Hi all,
Just to update:
I pulled the engine and went through the rods and mains...the problem was the two rear con rods had too much clearance. As a matter of fact, the number 4 rod didn't even compress the plastigauge! In spite of all that, the bearing surfaces and journals look almost new, the engine clearly has very low hours since it was rebuilt...it just needs some tweaking. As far as the rear main thrust surfaces go, both top and bottom look new and I could fit a .002 feeler gauge with light resistance, so all is good.
If I ever work on the bottom end again I WILL order shim packs first
, trying to work with the fused-together rod shims was a chore - I lucked out being able to swap shims that were pulled from looser rods to get all into spec. Heating didn't work, and even when I was able to get some separation, nature's welding would not let the leaves come completely apart.
Pulling the engine let me see several issues that needed attention that working under a car would not...such as the clutch (looked like new too) had a finger way out of spec causing uneven wear on the fingers/throw out bearing, and it was apparent it came that way from the factory (the nut/stud staking was factory). I could see where oil leaks were happening at the engine rear, etc.
Regarding the way the knocking presented itself, I believe the issue was caused by the rear rod bearing clearance being too large to hold an oil film when the #4 splash pan was emptied during braking (flowing to the front of the engine). The clutch being depressed during that time was coincidental. When the splash pan was full, as when cruising and start-up, there was sufficient oil accessible to muffle the sound.
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Kind of a fun project, this car...
PS.. I had purchased an aftermarket main bearing bolt kit that uses standard bolts. I didn't use it as the hex head bolts don't provide enough room to properly set a socket. I'd recommend buying the stock type bolts (if available) as there was a good reason for Ford going to the square style. I did, however use some of the sealing washers that came with the kit.
Tom