CannonBallZ

For some context, I drive a 1993 5.8 4x4 and last weekend when I was driving home from my college, I started to hear knocking once I got off the freeway. As soon as I heard it I took it slow the rest of the way home(1/4 mile from the freeway exit) and immediately prepped for an oil change because I was overdue and had been procrastinating because it was gonna be the first one I had done myself and the first one I had done for the truck since I bought it 1 year prior(unsure if it had had an oil change in the 2 occasions it was in the shop for 1. a transmission rebuild and 2. A new transfer case for my 4wd.)

When I drained the oil I was expecting near 6 quarts of fluid but only got maybe 2 or so quarts from the oil pan and much less from the oil filter. My cousin suggested that my truck was an oil eater and that I’d have to do very regular oil checks in the future because my dip stick did not indicate I was low and my dash gauge never told me I was getting hot(Could this indicate an electrical problem?). After changing the oil I also bought some Bars Leaks engine repair the next morning and put it in. Currently, the engine is not knocking but I’m curious what people here think of my situation. The truck seemed to run fine up until the evening I drove it home and even that morning when I drove there wasn’t the slightest hint of a knock. So what caused it to finally start? How much damage might this have caused? I didn’t hear the knock entering the freeway but the truck certainly sounded off. Is the truck “safe” to off road with now or is there a bigger risk of it failing on me? I've been able to enjoy getting to more remote places to hunt and fish because of this truck and if it's going to die in the woods I might just have to stop adventuring til I get a new vehicle.

Also feel free to roast the absolute crap out of me for not doing my oil sooner. I’m pissed with myself because the past weekend I changed my front brake pads myself and was just too lazy to do my oil at the same time.

raski

Two quarts in the pan, engine knocking, I would believe some damage has occured. Probably the oil pressure was affected at the same time. Not changing the oil is not the issue, keeping the oil level where it needs to be IS the issue. Six quarts of dirty oil is better than two quarts of clean oil. The oil either leaked out or was burned. I would religiously check and maintain the oil level where it needs to be and run it till it dies. If you want to see what shape the engine is in, you can check the oil pressure with an actual gauge and do a compression check.

Soup Bean

You might have dodged a bullet. If the engine isn't knocking, I'd say keep driving it but pre trip it before you drive it.
Things I've found on my truck in the last five months, by pre tripping it:
Leaking rubber plugs in the top of my M5ODR2 transmission.
Leaking brake master cylinder stop bolt.
Heater hose touching the EGR tube and slowly burning through.
Right rear emergency brake cable binding, overheating brake drum.
Missing E clip at the top of the throttle body.
Loose hose clamp at the air injection bypass valve.
Split vacuum fittings.
It's standard practice to pre trip lawn equipment and 18 wheelers. Makes sense to pre trip our trucks.