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Not yet. Went to the shop after work: Pulled axles, oil pan bolts, then remembered there are those (3) 6mm bolts you can't get to unless you pull the trans, clutch and flywheel so I changed plans to start pulling engine and ran out of time. Makes me want to modify the pan to make those accessible in the future, but I'd like to look at it all apart again first to make sure it could be done (I'm thinking allen head screws?).

I did, however, get 2 sets of Rod bearings sent over. One set of ACL .000" and one set of +.001" in case I'm close and just need a polish. The more I think about it, though the more I just want to tear it all down and clean it all up again.

Since oil pressure is so good, What I'm worried about is maybe 2 things:
1) A bearing was too tight (which I find hard to believe because I really thought I spent my time measuring everything).
2) trash was in an oil galley and I didn't get it all cleaned out on initial assembly. No 1 rod and main would be the first to take trash that was in the main galley so that could be the cause. Sound REALLY sounded like it was coming from the front of the engine.

Low oil pressure would have seemingly affected no. 6 first.

First day - sinking feeling, followed by a pitcher of beer and some pizza...and NO sleep.

Yesterday - Felt real good and progressed quickly until I realized the trans and flywheel have to come off.

Today - Hey man this thing isn't going to fix itself and the oil pan had to come off anyway to be properly welded so we really aren't that far behind yet.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring?

I really think I should order some main bearings real quick just in case it was trash I could swap the front main out. Actually let me do that real quick!

There's nothing worse than something going wrong and you did everything in your power to prevent it from happening. I know that feeling all too well.

But yeah, that much visible metal is not a normal break in. On a magnetic sump plug it's usually quite a bit of metal but once you transfer to a rag its very very fine

Rod bearings are PERFECT. One has a tiny dent or impression of something soft in it. Journals on crank are perfect look brand new. Dare I pull the girdle to check mains?

A few shavings in oil pan look like aluminum

Here's the second "worst". f05be52c9e2e9b2ece32c2157749b13a.jpg

The others literally look brand new.

Few metal shavings in pan are aluminum...like porting aluminum. Like from my diff install. But dang I cleaned the hell out of that thing before having welded and putting diff in!

Every single main bearing, Rod bearings, cam cap, and anything we can see looks literally brand new. There is nothing wrong with this engine that I can see. My brother thinks it had to be some accessory making the sound or maybe something with a valve spring or lifter (in which case putting the oil pan back togethEric makes no difference now. I'm fixing oil pan and going back together with it all this weekend. I can't believe it honestly but dang like I said I have never had a bottom end problem...everything measured out perfect upon assembly.

aa4bc4349671f78f91c36792fd4eda78.jpg

25352d4a3f5d108075aa679e38d8074f.jpg

Harmonic balancer is tight as heck.

Squirters looked good lots of clearance.

Cam gears tight.

Timing belt lined up and tight.

Only things I can think of is some sort of valve spring issue (but sounded too quick for that) or you are right wrist pin or some kind of head contact (again which is totally doubtful imo).

We looked in cylinders. No issue pretty dark from running rich. We will look again for signs of contact

Well I almost had it all back together but couldn't get the trans stabbed by myself so I should have that all done by tomorrow afternoon and we will see if the ghost knock still exists. I did find a bolt in the bottom of the fan shroud. Silly of me not to look there but I would find it hard to belive that where it was it was causing this noise.

L

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