Can't exactly explain whats going on but I can explain it to the best of my ability.

My cammed 98 trans am sounds like its knocking, but it doesn't sound exactly like a knock, kinda sounds like a lifter clacking, or a valve having problems.. and I know that the car is Pinging like a bitch, and I think the wrist pin on the piston is breaking. and I don't know really anyway to actually tell whats wrong with the car without pulling the motor apart, and I can't do that, its my DD and I don't have another car...

So any other Ideas as to what it could be??


Thanks so much.
Chelsea

 

could also be piston slap. What does the oil pressure look like?

 

Do you mean it has been pinging before this noise started or did the pinging start after? Detonation is extremely hard on pistons and bearings and can cause severe engine damage.

 

oil pressure sits around 40 when the car gets warm and 80 when she's cold. The noise started after the pinging.. and the ping stops if we can get 100+ octane in her, but to get that I gotta drive 200 miles... so IDK what to do..

 

Bent pushrod? are you sure the pinging is detonation??