Please Help!!!!!!!!!knocking in engine

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have an 88 F150 4.9L engine. I went out to start the truck today and noticed a what seemed like something rolling around in my engine. I think it is coming from the passenger side of the engine possible near the front of the engine. I changed the oil thinking it was old oil. I haven't changed it in awhile due to military commitments. Noise is still there. The noise does not go as fast as the engine revolutions. It is much slower. Revving the engine drowns out the noise but comes back as the engine revs down. This is my daily driver and I am hoping it didn't throw a rod or break a timing chain. It is definitely an enclosed sound, not high pitched. The engine has 130k miles on it. It has never been rebuilt. It is very pronounced when idling. It doesn't go away when I engage the clutch either. Please Help!!!!!!!!!

is a knocking, ticking, or air pulsing sound? if it is knocking you have rod knock and if it gets too bad you will throw a rod. if its a ticking sound it is a lifter or something else that deals with the valves. if its a pulsing air sound your exhaust manifold gasket is probably gone. if it was a broken timing chain it wouldn't even run.

is a knocking, ticking, or air pulsing sound? if it is knocking you have rod knock and if it gets too bad you will throw a rod. if its a ticking sound it is a lifter or something else that deals with the valves. if its a pulsing air sound your exhaust manifold gasket is probably gone. if it was a broken timing chain it wouldn't even run.

Actually, it sounds like nuts and bolts slinging around in there. It would sound like if you put some bolts in a coffee can of heavy oil and sloshed it around. It is near the front passenger side of the engine. I was able to drive it to work and back. Earlier I had posted that I thought my knock sensor was bad. I think it may be related somehow. I appreciate your response. I know it is hard to diagnose from the other side of a computer, but anything to point me in a direction is much appreciated.

Is there any performance probs since the noise started and have you checked anything in that area such as ac comp alternator etc.

Is there any performance probs since the noise started and have you checked anything in that area such as ac comp alternator etc.
As far as I can tell the noise is coming from inside the engine. I looked over the alternator and smog pump in that area but it doesn't seem to be coming from there. I was on the way to work and it hit me what the noise really sounds like. Remember the sound of metal parts on clothes in a dryer rolling around? That's what it sounds like. A dryer with metal or hard objects in it. Not big ones though. I am wondering if maybe a connecting rod bolt may have come loose? Is that possible?

i dont know if your truck is fuel injected or carburated(i know that ford started EFI in the late '80s) but any way. it sounds like you might have a small screw, or a penny or some thing small like that in one of your cylinders. i would think that it would ruin an engine, but my shop teacher has showed me screws, pennies and other things like that, that have gotten into the cylinders and got smashed. and from what he was saying it sounded like, and what your saying it sounds like. im thinking that might be what it is.

Actually, it sounds like nuts and bolts slinging around in there. It would sound like if you put some bolts in a coffee can of heavy oil and sloshed it around. It is near the front passenger side of the engine. I was able to drive it to work and back. Earlier I had posted that I thought my knock sensor was bad. I think it may be related somehow. I appreciate your response. I know it is hard to diagnose from the other side of a computer, but anything to point me in a direction is much appreciated.
Just put a new engine in my 97 F-150. There is a trend problem with the intake valves. Coolant leaks into the cylinders causing too much compression resulting in bent or broken rod. I'd get it checked. I was told it is not a matter of if but when it will occur.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have an 88 F150 4.9L engine. I went out to start the truck today and noticed a what seemed like something rolling around in my engine. I think it is coming from the passenger side of the engine possible near the front of the engine. I changed the oil thinking it was old oil. I haven't changed it in awhile due to military commitments. Noise is still there. The noise does not go as fast as the engine revolutions. It is much slower. Revving the engine drowns out the noise but comes back as the engine revs down. This is my daily driver and I am hoping it didn't throw a rod or break a timing chain. It is definitely an enclosed sound, not high pitched. The engine has 130k miles on it. It has never been rebuilt. It is very pronounced when idling. It doesn't go away when I engage the clutch either. Please Help!!!!!!!!!
If it were a rod or piston noise, it would keep pace with the engine rpm, and get louder when you revved it. Take a long screwdriver, steel rod, or something similar, stick it to different parts of the engine, and hold it to your ear. You`ll be able to isolate the area its coming from usually. The air pumps, alts, water pumps.......ect, can make strange noises sometime when a bearing is going out. The noises can also be intermittent. Also you can take the belt off, and see if the noise goes away. If it does, then its not internal. It wont hurt it to run it for a few minutes without it. Good luck
Later
Ed
.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have an 88 F150 4.9L engine. I went out to start the truck today and noticed a what seemed like something rolling around in my engine. I think it is coming from the passenger side of the engine possible near the front of the engine. I changed the oil thinking it was old oil. I haven't changed it in awhile due to military commitments. Noise is still there. The noise does not go as fast as the engine revolutions. It is much slower. Revving the engine drowns out the noise but comes back as the engine revs down. This is my daily driver and I am hoping it didn't throw a rod or break a timing chain. It is definitely an enclosed sound, not high pitched. The engine has 130k miles on it. It has never been rebuilt. It is very pronounced when idling. It doesn't go away when I engage the clutch either. Please Help!!!!!!!!!


Six cyl engine's are know to be hard on timing chains at times. When you are at idle or not under a loud the chain can slap the case some times. I have not seen this problem yet with this engine but I have heard timing chains make a noise like you described in the front of engines. If the noise goes away when you put a load on the veh I would suspect this. Listen for a noise just above the crank in the timing cover area.

Six cyl engine's are know to be hard on timing chains at times. When you are at idle or not under a loud the chain can slap the case some times. I have not seen this problem yet with this engine but I have heard timing chains make a noise like you described in the front of engines. If the noise goes away when you put a load on the veh I would suspect this. Listen for a noise just above the crank in the timing cover area.
Just for the record, this engine does not have a timing chain. It just has two timing gears that mesh together. ( I believe this to be the case with most INLINE 6 cylinder engines.) Generally these gears are very trouble free if they are both made of steel(which I believe they are in your 1988 F-150) however I was reading some 4.9l six cylinders had a fiber cam gear which can and will cause problems in time. I don't believe this to be your problem , I just wanted to point out that you don't have a timing chain, just gears.