hey I have a 1995 Dodge Dakota and last night my water pump went out and I replaced it that day and then that night my truck started making a loud ticking and it won’t hit a rev limiter anymore and I checked the pistons for rod knock and none of them seem loose so pls help I ruled out the oil sending unit

 

How did you check for rod knock? (pull a plug wire, one at a time) Also, how did you rule out the oil sending unit? Hopefully by using a mech. guage.

How hot did the motor get? My gut feeling is, you way overheated the motor...... If that is the case, I would be looking for another motor, or junk the truck depending on condition.

 

Could be a couple things. The timing chain has a TSB to add a tensioner. I had a click I thought was it or the tappets or?? Turned out to be the exhaust manifold studs were broken and that noise was coming from there. I found that out by fixing the studs not knowing that the noise was coming from there.