After using the SeaFoam to cure my engine knock, and a very loud and expensive sounding start up, I have now developed a knock. I triggered a #6 misfire (P306) but it went away. I had two mechanics (back street guys, unsure of qualifications) listen to it and they both said it's not a lower end knock.

After reading this forum, I think I may have one of two different problems.
1. Bent something in the valve train. Possibly a pushrod, valve, lifter or something else.
2. bent the connecting rod to #6 piston

Questions are do I need to pull the engine to get the oil pan off? I'm thinking about first, pulling the valve cover to see if I have any play in any of the pushrods. If not, I'm suspecting I bent a rod. Can I do a compression test to indicate a bent rod?

I don't have any easy way of pulling the engine, that's my problem

 

Your engine most likely hydrolocked and bent the rod. Pull the engine, your gonna have to put a new one in it.

 

Yea I have heard that pouring the seafoam too fast can hydrolock the engine.

 

seafoam was not the cause of the knock,you said you had a knock beforehand..seafoam is a very good product.i use it all the time.

 

this is from fords service manual it is very easy to do this to see if connecting rods are trashed.
1. remove air cleaner and duct
2. remove the four bolts on the throttle body (I believe 7mm bolts)
3. remove bolts for radiator shroud
4. remove altenator
5. remove engine mount bolts
6. lift motor up with a chain hooked in two the 2 altenator bolt hole
( if you dont have a cherry picker you can use your garage trusses if they are well supported. you are not lifting alot of weight you are just piviting it on the trans mount)
7. remove pan
8. see what you have down there

****dont try it with out lift the motor you will just be wasting your time****

If it was me and I thought it was hydro locked I would pull the plugs and crank it over if it cranks then you know it was hyrdo locked. You may get lucky and just have to change head gaskets. Pull #6 for sure since you had that code for it.

If you keep cranking it you may bend a rod if its hydro locked

 

Sorry, I had a spark knock, now I have a mechanical knock. From what I've read, the seafoam went in too fast through the brake booster vacuum line and filled the #6 cylinder.

 

Thanks. I'm starting tonight.

 

From what I've heard, you can remove the pan bolts, then partially drop the pan, reach up inside there and remove the bolt(s?) that hold the oil pickup tube in place and let it drop into the pan. Then you should be able to slip the pan out. A guy I work with works in his dad's shop after-hours... he told me about this trick and claims it works all the time. I can't vouch for it.

-Joe

 

Knowing what we're working on, what engine is in it, and whether it's two or four wheel drive would help those of us who haven't kept up with what you've done so far.

 

pushrod? v6?

 

Yes,believe it or not,the 4.2 V6 actually has pushrods!

 

I am not sure on V6. but the 4.6 and 5.4 2 wheel drives Automatic. It dont matter if you remove the oil pick up tube or not you can't get it out. Oil pan hits the bell housing. It will be like 3/4" shy of making it. They just dont want to make anything easy.

 

Too much Seafoam through the brake booster line??? Was the engine cold when you started? I don't think that's possible, at least with the V8's, is it? Didn't someone here figure out exactly how much it would take to vapor lock the Tritons a few years ago? I've done mine 5 - 6 times now without issue. Sorry to hear about your bad luck man.

 

Thanks. I'm now stuck. Can't pull the engine, and don't have the cash to get a new engine.

 

You would of had to have entire can of Seafoam sucked in within 3-6 seconds in order to hydrolock anything? Assuming the liquid has a mind of it's own and most of it goes directly to one specific cylinder out the 7 others it can disperse to? It would take a decent effort to manually hydrolock the motor.