I developed what sounded like a rodknock with my b20b. I pulled off the valve cover and discovered one tappet has fallen out and one tappet actually broke where the ball is.

I was going to purchase another head to install but I was concerned I might still actually have a rodknock and that the sound wasn't coming from the head but instead from the bottom end.

I read online that you can pull off the oil pan and wiggle the end of the rod to see if it is loose which will tell you if you for certain have a rodknock issue. Well I pulled the pan today. I did NOT see any metal shavings in the oil. I checked all the rod ends and none of them would wiggle front to back but I do have a VERY slight side to side wiggle. All of the rods have the same side to side wiggle (VERY SMALL) but no front to back wiggle. Is that side to side wiggle supposed to be there? I mean it is less than a millimeter of play side to side. If it is supposed to be there, then does this mean the bottom end is probably still good and that I should go ahead and just replace the head?

For those saying just replace that tappets there was further damage done to the head and it would just be easier to replace the entire thing. All pieces of metal from the one tappet breaking are accounted for so I know nothing actually cycled through the motor. I am going to pull apart the oil filter in a minute and check for metal shavings.

Input is welcome but please only from those with engine assembly experience and I'm not talking about you damn backyard builders. Thanks in advance.

 

They have very slight side to side movement. The noise you heard was probably in the head. I would swap heads since rod bearings dont appear to be spun. I have an ls head. I replied in your other thread

 

^im with him..best way to check a spun bearing to is check the rod cap it is start turning color its do to the heat of the bearing not being a perfect circle anymore,,thats why its not really"spinning" a bearing your compressing them..so some times you dont even no you have one untill its to late the sound will get louder and worse do to the heat so you dont really see shavings in the oil till its to late..but i think your ok...you might want to take off your oil pick tube and blow it out with niuce shot of air

 

I cleaned out the oil pickup along with the oil pan and windage tray. There were some metal debris in the pickup but I am assuming it is from the tappets. Like stated before though I found all the bigger metal pieces in the head and not in the pan...nothing was in the pan.

I will swap the head, LS heads are a dime a dozen so knock on wood this fixes the problem. Really sucks cause I parted out the turbo build when in reality everything was fine and I just needed to swap the head out and call it a day.