Hi, hoping someone can help me. I have a 2004 mazda 6i and a few weeks ago I started hearing strange sounds coming from the passengers side. I did some research and from what I read i thought it was the torque converter. After changing the oil, and atf I started to listen to it better. It was not coming from that area where the torque converter is but in one of the cylinders on the driver side. It makes a noise like bad bearings or like a ticking sound as if the rod was hitting the cylinder wall. It only makes that sound when there is not much torque applied to the engine. When torque is applied it stops. I did notice metal flakes in the oil filter bowl.
Any ideas what's going on? My thought is the crankshaft bearings are going out.
Thanks for any advice you can give me on this.