I did walk away, I just came back. I've got months in this now. Now it'* personal. Where the hell is my hammer?

AAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Unbolted the torque converter from the flex plate. Problem is gone. For crying out loud.

Just throwing it out there for discussion; why not disconnect the knock sensors and replace them with 3.5 kohm sims?. If the issue is false knock, your KR problems will go away. If it is truly pre-detonation and you cook a cylinder, how is fixing that any harder than pulling the engine out 3 or 4 more times to fix the KR issue?

I remember putting timing weights in the distributor of my 78 TA, only to find it sounded like a popcorn machine with all the predetonation at WOT. I pulled the timing weights out. No damage to the engine.

I am not a supporter of running without knock sensors, so like I said, I'm just putting it out there for discussion.

It'* a good idea, however, I have used 3 different sets of knock sensors.

Sounds like you fixed it, but I was not suggesting a different knock sensor. I was suggesting running without the knock sensors. By plugging in 3.5 kohm grounded resistors to the knock sensor connectors you are fooling the ECM into thinking a knock sensor is in place. I'm not sure on our engines, but I think simply unplugging the knock sensors causes the timing to retard by 10*. Using the resistors avoids that.

I've already determined the KR is not from predetonation. I've adjusted the tune in the problem area far to many times. Remove timing only to have the same amount of KR there, remove more timing, same KR, remove more timing, same KR. Over and over again. The KR is false in a sense it'* not detonation. It'* noise. Something is vibrating. I've gone threw 2 short blocks, on the 3rd now. Each short block was a new crank, pistons, and balance shaft. No change. Second engine had new timing cover, timing gears, push rods, heads, valves, and oil pump. No change. 3rd engine had a new flex plate, and lifters. no change. I then swapped out harmonic balancers, no change. Now I swapped out the cam, no change. Each engine had fresh sensors as well, no change. The only parts transfered over will not cause false KR. Headers are not touching anything, LIM, IC core, supercharger and throttle body will not cause this. But to test I removed the supercharger belt, no change.

So, after all this, what is left. The PCM and wiring harness. Not likely to cause this problem. And the transmission. Transmission is unlikely to cause this problem. however, the torque converter is bolted to the flex plate. So, in theory, a out of balance torque converter will translate that vibration directly in to the flex plate, and then in to the crank, which can explain the lose of bearings. Only way to test it is to pull the engine to get to the TC and swap it out.

I feel for you Dan.... what a challenging diagnostic.

I'm going to figure this out. This is personal now.

After reading this thread I feel I now know how to take my engine completely apart and put it back together.

I guess that'* kind of the point.