I've only had my 87 RX7 -> 2000 camaro SS T56 swap running for a few days. It had been running great until I finally got on it for the first time on an on ramp. Since then I have an engine knock. I'm really racking my brain about this. The last thing I wanted to do was pull apart the engine.

After doing some searching, I found out about piston slap, but my car has the knock at all times, not just during warm up. I can hear the knock slightly at idle and with higher RPM it goes away and then comes back louder around 3000 or so. I made a stehoscope with some tube and a piece of steel. I don't hear any knocking on the heads, block or exhaust ports. I do hear it on the water pump housing. Suspecting the water pump, I took off the pulley and I still hear it! What would cause noise throught the water pump that is not the water pump? What should I do to figure out what is wrong?

thanks,
Tom

 

Whats your oil pressure at?

 

I'm not sure, but I can borrow a gauge. Where is a good place to connect it?

 

If you take off the intake manifold and look near the back of the block behind the valley cover on the drivers side there will be a plug where the stock oil pressure sending unit used to go.

 

Ok, my oil pressure is 40PSI at idle. There is also a slow oil leak coming from between the trans and engine.

 

You rear main seal is leaking.

 

that noise could be anything in that area ranging from a cam bearing, cam retainer plate, timing chain, cam gear, cam "walk". best bet is to pull the front accesories and start the engine again. if you don't hear it, the noise is in the accesories, if you do hear it, start pulling the front apart