Greetings all!

Well, my rebuilt 2.0 has developed a small issue..... 

I've got about 3500 on it since the rebuild, and even though the idle issue is still giving me a little grief, the truck has been running great.  MPG keeps climbing (28.5 last check) and I've been happy....  but last week, it started pinging after I filled up with mid grade gas (I usually use supreme in everything I drive).  I figured it was just the gas, but then I checked the oil.... hmmm...  still pretty new engine, so a little oil consumption would be ok, but I was down a full quart in less than 500 miles.  Topped oil off and put another 100 or so miles on it....  pinging didn't stop, and I'd used almost another full quart in that time.   

So I pulled the plugs.  Yep....  fouled #3.  Cleaned all the plugs, and did a compression check.  190+ across the board.  Changed the oil to full syn and took it for a drive.  5 miles later it's back in the driveway.... extreme pinging.  Except I don't think it's pinging.  I think it's piston slap.  I suspect that the oil control rings are either busted or way stuck on #3.  And it's sucking oil by the upper rings....  and causing the slap.

I may try and soak that cylinder with seafoam, but I think I may have to pull the motor back apart.  I think I might go grab one of those bore scope video cameras from harbor freight and take a peak in the cylinder before I tear it apart.  But right now...... I'm afraid to drive the damn thing because I don't' want to destroy the bore.  Anyone else see this?

I hope the seafoam will help, but I'm getting ready to go to Kuwait, so I don't think I'll get a chance to fix it before I go.  Luckily SWMBO has my other Tracker to drive....   

NV

I think it's piston slap

I kinda' doubt it.  

That would mean cylinder bore and / or piston wear out-of-tolerance issues, and THAT would manifest itself in loss of compression.

Have you given thought to valve stem seals?  

Busted oil rings maybe.

Any "blow-by" out of the oil fill hole (or better yet) out of the PCV connection?

I'd check the valve stem seal first too.

If it's good the #3 oil ring is FUBAR.
In that case either it was put in wrong or the cross hash cyl wall scuffing wasn't done right and the ring didn't take a set.

The bad news is the engine will have to come back out to fix it.
The good news is is won't be expensive.

Or you could go full lazy redneck, disconnect the bad cylinder's injector and just drive it as a 3 cly.