1962 Continental Bogging Down

Hi Bill –
This could be a long story…. I own a 62 Lincoln Continental that I have just imported to England from Nevada.
First the car sounded fine at tick over but had no power when driving so I stripped the heads off and found years of old oil clogging nearly every oil way. I cleaned them out and had the heads skimmed and valves ground. Now its back together and I still have a knocking noise, but only when putting the car under load. Above 2000 rpm the engine revs perfectly, no unusual noises when parked. I’m thinking it could be transmission related but would really appreciate some advice.
Thanks,
Shaun
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Shaun –
We’re sorry to hear that you are experiencing such problems with your newly imported Lincoln. Your description of that engine so far indicates to me a very high mileage and very poorly maintained engine with few oil changes in its life of fifty two years. It is also almost impossible for anyone to pinpoint or even guess where or what is causing your noise issue without being on site with your car. One person’s knocking description could be another person’s description of a tapping or clicking sound etc. You do not indicate whether or not oil is lubricating properly to the extreme upper areas of the engine including the hydraulic lifters. A noise under load above 2000 rpm as you have stated could simply be engine knocking or pinging due to poor octane fuel and or improperly adjusted ignition timing. Easy to do tuning adjustments may correct this. I think though that you should also perform an engine oil pressure test just to be on the safe side. For this test the engine MUST be at FULL operating temperature for a final reading. This could be done by yourself if you have the necessary equipment or a technician at a trusted engine shop in your area. That mechanic will also be able to discuss your noise concerns and to road test the car if necessary. By the way Shaun, what do you mean by ” the car sounded fine at tick over”?
Sincerely,
Bill