Yes I'm about a 6.5, that's why I came here for help. I checked youtube and it sounds nothing like the rod knock, it's way less dramatic, almost exactly like the 2g DSM lifter tick video I found. I haven't had a chance to listen under the hood for myself yet, but I will when my dad gets home.

If it's a head gasket, will I need to buy just a head gasket, a head gasket and bolts, or do I need a complete kit?

 

if you are replacing the head gastket i would HIGHLY recomend changine out your timing belt, water pump, pulley's, tensioner and head bolts. these are standard maintenance that are, a lot of times, neglected. if you do go in and change out the head gasket i also recomend getting a hayes manual to help you w/ the tightening sequence of the head bolts.

if you want to take the easy way out and just do the head gasket you are risking your motor. if the timing belt snaps you will probably be looking at a new head if not a whole new motor. if the water pump goes bad and you catch it in time you will have to take the head off again to change it out. it's just not worth it. spend the extra 100 bucks to change out the rest of the stuff.

 

Definetly agreed with RCJ. Its important to do the other small stuff and spend the extra $100 now rather than spend $1500 later.

 

Well I took the car back to the dealer today to talk to their mechanic about it, dropped it off and let them look at it all day. They said the head, head gasket, and valve lifters are fine, and that it sounds like a 'wrist pin'. He said that would be more expensive than buying a new motor, and offered to let me trade in my car(kinda, basically give it back and come up with a new down payment, so... no.), but how expensive is a wrist pin(I've never heard of that, sorry) and how hard is it to put in?

He also said that 'Mitsubishis tend to smoke when they sit for awhile', and to run synthetic oil through it and it will stop. Am I just being stubborn or is that the dumbest thing I've ever heard? How would that help?

IF you guys have any suggestions or advice, please help.

Thanks.

 

well lets start with the fact that you shouldnt trust a mechanic, they are just greese monkeys lookin for money, i am also positive the smoke is your head gasket.. the ticking, does it do it all the time or just when cold?? it is normal when it is cold, thats why you shouldnt run it hard cold, and synthetic might help that because it is higher grade and better oil to lube it up better. If it does it all the time, you might have a bent valve that is ticking or even just sticking, not too major but it can get tedious

 

It does it all the time. Sometimes it seems fainter, but that could all be in my head.

 

There's no oil on the engine or any other signs of the head gasket leaking.

 

the ticking might just be a sticky valve, run it and see if it sounds like it is coming from the top of the head or down closer to the block.. it is by the top it could be a bent lifter or something, if it is closer to the block, it could be a bent or stickey valve

 

I'm pretty sure it's closer to the block, but I could be wrong. It's hard to tell.