it WAS running...
 

Finally got everything put back together. It was great, the engine was a lot more quiet and running strong. Got about a mile and a half from my house and it started knocking really bad and really loud. From what I can tell it is coming from inside the engine. The only thing I can think of it being is that last cylinder that we had trouble with. My dad is going to listen to it tomorrow and see what he thinks....

This sucks...I was so happy, only to be shot down and rejected...

Sorry to hear that. Good luck

Bummer. :-( I'd check and see if the plug is fouled where you had the gouged cylinder wall to see if you're getting oil seapage.

Did you replace the whole engine? I know you had to have got a new head but what about the block? If you didnt replace the block I would check the last cylinder seeing that it was gouged. As trevor said:D

We just replcaced the head, and the cylinder wall was fine...and from what we were thinking is that maybe the oil was just seaping because there wasn't any pressure. When the cylinder is under compression it probably wouldn't go through...

Was it a low or high kncking sound? If low, I would think it's the con-rod bearing.

Dude, you had no oil pressure? You should have plenty of oil pressure with just a few cranks of the engine using the starter. I hope you werent running the car without oil pressure.

I don't know. I need to listen to it again, but it seems to be in the middle, not really high or low pitched...I think my dad stopped by today to listen to it, I'll talk to him later and see what he thinks...

ROFL! When I had my 83 944, I had no power steering too. I want to take it out in my 88. It only will give more troubles. :)

sorry...No oil pressure when we had the head off and hand-turned the crank to see if the cylinder was scratched. Anyway, yeah My dad says it sounds like something with the piston. At the end of this week or next week we're going to take it back to my dad's shop, take the head back off, support the engine and pull off the oil-pan.

There isn't gonna be any oil pressure cranking it over by hand.

yeah...that's what I was saying, that the oil might have been streaking because there wasn't any pressure...

Ummm, no. Dude more oil pressure means more streaking. Your getting streaks because the oil is passing through the oil ring. Where the valve slice into your cylinder wall,... it might of damgage your rings for that cylinder. That could be the knocking noise? My the piston is knocking again the cylinder wall, i dont know. Some oil should make it's way past the rings but very little. The streaks should be some what even to. You have a line of oil right where the valve sliced into the wall.

The valve didn't hit the wall... yeah, but we were also thinking that maybe when there is compression in the cylinder it would keep the oil down. I don't know...It doesn't matter anymore. I'm just trying to go from what someone else was saying, but looks like we'll be pulling that piston anyway. that's what we were worrying about at first, the rings, but we tried anyway... I see what you are saying now though...

Dude, when the piston moves down is when the oil is left behind on the walls. The oil ring is suppose to pull the oil back down into the oil pan. Compression will not keep the oil out of the cylinder. I saw in one of your pictures that the face of the valve cut into the very top of the cylinder. Maybe I didnt see it right. Take pictures of the rings when you get them out.

Yeah, I knew that about the rings, but I was just going by what I heard it might do with the compression. Oh well...thanks for clarifying that. Anyway, yeah I'll take pictures. The valve sliced into the head. It went right where it was supposed to, just sideways...

Do you have those pictures? I can't seem to find them?

Nevermind I found them,... yeah your right the valve cut into the crown of the piston. We'll see,... best of luck.

With that kind of hit, it probably bent the rod or cracked the rod bearing.