Background:
98 Z24 convertible (2.4l 5 speed) with 90k on the clock.
Recently (300 miles ago) completed the NVG trans swap with a new flywheel, slave, pressure plate, etc.
Normal driving home from work Mon and started to hear a knocking noise. :wft:
Noise is RPM dependent, doesn't matter if the trans is in gear or not.
Car is not smoking, did an oil change Mon night to look for metal on the plug and didn't find any.
No loss in power, no CEL or codes.
Knock is present at idle and gets worse when I let off the gas (coasting, shifting etc.)
Tues drove to work and it knocked all the way. Drove home (15 miles) and there was none :wtf:
Start it up Wed and its back. Can feel the knock if you hold your hand on the top of the engine.

From reading here I've narrowed it down to the following.
Bearing
dropping valve
chain tensioner

What am I missing and what are the steps to diagnose the actual cause?

Help guys I'm about to trow in the towel and get rid of this car even though I don't want to.

Well I'm one step closer to figuring it out. I broke down on the way home Car will not go into gear while engine is running so its either the clutch or the slave. So off comes the trans this weekend. Great timing too. Its 8 degrees out and 20 degrees in the garage

quad 4 with a bad knock sound slike a rod bearing to me.at kleast that what mine was 3 different times lol

Update: pulled the trans after breaking down on Thur to find 3 loose and 1 sheared flywheel bolts. Hopefully getting it back together in a day or two.

Any chance its the fadanza flywheel? or is it stock?

No its not a Fadenza, I did the NVG swap and got a new clutch kit which required a new flywheel from a 93 Beretta GTZ so its "stock" but just not a Z24 stock flywheel.