My friend has a Nissan 240sx. He stopped running it after he heard an odd ticking noise. kinda sounds like steam almost just in little tiny short blasts. Anyhow. the problem got worse (he had to drive it 7 miles home from my place) Well now when he takes it over 3000 rpms the little ticking noise stops, well it might still be there but i can't tell. There is a much louder knocking noise. I don't know what it is. His dad thinks a his timing chain. He is also loosing oil. No leak that we can find just burning oil, like a half quart a week. Thats his delema.

those engines are known for breaking timing chain guides pull the valve cover and take a flash light look down at the guides u will be able to see if its broken

okay, I'll take a look at it.

if they r broke watch out they r interference engines i have replaced alot of guides in those

The ticking may just be the injectors. The injectors are pretty loud. If not, then it is a sticky lifter. For the knocking, get the timing checked. It should be 20 degrees BTDC. To find out if a ring is bad, first check the compression. Factory is 179psi. Minimum is 151psi. No more than 14psi between cylinders. If you have a low one, squirt some oil in the cylinder through the spark plug hole and then check the compression again. If it is better, then you have a bad ring. If not, you can imagine. Good luck.

The ticking may just be the injectors. The injectors are pretty loud. If not, then it is a sticky lifter. For the knocking, get the timing checked. It should be 20 degrees BTDC. To find out if a ring is bad, first check the compression. Factory is 179psi. Minimum is 151psi. No more than 14psi between cylinders. If you have a low one, squirt some oil in the cylinder through the spark plug hole and then check the compression again. If it is better, then you have a bad ring. If not, you can imagine. Good luck.

exactly, after you do the compression test. redo a wet compression test by using a table spoon of oil in the cylinder. the the preasure begins to ris it a bad ring of gasket. if not is a valve seal.

If it doesn't help, it may also just be cylinder wall damage. Things like sand or other foreign objects getting in the engine somehow. Good lesson for "Take precautions while changing your oil,". Yea, its simple, but easy to screw up. A little sand gets in your engine and you can expect to start adding oil and lose power.