PLS HELP!

OK here's the story. Saturday May 14th is my Senior prom, in which i will be takign my gf too. But, my engine is making a clicking/tapping noise and i suspect, and have been told it is most likely a lifter rod. I have devoted that whole saturday from 8am till 4pm to Fixing my car so i can drive it to prom. I have no clue how to do this, and was planning a "learn as you go" type situation by taking off the valve covers checking things out etc. I have any tools that are needed...this is where you guys come in... I need any help i could get on this, even if you could drive over, look/listen to my engine and verify the problem it will help me significantly...if you can stay and see through it with me PLEASE PLEASE do so...
If you could drop by, or have me come over and wanna check out the problem to give me some suggestions either Thurs. or Fri let me know.
For those of you that dont know i live in Tempe, Az

5817 S. Alder Dr.
tempe, az 85283


please let me know if you can help
Thank you - Justin


fyi 92 RS w/ 350 TPI

 

Hey man, I'd be more than happy to stop by on Thurs. to check it out. I'll be leaving fri. and won't be here all weekend so I can't help out then unfortunatly... I gave ya my cell number already, give me a call when you've got some free time...

Bruce (90RS305)

 

hey can u pm me ur number again...i dont think i have it anymore

 

I might be able to stop by after work tomorrow, I work at the NAPA right down the street from you...

Gimme a call to remind me, and I'll see whats going on tomorrow night....480-221-4417 - Chris

 

ok got some more info ...plus bruce and i met up and he checked it out. Definately not the lifter, its gotta be something where tranny and motor connect, possibly torque converter, but i got to get it over to my moms BFs house and up on his lift to check it out.... Chris i went to napa to see ya but went to wrong one apparently ...went to Kyrene/Elliot... u must be on University/McClintock

 

Hey man, like I told ya, I'm 90% sure it's your motor mounts. My buddy has a fartstang and the motor mounts went bad on it and sounded almost identical. Make sure you look at those! After driving that thing its obviously not the engine/tranny, those seemed to be working just fine...

 

what exactly does the noise sound like?

 

clicking / tapping

 

Its more of a knocking noise, and it correlates in perfect timeing with the rotation on the engine, and on the driverside of the car, which points DIRECTLY at the motor mounts. When you drive the car and the engine is under load and doesn't move around as much, the knocking stops, and the noise is most prevelant when the vehicle is in PARK and the engine idle is a tad higher. Anyways, I'm not giving up on my motor mount theory...

Bruce (90RS305)

 

Just a thought, but how about an exhaust leak?
I have a tapping/knocking on my drivers side that acts like yours, but I know that mine is a loose manifold...

Something easy for you to check anyway...

 

There's an easy way to test if your motor mounts are absolutely shot:

http://www.dragracedevils.com/copper...lbum=26&pos=18

Put it in drive, left foot on the brake, right foot on the gas

 

im giving another vote to exhaust leak... lol, one of my air tubes came unscrewed once and it made a nasty ticking sound, do what tony suggested, he's right, thats a perfect way to check those mounts out....