Rod knocking after pulling trailer up steep hill

What year is your truck, and what year model did the motor come from? The ones on RockAuto (called a Camshaft adjuster magnet) all look like the one on the left up through 2021, same part. Nothing showing for 2022 up, but that could just be they haven't verified fitment.

 

Those are two connections for the oil pressure sensor covered in goo.

the truck is a '17, I *think* the donor motor came out of a 19. I have no clue why they're different, but it seems important and seems to be making my truck run like an old two-cylinder John Deere tractor.

 

Hmm, shouldn't matter really, but that's just based on my own feeble noodling. The ones on RockAuto spec the same part for every year. It appears that those parts are actually the camshaft adjuster magnet -- the position sensor looks different, and RockAuto doesn't even list those. But, the Google says:

What are the symptoms of a bad camshaft adjuster?

If the camshaft adjuster fails, the car will have trouble starting the engine, lack of power, and engine shaking.

It seems you are getting readings, so the position sensors seem to be working, maybe. Maybe these adjusters are bad or not getting the signals they need?

The VVT actuator/solenoid apparently looks like this:

 

I know there's a lot of pages, but the pics you are referencing are from the old motor. OP is trying to get a replacement motor to work now.

 

It’s like an aortic branch of wires coming out of the passenger firewall.

 

Those round thingies you posted are solenoids.
@TeenBeeer posted a pic of the timing control oil valve (gear bolt). In the center of that bolt is a plunger. Check if plunger is moving.
I would check the timing marks. If marks are spot on, replace intake gear bolts and solenoids from your blown engine. But you need to take a timing chain cover off.

 

The solenoids you can see through the hole when you take the external cam sensors off have a different part number, so they must be different. We're going to remove the valve covers to see if anything else on the end of the cams are different. The pins on the center of the cam sensors do move in and out pretty smoothly.

 

To clarify a few things.
Those round things are not sensors, these are solenoids.
Cam position sensors are on the top of the valve cover, where coils are.
What you see through the hole is the timing control oil valve.
The pin on the solenoid is pushing the plunger on the valve when ECM applys 12V.

 

Test the plunger movement. The plunger is opening/closing oil passages for retard/advance.

There is the oil filter, but you need to remove the bearing cap to access it

 

This is pretty cool stuff: Especially the stuff in section b: VVT-i "Controller" and in section 3a. "When the engine stops": what happens with the timing for the next time.

Borders on "Rocket Science" (IMO)

 

ok, passenger side valve cover removed, here's what I have.

It seems to me that I need to swap everything to the right of both cam chains from off the old motor, which I think means those are the things that actually vary the valve timing by moving the cams less than a tooth retarded and advanced as the computer dictates? We tried just swapping the hydraulic bolt thing in the center, but it didn't make much difference.


We looked closely at the timing marks, and think the chain might be off by one tooth, though I can't really explain how that would've happened, since we haven't touched the timing chain, maybe the other guy did, or maybe it was in a wreck and jumped a tooth on impact? Not sure, but here's a closer look. It was hard to get the exact angle to show the timing marks.

If we have to move the timing chains a tooth, is there a way to do it without pulling the whole front cover, which is painful? Maybe slacking up the adjuster system and seeing if it'll slip a tooth then tighten? I guess if we change the VVT adjuster things anyway I think we'd have to pull the cover?



I think the cam sensors that actually tell the computer what position each cam is at are these little guys (which were from the original motor):



They go in the two holes toward the left side of the valve cover (that aren't the spark plug holes):

 

One tooth will do it.
Do you have service manual reference for the timing marks? You need to check if the yellow links line up with notches on the cam gears. Note those small bumps on the bearing caps and long groves On the vvt gears. You may need to turn the engine for a few dozens of turns to confirm marks. You may need to pull the cover to see the crankshaft timing mark and how it is lining up with the red link on the chain and the 0° tick mark on the plate.
I would stick a long screw driver into #1 cylinder and slowly rotate the crankshaft And keep checking 1st cylinder TDC and yellow marks. If dont line up after ~50 + turns, need to pull the front cover off and set the timing.
@silverstr8p , here are marks

 

looks like a brand-new engine. Damn, you did not forget to pour some oil into it.

 

I know it's missing the molasses color coating everything, but hopefully, even though it has around 115K miles, it should still run for awhile

 

theoretically it is doable. You have access to the tensioner via a small cover to disengage it. However, you need to see the crankshaft gear mark. Actually, marks don't matter as longer as the number of links are correct between cam marks and the crankshaft.

 

I'm surprised no one suggested to check your battery...

 

depends how you look at. But it is still air, fuel, spark..

 

It looks like you have one of your left cylinder head VVTI controllers installed on your right side head and vice versa. (ie single short hash timing marks on one head, double hash timing mark indicators on other head) NOT single hash/double hash on the same head.

 

The marks are present on both banks. On bank 1- single line is used, bank 2 - double line.
Here is a better visual
https://youtu.be/-rrim2E_ox8?si=UtCF81ZN0D4-meV8