Oil pan

[cranky1]

I have a 97 rodeo with the 3.2L engine. I replaced the timing belt and tensioner but I still have a loud knock on the right side. The knocking is loud at all RPM's and under load and no load.
Is it possible to remove the oil pan to check bearings with the engine still in the truck?

[highlandlake]

Yikes - a knock after replacing the tensioner. So much for the easy fix...

If you have 4WD the oil pan is almost impossible to get off without removing the crossmember, flywheel cover, the starter, front axle, part of the steering assembly and the front tire. I hope you have 2WD!! If you do, only some of that stuff has to get taken out of the way.
But it ain't like some engines where an oil pan is fairly unobstructed. Plan on a lengthy process to check those bearings.
Wish someone would develop a mechanic's endoscopy probe small enough to snake down the oil fill tube and be used while the engines running. Heck, if doctor's can peek into a beating heart and measure molecular plaque, why can't someone make a crankcase tool to check clearances? What's more important anyway?

[cranky1]

Not what I wanted to hear. Thanks for the info.

[Ramblin Fever]

Did you replace the waterpump?

Seriously - this too can sound very wicked when it's had it's day.

[rodeo02]

Yes, to get a full-blown view of the bottom end will be a PITA. The small stamped steel oil pan is easy to remove, but I'm not sure what you can see other than the oil pump p/u with the little pan off. The aluminum lower block skirt has to be removed for a full view. Are you getting any metal shavings in the oil drain or filter? Bottom end issues are not that common on <1997's.

Joel

[Ramblin Fever]

What viscosity of oil are you running? And what oil filter?

[cranky1]

I did replace the water pump when I did the belt and tensioner. I just bought it at the repo auction and I don't know what oil it has and a NAPA filter. It does have metal specs in the oil. I'm going to change the oil just so I can say I covered all the bases but I believe I will end up pulling the engine and rebuilding the bottom end.

[cranky1]

I guess the other question I should ask, It sounds like a rod knock but is there any other components that might sound like a rod knock?
I have been reading thru the posts here and have rarely seen a post about bearing problems with engines older than 1998.

[Ramblin Fever]

As Rodeo02 stated, the <98 model year 3.2L's are pretty stout engines; I've only twice heard of blown engines. One was due to holding rpm's over 6k, other was due to extremely low oil level.

It's very possible that at some point, seeing as it's previous history is unknown, someone ran it very low on oil or severly abused the engine.

What I would do, if you can't afford to rebuild it now, cushion the rods as much as possible - i.e. invest in some heavier oil, even if it's not a rod, thicker oil won't hurt this engine at all.

If your lowest outside temp is -10F, use 10w-30; if your lowest temp is at least +15F, you can use a 10w-40; or, if your lowest temp is +20F, you can even use 15w-40.

I generally run a mix of 10w-30 & 15w-40 in the summers of Colorado; this winter, cause it can dip as low as -15F at night, I'm running 5w-30.

But, I don't have a rod knocking - if I did, even with -15F temps, I'd be running at least a mix of 5w-30 & 15w-40 half/half.