Gene (GringoEJS) came over tonight, and we did bearings only in under 3 hours. He took his time, did things right, and talked me through what he was doing so I could do it myself next time. Bearings 1 and 4 were scored, but not too bad. Bearing 2 was perfect. Bearing 3 was the worst, with heavy scoring and a little bit of meltdown. The crank looked fine except for a slight ridge on that 3rd cyl. I've driven it around for about 40 minutes now, and the tick is gone. It runs great. Gene doesn't want to be too optimistic, but if I take it easy and check oil levels and seals often, I think I should be good for a long time.

Whoever above said they'd trust a 2GNTer before ANY shop was dead right. Just want to say thanks again, Gene, and that I'm proud to be a donating member of 5 years to 2GNT.com. I thank everyone for their input.

I didn't make a recording of the 'tick', but I think I caught it very early, and I think it's common of the kind of damage you'd see/hear with crapped out bearings due to low oil levels. I'd be more than happy to post a high-res picture of the bearings if anyone would like to see them. I know I'll keep them for a long time as a reminder.

THANKS GENE! THANKS 2GNT!

JANET LIVES!!!