Spark knock or rod knock?

[Awesomewheeldrive]

So.... I start hearing what sounds like bad lifter tick. Pop the hood and wow is it noisy. I tried to readjust timing to see if i was knocking on idle. No matter how much timing, it knocks. So ibpulled the plugs 1 by 1. Cyl 1 i can get an arc from about an inch away and the same goes for cyl 3. Cylinder 2 and 4, i can get it to arc, but only if i am almost touching the valve cover. I replaced my CAS just now thinking well maybe this is it and it wasnt. When i pull cylinder 2 and 4 plug wires, the knock goes away. Which, could be a good test saying thay my knocking is.on the bottom end right? But remember those cylinders had weaker spark, so it could be spark knock still too right? So does this mean i have to drop my oil pan and see whats going on?

Also, it doesnt knock while cranking, only when its running

 

[cianfar]

sound like rod knock might as well drop the oil pan and see what cracking down there.

 

[Awesomewheeldrive]

Pulled the plugs... Tops of Cyl 2 and 4 are wet

 

[gmtech121]

if it has that weak of a spark on those two cylinders with the plugs out then under compression they wont have enough voltage to ignite the fuel. im new to dsm so im not to familiar with this ignition system but it might not hurt to check the coil packs

 

[ninetyfour]

So yeah if you are taking #2 and 4 out and don't hear the noise any more that eliminates an issue being in the bottom end right? Thats the way it makes sense to me

 

[Awesomewheeldrive]

I heard that taking out the plug and not hearing the noise means its the bottom end. But idk, thats why im hoping a dsm guru will pop out of no where and help. I think im going to drop the oil pan right now.

 

[gmtech121]

well if you take the plug out and the noise goes away then it could be the bottom end since theres no compression putting a load on the piston or rod it sounds like a bottom end knock to me. hows the pan look

 

[Awesomewheeldrive]

Didnt get a chance to pull the pan yet. I dropped the downpipe and cross member. Oil doesnt have shavings in it... But we will find the answer in 4 hours when i get home

 

[seejakob94]

Ya just like gmtech121 said, when you take the pressure off the piston it is just spinning freely. There is no load on it to bang against the crank. But hopefully its something easy or it may be time for a sweet rebuild

 

[shanebro]

I'm 90% sold on it being the bottom end, it just sucks thinking about having to work with all those lil' bolts....nightmare.

 

[danielbo91]

You said your plugs 2 and 4 are wet in that case you have weak spark, try a new coil pack, I had this issue with my gsx my coil pack was bad I was only firing on 1,4 but 2,3 were not firing so swapped another coil pack that it had and it fix my problem. But when my coil pack was bad my car sounded like a lawnmower.

 

[gmtech121]

coil 1 fires cylinder 1 and 4 coil 2 fires 2 and 3 so it wouldnt just be one coil if it is a spark issue. take a test light and ground the clamp put the probe end under the plug boot at the coil till you touch the coil tower, if the noise goes away instantly its a spark issue but if the noise just changes its a knock