Hey All,
I just put the 2.25 petrol back in my 73 series 3 88" and she has a pretty bad knock coming from the bottom end. Here's the details:
I finished the rebuild about 3 years ago, and the motor has sat dry on a stand ever since. I didn't try to start it, but I did turn it over using the nut on the front of the crank now and then. Pretty much everything was replaced or machined. I did most of the work, and it's my first rover engine rebuild, but I have rebuilt plenty of motorcycle engines so I'm not totally green. I checked all my bottom end bearing clearances with that squish tape stuff before final torquing. I had the machining done at a shop that knows rovers well. They also installed the floating pistons on the rods and did the valve work. During machining the machinist told me that I had a bad rod, and I got another, new to me rod from a fellow rover owner near by. I got the motor back into the truck today and fired her up. She pretty much purrs except for a loud knock coming from the bottom end. Is it possible that this noise will go away with run in? (wishful thinking) Or is there anyway I can identify the noise and fix the problem before my motor blows up and I have to start from scratch?