1996 ford knocking problem

So I was a moron and drove through some wicked water and got water in my oil and intake. I drained the oil out (it looked white) and put some fresh oil in, which I will probably change a day or two after I get the truck fixed (just to be sure I get all the water out).

My truck starts up fine now, but there's a terrible knocking sound that varies with the RPM of the truck. A friend suggested it might be a loose rocker arm, but I don't know how that would corelate with the water I got into less than a week ago.

What could this be? Is it the rocker arm? How can I find out what it is and fix it?

You got water in the intake-most likely into a cylinder(s),and you were unfortunate that the engine fired up with a "partial" hydro-lock. Quite likely you have a bent rod.

does sound like a bent rod, that causes odd piston-slap and that knocking noise.

drop the sump, get a decent flashlight and see if any of the rods are bent.

does sound like a bent rod, that causes odd piston-slap and that knocking noise.

drop the sump, get a decent flashlight and see if any of the rods are bent.
drop the sump? <_<

I know little about engines. I know what the rocker arms are, but wtf is the sump?

I'll check about the bent rods... my neighbor said I could try throwing some slick50 to loosen anything that was de-lubricated by the water. meh.

ALSO! How bad is it to be driving around with a bent rod? I'm not talking long trips, I'm talking far enough to get it to a mechanic (Let's say 3 miles or so).

How deep did you say that creek was???LOL If its running ok except for the noise, it probably wont hurt it anymore to drive it a few miles if you drive it slow. If it were a pushrod or rocker arm , it would likely be missing on that cylinder. 2.2 is talking about dropping the oil pan when he says drop the sump. You could do that, but to me its easier and simpler to pull the motor. The pans can be a booger to get off, and in the time you spend rolling around on your back with oil dripping in your eyes fighting with it, you could have the motor out where you can get to it. Besides, not to insult your intelligence, but if you dont know what youre looking for or at, you likely wont see the damage. Save your money on the slick 50, that is nothing but "snake oil" . It isnt even good for its intended purpose, much less taming a knock. The PTFE will settle out in the container, and most people throw what they paid 15-20$ for in the garbage can stuck to the bottom of the bottle, all they did was add an expensive quart of oil to their engine. And if it will settle out in the bottle, it`ll settle out in your oil pan. That is if the oil filter doesnt trap it first.LOL But dont take my word for it, you can prove it to yourself. If slick 50 has set on the shelf long, it will be settled on the bottom of the container, and ironically it used to say on the bottle that "it is not neccessary to shake this product before use".

rocker arm and or push rods bent..

My neighbor suggested taking off the valve cover. I know what that is, but it looks to be a ***** to deal with. Would that be a possible course of action?

Note to unclebubbles: I know what the valve cover and rocker arms are, but I didn't know exactly what the problem was. If that's the case, I know what you're talking about, but damnit I don't want to deal with it.

Thing is, I'm in college, I live in a dorm, so all I have is a socket set, oil pan, screwdrivers, and a blanket. I have to do all my auto work in a parking lot. THAT'S why i'm considering taking it to a mechanic.

Pulling the valve cover isnt nearly as difficult as pulling the oil pan, and doesnt take alot of tools to do if you want to tackle it yourself. A pushrod/rocker arm problem would be pretty easy to spot after you get it off, but you dont know for sure where the noise is coming from. Diagnosing a noise over the internet can be just as hard as trying to describe one. What sounds like a knock to one person may sound like a tap or rattle to someone else. I would suggest taking it to the mechanic you`re talking about and let them listen to it. A trained ear, and a few diagnostic tricks can usually tell if the noise is coming from the top or bottom end. You said the engine starts fine, but is it running smoothly, or does it have a miss on one or more cylinders? Not knowing exactly what happened when you got the water in it , we`re just guessing. Did it go dead when you got in the water and you started it back, or did it keep running? I have seen some strange things happen from playing in the water and mud. Ive seen water go in the intake of a running engine and warp valves, pop the head off valves, bend rods, break pistons.....If you were gassing on it pretty hard when it happened, maybe you are lucky and it is just a rocker arm/pushrod problem as someone suggested.