Seems that someone in the past had dropped a small part down in my engine...a part called a ball socket from the valve train. I think the little bugger had been banging away on the oil pump screen for about eight years or more. It finally got through and destroyed the oil pump.
Pics Here:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=148963
Well, I replaced the pump and got it all back together. Started the engine....and....it rattled for about three seconds and then settled down and idled fine.
I've driven it about 150 miles and it's like nothing ever happened! It runs perfectly.
I was annoyed at the cause of all this, but it was very satisfying to pull the car back from the very brink of death. Talk about dodging a bullet!
This was not a particularly easy job.
One thing that would have helped here (besides no clumsy pro mechanic who dropped the part) would have been a magnetic drain plug. The ball socket would easily have fit through the drain plug hole.
And remember...only twelve ball sockets allowed per engine. Not thirteen!
Whew!
