Frustrated, discouraged and don't know what to do

[piecesparts]

You did not say that you have done anything with the fuel pump. If you have an engine mounted fuel pump, have you tried replacing the fuel pump? If there is rod play in the pump drive rod, due to a weak spring in the fuel pump, then you get a noise from the engine that will sound like knocking or pinging, under load.

[austinstocker]

By listening to the videos, it sounds like whatever is making the noise is affected by engine load or rpm. Is the noise always occurring at a certain rpm, or only under a certain amount of load? I noticed that when the trans shifts, the noise becomes very noticeable at the beginning of the next gear. Have you tried putting a stock pan and filter on the TH350 just to rule it out? Did you put this pan and filter mod on the truck at the same time the engine was built?

[magwakeenercew2jh]

One thing for sure, there are a lot of moving parts to consider.

A friend of mine asked me one time, in response to my noise-seeking quandry:

"Anything leaking?"
I said, "No."

"Any performance/driveability issues?"
I said, "No".

"Overheating?" "Using an obviously larger amount of gas?" "Burning oil/smoking?"
"No. no. no.", I responded.

"Everything tight and torqued in the suspension and driveline?" "Exhaust hitting anything?" "How about the
brake, e-brake, oil cooler, and fuel lines?"
"All good", I answered.

"Check your speedo cable?"
"For God's sake," I yelled, "I'm not stupid!"

"Well", he said, "you *do* have a noise don't you?"

"Yeah." "What do you think I'm asking you about?"

"Well", he told me, "you seem to have all the answers". "So I guess you have two good options left...."
"Okay, Okay, what are they?" I humbled.

"Well, you can open your ears, eyes, and mind and look for the noise where you don't expect it"
"...at least look in the places you 'haven't' looked", he rudely suggested.

"Doha, Sam." I responded. "What's the other option?"

Sam said, "Let it clearance itself."



I'm not suggesting that your experience here isn't frustrating or that you are doing anything wrong. But there's just so much stuff that can make noise. Good noise *and* bad noise.

To get a fix, there needs to be a starting point on the malady. The engine, while suspect, and still an intelligent potential for *bad* noise, seems to have been sussed out pretty well.
At least the long-block portion....or whatever portion that your builder tested.

Disclaimer ON: I'm an Idiot. And I've been here so many times, that I'm simply doing a yell out to myself. Disclaimer: OFF

I, personally, think that sound suggests something revolving...and expanding when it's under enough load so that it hits something solid...like a housing.... Of course, that's about
67% or 82% of everything in the running gear.

However, it could very well be a bolt left rattling in one of those middle-earth holes at the bottom of the front fenders...or something stupid like that that just hits the correct harmonic
every time in order to drive you from your right mind.

Pulling back to assess the situation using the last point of no-bad-noise is a must. Secondly, more eyes and ears on the offending general area will be the golden path to the solution.

Unless you decide to let it clearance itself.

[midniteblues]

after listening too the videos it sounds more like a rattle an it sure does sound like a tough one to find. If they dyno'ed the engine the way it sits in the truck i would look else where I'm sure they would've had let the engine go after the second time around with a noise like that.

few things too check would be both dipsticks
dust cover on the trans,pcv,dizzy&cap, speedo cable&assmembley,fan&shroud,starter drive gear,

before i paid anyone i would risk useing the hose,broom handle or stethascope too pin point where its coming from sometimes even a finger on the part can feel it. if you can find where its coming from thats half the battle cause you would know where an what too look at.

keep at it an think outside the box an you'll find it you might be a lil' more gray and frayed but you'll find it