This isnt technically for a F150 engine more so for a project car that I am thinking about buying for cheap (around $600).

The current owner of this car says the engine has rod knock in it. Its a 2.0 liter 4 banger engine. For being a 10 year old car with about 123K miles on it thats about the only problem with it.

What is rod knock? Is it worth trying to fix in an engine or is the engine pretty much a lost cost?

I would use it as a daily commuter to work since the F150 is hard on the pocket book for gas.

Thanks everyone in advance for your help.

 

If the engine truly has a rod knocking, it won't last long. If a rod is knocking, it is either fractured and ready to break (had this happen on a big block once - left a hole in the block that you could put your fist through), the rod bearing is bad (you will soon throw the rod), or the wrist pin is loose and slapping the cylinder wall (will eventually scour the wall up so bad you will lose compression on that cylinder). Most of these conditions will be at their worst when you rev the engine and first let off the gas. However, if the knock happens under gentle accelleration, it is probably piston slap, and could go on for years.

 

probably won't last long and will mean a new engine.

 

there are degree of rod knock.

if you don't wait to long it is possible to drop the pan and replace the rod bearings and /or mains.

I have done it successfully on many engines over the years.

I have worked of ford truck engines with rod knock so bad that I was afraid to drive over 30 mph. dropped the pan and the crank was undamamged. put new bearings in (std size) and never had another problem.

I have also replaced engines that had been driven so long with rod knock that the rod nuts vibrated loose and the the rod cap blew through the pan and block.