hi everyone,

i have a mk2 pinto that i have rebuilt the motor on. anyway the other day i pulled it in off the street back under the car port then the throttle jammed open (engine not run in) and i heard something let go and then when i got it back to idle there was a constant knocking from the rear bottom end. the motor is now out and i have pulled the sump off and inspected the main and big end bearings and they all seem like new still. upon pulling the fly wheel off i noticed that the flywheel bolts were only finger tight (i had done them up tight). could this be the cause of my knocking?? or is there anything i should check before putting the motor back in???

Had a horrible knock develop in an XW GT which was exactly what you have, flywheel bolt and a dodgy pressure plate.  The knock changed markedly when I put my foot on the clutch

I was at the drags the other week and my mate had a horrible knock after his first run, turned out to be loose fly bolts.

Hi wade and vibration ,
When you said that you had done them up tight did you use a torque wrench to tighten them to the recommended setting? Some threadlock on them as well is always good due to the high stress they are subject to and the vibration.
 
Len

From your report, I would recommend you ensure mating faces of crank to flywheel are perfectly flat and undamaged(bearing-blue plus true-test in lathe), then tightening all NEW bolts evenly(don't use old bolts after what they've suffered), using 'thread-locker' and correctly tensioned with a pro tension wrench.
Ensure threads have not been compromised, or else all the above will be for nought.

I did them up to specs but did not use any locktite. They weren't loose but were finger tight. Upon close inspection number 4 conrod bearing looks like it's got some radial wear on one side of the shell would that also cause a knock???

Finger-tight IS loose......big time.
See my last recommendation "to the letter" inc Loctite which is a must.
Re your B/shell "some wear" could mean anything..........drop in to your local engine re-builder or Senior mechanic
for a eyes-on opinion.