This might be the most absolutely wrong time to barge in about the transmission filter, but I found an adapter similar to the one in the $40 kit for far less. It seems to be the exact same thing in that you get one line in, and it goes into the filter, then one line out, which comes out of the filter. Pretty straightforward. I'll have another look at it shortly and possibly buy one as well. The only stuff you'd lack would be lines and line ends. That entire kit could be pulled off, same filter size and everything, for about half as much or so.

Also, terrible on the knocking sound. I imagine you might feel a little guilty, as I would, but I'm sure you know you did this far better than anyone could have imagined, and no one could have done a better job. These things happen, so don't let any of this get you down. Seriously, I'm going to drive my car to FL this summer and have it break down just for you.

I know these things happen. Remember, this engine wasn't new, and I didn't do a rebuild per se...all I did was freshen it up. I never pulled the rods as it was thought that wasn't needed. They all were tight.

I hate that this happened. But at the same time, it'* expected that an engine that sat in storage for a while *could* have flaws. This is why we chose to run the car for a while before Will came and got it. Had it not been run-in and I told him to get the car, he wouldn't have made it out of Florida. From that perspective, we are all glad it happened now.

And remember, this isn't the first time this has happened to anyone on this forum. It won't be the last either. I plan on starting to tear off the valve covers and oil pan when I get home tonight, if not first thing tomorrow morning. I am near 100% certain the noise is coming from the 2-4-6 bank, and it is either 2 or 4. Easily fixed if it is in the valve train. Just as easily fixed if it'* a rod bearing. One will involve a few wrenches and maybe some parts from the old motor. The other will involve the local swamp and a full-coverage insurance policy.

Seriously.

The alligators ain't going to like that....

Bummer about the motor. I'm really hoping that it'* just a valvetrain issue and not something more serious. :(

I think it'* time for some LS1 swapping.

This is in no way a bad thing. What we see here is that someone'* used car'* engine fails, and it'* replaced with a used engine. Not everything is assessed, and then work or replacement is needed. It'* not really surprising at all. Look at how dependable other people have found their 3800s to be. We have some of the best cars out on the road today! No timing belts, no 4 cams with some really strange oiling systems, some really good transmissions as long as they're treated well, etc. But I do want to see the fight between Guinevere and an alligator!

It wouldn't be much of a fight. Gator would look at Gwen and be like "wtf?" Then gator would be like "Hey, I can hide in here, because that is what predators with small brains do. Then, when the humans pull this thing out of the bog, and open the door, it'll be a smorsgabord!!"

Gators aint stupid.

Well, that is sad. Can anything from a simple remote controlled flatulence sound emitting device to an extensive punching mechanism be implemented to infuriate the alligators? Perhaps we could set up motion sensors as well.

But let'* not please risk being caught committing insurance fraud. I wish you the best of luck with the engine! I guess this is what you get for not supercharging it. And even more realistically, do you have an updated time frame for this repair? It doesn't seem as bad as some of the other engine tears and cracks. You're probably really well off, relatively speaking.

Ok, popped off the rear valve cover, where I thought the sound was coming from. So far, everything was still torqued to spec, and none of the pushrods were loose when on their actuation cycles. This indicates no collapsed lifters, at least on the rear bank. Checking the front one next.

Funny thing...when I started it this morning, it cranked right up and sounded good. Except for the cold stutter that I think '93s suffer from (PCM stuff, not engine).

I guess that good news since nothing was wrong there, but haven't found the problem yet...so...

:?

Thanks for the update!