motor here. I would just like to be able to rotate everything around and check from underneath.
if there was enough clearance between the journal and the bearing (or lack thereof) , you could have someone on the crank bolt moving it back and forth while you are looking for a rod that isn't moving right away, or , one that you could actually shake and it would rattle. you would have to have a ton of clearance for that to work , and I would imagine , you would have one hell of a knock if that was the case. I am going to say that you don't have that kind of clearance. IF it were ME, and I was not able to pull the engine, I would pull the pan , pull the oil pump, take off one rod cap, bump the journal away from the rod, measure that rod journal , and order a set of 8 rod bearings , and replace them all. get a new oil pump while you are there. chances are good that if you have one going , another will follow , if this is an older engine. I didn't read the last page before posting here lol
if it is in fact a rod bearing , you do not want to run the engine one more second so you are not trashing the rod or journal associated with the knock. if you find a bearing that has spun or that has become so thin the journal is beating up on the rod , you will have to replace it. worst case is that you spun a rod bearing and the journal would be wasted, but I have a feeling , since the knock is not that pronounced, and by your description , that you will be ok. I guess what could be worse is that you go through all that and find that wasn't the problem . the only other bottom end knock I can think of , would be a wristpin. I suppose it could be piston slap but that's not quite an actual knock
