I just wanted to follow up with this thread as promised. Got my parts to do the DV's in today and did the deed. In my case it cured my problem. I won't double-post, but you can read my final outcome on another related thread here:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/3678899-post30.html

I believe I've cured it.

I swapped the cam, followers/rockers out today.

I however failed to save the cam tensioner gasket (forgot to remove spring and had to take the tensioner off, wrecked gasket)

It runs so much smoother, and has nearly zero blowby (I did only run it for about a minute until i noticed the oil pouring out of the tensioner area though)

Hopefully when the new gasket gets here and I get the valves adjusted better (i did a very quick dirty adjustment, I'm going to make a set of wrenches to make it easier before I do it properly again)

I'll be sure to update this when I get the new gasket and get a chance to warm the engine up and such as it was always worse when it was warm

One of the rockers had some significant wear on the bottom where it contacts the adjustment nut thingy. looked like it had been bouncing around pretty bad. I'll post some pictures of that as well as the wear on the old cam when I get a chance to work on the car again!

Thanks for all the help!

Bingo! Good work!

Ok, heres a few pics.

The wear seen on the cam itself is picturing the first 2 lobes (Cyl 1 intake and exhaust) most of the rest of the lobes aren't worn as far but some are close to the same amount of wear.


The wear on the follower was the 2nd lobe, so I'm thinking thats cylinder 1 intake? don't have my valve adjustment chart handy so I'm unsure.

After getting the new gasket for the chain tensioner and stopping the oil leak I checked the valve clearances, some were rather tight and some were a little loose, but I'm impatient so I drove the car less than a mile, determined it is cured, no more knock at all.

Don't worry, it's not being driven anymore until the valves are adjusted properly.

But anyway, I pulled back in the driveway, and apparently when cleaning off the old timing chain gasket I damaged the thermostat housing gasket... so i'm down one oil leak and gained a coolant leak...

Its ordered, and I'm going to make my valve adjustment wrenches tomorrow and get everything to spec, so the car will be ready to roll as soon as the new gasket gets here.

my wife will be pleased to not have to drive everywhere in my grey car or the ford anymore haha.