I have a 96 Ram with an 01 5.9, I have been having trouble with it misfiring or something on bigger hills, the whole truck shudders and acts like it is missing on one cylinder. It did this to me on Saturday as well as spark knocking for the first time since I had the engine apart last year, so I rerouted the plug wires. I did not run the truck at all until Monday afternoon and when I started it I noticed the engine was knocking/ticking. I have been unable to find the source of the noise but I do know that it is louder if you listen from the bottom of the engine. I changed my oil tonight and checked for any signs of metal shavings and did not find any. My worst fear is rod bearing, since I replace a piston and rod last year having never done it before but my oil pressure holds steady right at the half way mark (40lbs i think?) When I first replaced the piston I noticed it was making the same noise but It seemed to go away since I hadn't noticed it all summer or winter until last week.
I have also been having problems with it stalling occasionally, usually when the truck is warm but NOT when it gets to normal operating temperature. It only stalls when I let off the throttle, usually after driving up the small hills at work or pulling into a parking spot. It also takes a few seconds to start where it used to start as soon as I cranked it. This makes me wonder if it could be a loose timing chain causing it to stall and maybe the source of the noise too? I went out to see if the noise was around the timing cover and noticed something interesting, when I first started the truck the noise wasn't there but it showed up when I revved the engine slightly and then didnt go away.
I am running Havoline 10-30 like I always have and I also have a bottle of Lucas Oil treatment in it now...

I guess my biggest question is if it is a rod bearing going out how long do I have? My inspection sticker is expired and I don't want to get a new one since I am moving so I wont be driving the truck much until May but in then I am moving and will need to use it to tow a trailer that will probably weigh close to 4,000 pounds or more. I'm tempted to pull the oil pan to check the bearing but since I JUST changed the oil I really don't want to, and even if I do find a problem I don't really have the time or money to fix it. Am I completely retarded to try and make a 400 mile trip with it?

 

Sounds like the cat is clogged.

 

crawl under the truck with it off and cold and bang on the cat with your hand, if it makes the same rattle/knock sound that your hear, its you cat

 

Could be pinging he hears too.

 

how many miles of the truck? and i did my timing chain yesterday, this is def. something you'd want to do....my harmonic balancer broke the other day, and when i pulled it i could see the timing chain and tell it was loose.....and replacing that chain did wonders for the truck.....do the timing chain, even if you dont think you need to.....its only 45 bucks for a comp cams double roller.....

 

I dont think its the cat, I pulled to O2 sensor out and drove it around a bit and it still stalled out on me a couple times, and I just went a beat on it with my hand and didnt hear anything inside.
The truck has just under 145,000 miles on it, I cant remember how many the engine has on it tho, I believe it had 67,000 miles on it when it went in but that was four years ago now. As near as I can tell the truck had about 120,000 when it went in so that puts the engine at around 92,000 miles.

 

A video, with audio... of the knock would be good for diagnosis here.....

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZrDrZc-4ys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFx0IJeVACI

First vid I couldnt hear it at all but i thought i would share anyway

second is from the underside of the truck, back by the bell housing, should be able to hear it there.
I think as bad as i hate to I am going to end up dropping the oil pan to see if it is the bearing, i think i already have one i could stick on there without taking anything else apart, and if i can find a clean container to catch the oil i will put the same oil back in since the oil in it has less then one mile on it

 

Yeah, that sounds like a rod knock..... Better drop the pan, and see what ya got.

 

I know it's just a video with bad audio, but that sounds exactly like my 2000 did. I thought it was the torque converter or bottom end , turned out to be the crank sensor, believe it or not. And it was also stalling similar to how the OP describes his does.