Place your bets Need Help Please

[buc090705]

So recently i developed this tick/clicking sound. I tried the listing to it with a stethascope, but can't isolate from one side of engine or other. Seems to come from the middle. I have taken to a couple of different people/shops and gotten everything from:
"Thrown a rod"
"Lifters"
"Timing belt slap"

Unfortunately the "tuning shop" didn't want to get into it deeply and thought it was lifters and said get it fixed as it will be cheaper than us doing it. So that kind of blew my day with getting it diagnosed.

So two questions -
1. What do you think it is?
2. Anyone know any good mechanics in Wilmington, NC besides just dealership.

All help and or suggestions are greatly appreciated, and i have searched on here, but haven't found anything definitive.

IMG 0293 - YouTube

Thank you in advance from a new guy. And if this isn't the right place for this i am sorry.

 

[hotcobra03]

Do a compression test...

Valve to piston is my guess

 

[03SonicVert]

Sure sounds like a rod bearing, wrist pin or piston.

Have you tried unplugging one coil/inj at a time and see if you can cancel or dramatically change the noise?

SV

 

[Swervedriver]

I'd say probably a scuffed piston but could be a dropped valve guide, scuffed cam journal, wrist pin... Really no point in speculating. Motor needs to be opened up regardless.

Not much down in Wilm. Most people haul their stuff up to Fastlane for engine work. Fastlante bored & honed my block, balanced the rotater & set up the bearing clearances as well as crank endplay for me. Melvin is good but he doesn't like heavy pistons. He'll do whatever you ask though as long as it doesn't involve gapless rings.

Holcomb is near there but I don't think he does motor work down there. He partnered with PCM up in Raleigh and I know he sent his car up there for cage fab work. Might be worth giving Holcomb a call to see who he would recommend for a motor.

 

[buc090705]

Ok so i was able to wiggle around and pull every injector off for a second. No change sound slows down put still present no matter what.

Also seems to be very prevalent at idle, but once you get up to 1800-2000 seems to disappear or quietly down greatly.

 

[Swervedriver]

Probably a scuffed piston.