it sounds like either a badly slipped timing chain or a broken timing chain which can happen if the vac pump breaks and pieces fall down and break the timing chain by getting between the chain and the sprocket.

my 82 300td did this.

it was making fa unny noise. i didn't ignore them but they were not there all the time and when i took it to a mechanic of course it sounded fine.

so the moral is never ignore a bad noise until you find out for sure what is making it.

oh yeah, they WILL run with a broken rod. but not for long.

i bought a 240 with a broken rod and put in a couple quarts of oil and drove it onto the trailer on three cylinders. kindof messy though. oil everywhere.

now a pushrod engine usually will take out the cam so they usually will not run after blowing a rod.

good luck.

glad you have found a good motor donor car.

they are out there if you look.

tom w

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.