I've got a PM out to Billman. I don't mind doing preventative maintenance but I'm not really confident that it's my issue.

I hope to eat my words!

 

Can't go wrong with Billman TCT but I don't think that's the problem. If it was my problem, I'd try to rule the head out right away, if it's not the head then that kind of narrows it down, I'd check the rod bearings, because it sounds like some light knocking to me.

 

Rod bearings were ruled out by unplugging each injector, one at-a-time. The sound did not change. It's also definitely coming from the top-end somewhere, I know the sound of rod knock and this does not sound like it.

I've been doing all I can to rule out anything head-related. My next planned course of action is to do some more careful investigation with a stethoscope (and a rubber hose) to try to pin-point exactly where it's coming from. I was also thinking of just going around the engine bay and unplugging various solenoids one-by-one...

 

Get a cheap stethoscope from harbor freight or amazon.

It has that rapid hollow knock similar to a rod knock. But I don't think that's it. Can you hear the sound under the car or over the engine easier?

I like the lost motion assembly. Sounds like the rocker arm is being smacked back and forth with enough of an air gap to make noise.

However because a tct is sooooo easy to do. I would try that first. It's pretty much preventative matinence.

 

I've got access to a shop at the track next Sunday so I can try to isolate it further but it sounds like top-end noise.

I'm considering doing the TCT but the Billman piece isn't exactly pocket-change. I'll be taking another look on Monday or Tuesday.

 

if you're on the original OEM TCT then I would definitely change that out. original TCT will make noise at some point, roughly 80,000 miles.

i've changed two oem TCT's and the noise they made were not the same. different enough so that the second time i heard it, i thought...no that's not the TCT it didn't sound like that the first time. but it was.

granted, yours doesn't sound like either time my tct went out.

if i were you, i would change the TCT, perform valve adjustment, check oil level, try 5w40, live with it.

doesn't sound bad.

when i FIRST heard it in your video, i was like oh shet...that's knocking? but then i was like nah...doesn't sound so bad.

good luck, let us know what fixes it.

 

I have a very similar sound coming from my built H22 and after lmao swaps I have determined they are worn out valve guides and or now bent valve. The "nipple" that actually pushes down on the stem of the valve... look at it there should be a straight wear mark from the rocker ratio pushing kinda like a line from intake to ex mine looked like a dang cross from all the wobble. I can take a video of my sound to later but it is like identical.
No way it's bearing cuz it goes away past 4k and also had to drive on it for awhile before my s2k and it didn't get stupid worse. I would suspect head as well. Not so much tct as the noise from a tct is usually concentrated to the front. Gl

 

Pardon my naivety but how does unplugging injectors rule out the rod bearings? The injectors are on the top end and the rod bearings are on the bottom end. Won't there still be load on the bearings if there isn't ignition in a cylinder? The other cylinders are going to rotate the crank no?

 

I think he meant cooil packs.

 

Thats the same sound my S was having right before I took her out for some drag racing. Sound got louder on the way home after racing. Did some diagnostics and dropped the oil pan to find what looked like I had just struck gold in my pan except this gold would not be paying me any money lol. Cylinder rod 3 bearing was completely toasted. Hope this wasn't the case for you.