ludwiggramsci

Thanks--good to know it isn't rod knock and the car is worth investing in a bit more. I bought a timing belt kit with new water pump. Anything else I should be sure to have the mechanic look at? Where would the exhaust leak be?

As mentioned, the local NYC mechanics are not very thorough--how can I tell if it is the tensioner or in fact the engine? If it is the tensioner, should I have all pulleys, tensioner and water pump replaced? And if it is the tensioner, is it ok to drive for about 90 mins? (Rental place is outside the city) or is this so dire that I should simply not drive until the repair is made.

Thanks for these responses. I have not replaced the timing belt and water pump as I should have at 105,000 or so miles. How can I figure out if it is now too late to do this? And, if it is still worth servicing, can I get a recommendation and which brand I should get? Looking at the Rockauto site, they have brands like Gates, Contitech, Aisin, Dayco. The repair shops here in NYC just buy the cheapest no name kits so I want to be sure to buy something of quality, if in fact I havent already ruined the engine.

I have 2002 Subaru Legacy L Wagon with 146,000 miles. The engine always has made a chugging/knocking noise since I bought it used 5 years ago. Most recently 2 mechanics told me that the engine is knocking and will die imminently. It has always made noise at start and lower RPMs but goes away at highway speeds. I am best man in a wedding that is a 5 hour drive and I am trying to figure out if the noise is in fact rod knocking or the less problematic piston slap. Here is a video of the sound at cold start: https://youtu.be/nTeys6k34ww Thank you in advance--I want to be sure to make this wedding! Should I rent a car or can I drive this Subie?