It Is Dead.

[8v-of-fury]

Brave is Brett's middle name and his last name is Fail. (lool)

Brett Brave Fail. sounds like a movie about getting in touch with your inner psyche.. ??

[smutts]

I'd bet on the crank and rods being seriously out of whack.. Yeah these things are tough, but they have their limits... The engine I rebuilt for the Bunny had a spun rod bearing from less than a few miles of being run low on oil..  Big end of the rod was somewhat oval shaped, the crank is now bolted to the back of my golf cart for ballast..

Going by your previous posts about the tappity tap tap tap also leads me to think a piston decided it wanted to be somewhere else.. The tapping might have been a crack in the piston around the wrist pin (gudgeon pin I think you call them over there?)  And if that is indeed what happened I'd guess that particular cylinder is none too pretty either...

Then again, stranger things have happened..  Send it over here, I'll weld it up!  Grin

I suspect that you are dead right. It's next destination is probably a boat anchor unfortunately.

[maxfax]

Brave or crazy, there's a fine line..   

Boat anchor is probably what you looking at..  I'd even be skeptical of using the head, especially if there's evidence of the piston contacting it..  The engine I spoke of earlier had the piston contact the head.. Amazing no valves were bent but it was seriously banged up..   My guys at the machine shop got it back in order, but in hindsight I probably woudl have been further ahead to just get another...