Hi guys. Looks like I'll probably be making another thread before too long. My motor has been making a light knocking, tapping, clicking noise lately. I ignored it for a while because it wasn't very loud and I know the 300 makes odd noises at times. Anyway, the noise is getting louder and louder. Now you can clearly hear a knocking noise at idle. It doesn't knock or tap when I give it fuel, but this may be just my ears not picking up the sound.
I just changed the oil and used Lucas, thinking maybe it would quiet it down a bit. It didn't. Motor runs fine but I don't know where else could be making the noise. If I were forced to say the noise was coming from any one direction, I would say it's coming from the left front. It being an inline six, you would think this may suggest a power steering pump. I doubt this, though.
Motor couldn't pick a worse time to go out on me if that's what it's thinking of doing. It just needs to wait one more year and I'd be happy to rebuild her. Nothing goes as planned though, right? Ha ha.

Just wanted to see what you all think and let you all know I may be needing some info before long. I'm about to do a search on 300 I6 engine knocking and see what I find. I'm hoping it's nothing serious.

 

Also note worthy and unknown if it's related, but; In 2nd or 3rd gear I'll sometimes give it 3/4 throttle. Typically my truck acts like a dog that got poked by a branding iron and MOVES; what my truck has been doing LATELY is downshifting and chugging along, as if it thinks it's pulling a load. WTF?

 

Sounds like it could be rod knock. Install a mechanical oil pressure gauge to verify your true oil pressure at warm idle. This is the only way to get any information without opening up the motor.

 

That could be rod knock but it's hard to tell from this info. If it is a heavy knock / thump sound then this is likely.

If it is a lighter tapping / clicking, it could be something in the valve train. One way to help find this noise is to use about a 3' long piece of rubber or plastic hose. Hold one end to your ear and move the other end slowly over the engine while it is running. The tubing will help exclude general engine noise while the unusual noise comes up the tube when you place the other end of the tube near its source. This makes it MUCH easier to hear a problem.

Ed

 

Try adding a half-quart of ATF to your oil then put on a few miles. If it's valvetrain clicking, the ATF detergents will help clean sludge from the lifters so they pump up fully.

 

cut your oil filter open look for metal shavings! Good place to start