'98 2.4 knocking

A friend brought me his '98 Grand Am the other day with a loud knocking and sounded as if it was coming from the top end. I pulled the top end down and found 2 lifters collasped. He chose to only replace the 2 bad ones along with the timing chain and the water pump. After reassembly the noise was no different. It sounds like a top end noise but upon some probing with a long screwdriver against the ear it sounds loud at the intake camshaft and also lower at the bell housing. It makes a loud knocking or rapping with an increase in RPMs and decrease in RPMs unlike a rod bearing or main bearing. When it is revved to 3 Gs or so it makes anyone standing close back up as though it is going to fly apart. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated as this is a real mystery as to where this noise is coming from. Another case of another one bites the dust? By the way it has a little over 100000 miles on it. Thanks, Rick

Well as it turns out no. 3 rod bearing spun but didn't tear the crank throw up so it is gonna get a new bearing and back together it is going. Hard to imagine an engine with this little miles is trying to self destruct. The owner doesn't want to be the owner anymore so if you see a '98 white 4 door for sale you better look the other way!