I feel your pain. Our entry has developed not quite a knock but louder than a tick. We don't have your energy or expertise to do an engine swap before leaving for Gainesville. 
Our solution? Cut the mufflers off so we can't hear it! We are now planning to win the biggest failure trophy when she blows up.
Try seafoam. If it's a lifter tick, it might unclog it and allow it to fill up again.
If I didn't have to drive my race car there, I would have joined you in competition for Most Spectacular Failure award. It had at least 4 autocross runs and maybe a 3/4 of a drag pass left on that bearing.
adding a quart of ATF to the oil can also help bring a lifter back to life
SHE LIVES AGAIN!!!
That is all.
...and now back to our regularly scheduled program already in progress....
I put the stock tune back on, plus changes to force fans on at lower temp, EGR delete, and speedometer compensation for the wheel size. The temp gage sender on the head is broken off (oops) so I am just reading coolant temp off my phone through the bluetooth cable. The PCM takes in temp off the water pump, so that's okay. It seemed to hover around 200 F in traffic this morning.
I also got a slight on/off misfire. I almost guarantee it is spark plug wires burning up on the headers again, since the last engine had the same problem, which I "fixed" with new plug wires and re-routing them. I also have insulation wrap on the headers and sleeves on the plug wires. They are cheap wires though. I think this time I will go vertical over the valve cover to keep them off the headers, but that requires much longer wires ($$$) and valve cover loom mounts.
Can I mount a coolant temp sender in the upper radiator hose, something like this? The head sender is impossible to reach around the exhaust, and broken. I have an extra on from the old engine.
i would think that would work, it may be cheaper/more permanent to drill and tap a spot for the coolant temp sensor in the thermostat housing?
I got the dashboard coolant gauge working again by moving the sender to the water pump outlet (upper radiator hose). This should provide a more accurate, hotter reading. I bought a cheapo $10 hose fitting on Amazon, tapped it for 3/8-16, and threaded in a new coolant sender for another $4 on Amazon. I had to cut about a 1" section out of the upper hose. Then I routed the wire and added a ground strap to the hose fitting. I even re-used hose clamps from the junkyard engine. It works great!
Yesterday I found a flimsy excuse (street rod show) to put 250 miles on the "new" engine. I averaged 70 mph on the highway while nervously watching data on my scanner app. Overall the trip was very uneventful. Never saw the oil light at low hot idle, coolant never got over 204F. There is a bit of a trans leak, but I think I know where it is. I kind of like the 'highway gears' now. This thing only turns 1700 RPM at 70 MPH.
I am optimistic about the Challenge road trip, but still paranoid about every noise, smell, shake, and shimmy. I think I will invest in AAA today.
Do the roadkill zip tie spark plug wire organizer. Should help you pull them off the headers.
Nice! I saw you pull into a neighborhood yesterday and was happy to see that it's on the road and running decently.
Had a blast at the $2016 Challenge! I got 26th out of 41 overall with a budget of $1,138 working mostly by myself. I also drove the darn thing almost 2,000 miles round trip. My autocross was abysmal, at 46.6, which a pro driver couldn't beat. 4th to last in that event. The drag was better, finishing 20th with a best E.T. of 15.46 (all 5 runs were 15.5 +- 0.1). I am very thankful that no issues happened during the drive or the race. It was quite a nice ride, with heat, defrost, and ice cold A/C for that Florida fall weather. I even hauled back a few parts for the next build, for which I am about to sell or trade the Roadmonster for...stay tuned.
...or you can put the interior back in it and enjoy it as a solid parts-getter/ family truckster for awhile.
In reply to Jerry From LA:
I never actually took the interior out 
It was a very nice drive down to Florida and back.
By the way, 15.46 is quick given the tonnage.
sent you a PM about the wagon, im looking for something along these lines and live in the same town as you.
So this morning, I commuted into work in the luxury, leather, and speed of a Roadmaster. I came home in the luxury, leather, and speed of a '97 Lexus SC300. 5 speeds to be exact. Straight up even trade. So that makes this is an $1,138 5-speed Lexus 
So long, Roadmonster! You have been a wonderful car.
Now just need a turbo and a LSD.
That said... Well done on the trade. While it may have been slow on the AutoX it looked good doing it.
So, challenge car and then model a donor Lexus, right?
Please tell me pickup truck conversion.....
Solid trade!
Cool!
Dusterbd13 wrote: So, challenge car and then model a donor Lexus, right? Please tell me pickup truck conversion.....
Why not both next year? The Model A is a pickup... 
Looks like the ol' Challenge Roadmonster keeps making the rounds on the local craigslist, now with a bad trans :( This is one of those cars you kinda miss and remember fondly, then remember a little better, and realize you don't really want to go down that road again.
https://indianapolis.craigslist.org/cto/d/1995-buick-roadmaste-lt1/6455294391.html
I've seen it going around a few times (it popped up a few months back with a different ad, so I kind of think it's on owner number 2 after you at this point). Part of me wants to update to the more modern, practical, and quiet bubble body, but all of me knows that unfortunately this would not be the example to swap my engine and trans into...
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