Help - 86 4K top end noises. BTDT's???

[Matt Van Bogart]

I need a BTDT for top end tapping/knocking.  You need to read the story to 
understand the entire problem.

So, a guy comes to test drive my '86 4k on Saturday.  He is an Audi owner so 
I don't need to explain much.  Has his wife and child and a clean Subaru 
wagon so he seemed pretty harmless.  We go over the car, he asks some basic 
questions, etc.  CAR IS RUNNING FINE.  I have owned the car for almost a 
year and drive it 70 miles everyday to/from work and have had NO MECHANICAL 
PROBLEMS.

Buyer takes the car on a test drive (he went alone, I never really worried 
about this in the past but swear that I will always ride with perspective 
buyers in the future).  He almost hits a car in the intersection in the 
first 100' of driving. Then, almost get hits when getting on the freeway.  
He drives up the freeway 2 miles, turns around and the oil light comes on.  
Still 2 miles from me he continues to drive down the freeway @ 70+ mph all 
while the oil light and buzzer are going off!

He gets to the off ramp where we met and the car dies.  I start to worry.  
He gets it started and drives it the 100' to where I am and the motor sounds 
like valves are hitting the pistons.  It pretty bad!  I yell at him to shut 
it off and he explains what I just outlined above.  I am pissed but keep my 
cool.  I ask why he continued to drive the car with the oil light on and he 
says, "I don't know."  I then ask him, "Do you think you should have dome 
that?" and he says, "no."

Open the hood, check the oil, nothing but bad smels.  Crawl underneath the 
car, no leaks, etc (I just changed the oil and put about 40 - 50 miles on 
the car WITH NO PROBLEMS.  I'm thinking oil pump at this point, maybe 
overheated and cracked the head.  I have no idea.  I get the guys address 
(and license plate) just in case I have any chance of recourse.

I call my brother to come pick me up with the car trailer and Joe Rae is 
over there so they both head over to where I am.  Joe offers BTDT on the 
Brake Vacuum Assist Unit 
(http://www.audifans.com/archives/1997/10/msg00116.html).  R&R that 
yesterday and still have the terrible top end noise.

Any BTDT's out there?  Suggestions?  I am going to pull the oil pan this 
week and look at things from below before I open up the top end.

As a seller, do I have any recourse?  Does anyone what a really nice 4k with 
a loud valve train?  Make me an offer.

Thanks,

Matt Van Bogart
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