well the bird is knockin. I think it is a rod and my dad thinks it is a lifter. what is the eaisest way to tell what is knockin?

 

What happened immediately before all of this started? The key can usually be found in the not-too-distant hisory of the car.

 

A rod knock will occur with twice the frequency of a lifter. (or anyhting else in the valvetrain for that matter )

not to mention they sound totally differant, But To te untrained ear easily confused.

I would describe a lifter as more of a Tap. A rod knock is just that, a distinct Knock.

 

My dum *** lil bro let it get low on oill.
a lifter is more of a clicking sound right?
It sounds like a distinct knock to me.

 

Sometimes you can disconnect one plug wire at a time and when you get to the cyl that's knocking, if it's a rod, it will go away (or at least quiet down quite a bit). But if that's what it is, STOP DRIVING THE CAR and put a crank kit in it immediately, BEFORE it tears up the rod (maybe). If you catch it before the bearing spins in the rod, then all you have to change is the crank and bearings, you don't even have to pull the heads or disturb the rings; but if a rod is damaged, that piston has to come out to replace the rod, which means a complete tear-down and rings.

There's nothing in the world that's worse for a car than runningi it low of lubricants. Your little bro ought to help pay for what he tore up, that way he'll learn how important it is to take care of a car. And you should make sure when you put it back together that it doesn't leak or burn oil so that the oil level doesn't become a crisis every time it's driven.

 

THank you for the help.

as for paying for it.... He owns as much of the car as I do right now ; ). And the car hasn't been driven since the knocking started.