Possible Transmission/engine knock
 

I Have a 1996 2.3L 5-speed (328,000 miles). Replaced the clutch about 4 years ago (maybe a bit longer). Coming home the other day there was a relatively loud knock from somewhere (:lick:). The 'knock' /loud ticking sound only seemed to be present when the clutch was out & the engine/flywheel/transmission engaged. Coming up a long uphill climb the noise was present all the time. On the downhill side there was no noise (or at least very little) even with the clutch engaged (maybe a bit louder than with the clutch disengaged, but still much quieter than when going uphill). The noise only seemed to appear when the drivetrain was under a load - as in the engine applying 'torque' to the clutch/pressure plate & transmission. I drove it one more day to work same thing noisy uphill - relatively quiet down hill. I have pulled the trans and removed the clutch & pressure plate and see no obvious damage - although the clutch disk looks rather thin, but not broken any where.

On last thing as I was about 3 miles from home on the return trip from work the engine started running very roughly (although this might be from a binding in the clutch assembly??). It also started smoking badly (when I got home and lifted the hood there was oil all over the top of the engine BUT I noticed that the EGR vent tube on top of the valve cover had popped off and most of the smoke seemed to just be oil on a hot engine & exhaust manifold

Questions:
1. Could the oil on top of the engine be just a result of it running poorly & that vent tube popping off??
2. Could the oil issue signal an engine problem??
3. Before I install a new clutch assembly and slave cylinder is possible or a bad idea to run the engine (all coolant lines are still attached)?? Basically I want to eliminate the possibility that the knock was in the engine before installing the new clutch & putting the transmission back up :-)
if the knock was coming from the transmission - I won't know that until the new clutch assembly is in. anyway
4. Or is all of this just a bad clutch and or slave cylinder??

Any help, ideas, other things I should check, etc is greatly appreciated. Need more info?? Just ask

Thanks Everyone!! - Kevin

Might want to check motor and transmission mounts

Ok Everyone you can stopping laughing at me now!! :biglaugh: I realize one of the question sI asked is pretty idiotic for someone who know a little something about engines. I asked in my original post about eliminating a knock in the engine by starting the truck before I replaced the clutch and transmission - just in case - didn't want to have to take the Trans back out. Suddenly realized that without the trans attached there is no starter motor!! OK yes I feel a bit like Homer Simpson.

Next step - new clutch, slave cylinder, put the trans back in & see if that eliminates the issue.

PS 2011Supercab - I will check engine mounts. Trans mounts looked fine when i removed it.