Is your 4-banger EFI or Carb?

Check spark plugs / wires / air box / TPS / Distributor Cap / Fuel Filter / Injectors / Float Level / Jets / etc.

Try to keep drivetrain out of your mind. The strange noise could be related to your intake plumbing or a vacuum leak, or an exhaust leak, or a loose timing chain, or loose valves, etc.

It is rare for a drivetrain related problem to give a feeling of a lack of power, unless of course it is a very, very serious problem, like a siezed up wheel cylinder or something  

Good luck,
BigMike