Knocking. Variable timing or rod. Advice welcome

[2013SHOpp]

I finally got my car running well and all back together. Took it to work 2 times. Everything was great. My father has dementia and decided he wanted to go for a joy ride. 4 hours later the police finally caught up to him. I get the car home and on start up and when youturn the car off you can hear a loud knocking or rattle. It sounds like something is loose so I tear the engine out and blow it apart. To my surprise the rods and bearings look fine. It didn't spin a bearing and when you turn it over by hand it's silky smooth. So at this point I'm wondering what that sound was. A little while later after I took the timing solenoid housing off I noticed oil only poured out of one and Not the other so I start looking closer at the cam gear and again, one side has oil pouring out and the other does not. Then I see that the chain that connects the cams is loose on that side and not the other and the tensioner on one side is tightly putting pressure on its chain but the other side is not so the chain was loose. Not sure what caused that to happen. Can't find a clog or anything abnormal. I'm replacing the solenoid, the actuator, the tensioner and putting a new high volume oil pump. The problem side is the firewall side. Front side is good. I believe it was the actuator cam gear making that rattle. I had that happen before but it was constant where this would goaway after a short second but the actual knock sound is the exact same. Any ideas or suggestions on what I should do on top of changing those parts. I'm also going to install the traction concepts lsd while the engine is out. I was going to wait till August or sometime later but while I have the engine out might as well

 

[SHOdded]

i believe you are on the right track. timing + wp job. phasers and cam gears/chains too in addition to the usual. the oil pump/pickup/screen if you want extra credit since you are already there.

 

[2013SHOpp]

I believe this will be the 5th time I've timed this engine. I've it it down at this point. I just put it the water pump, there is not 100 miles on it. It looks God and all the bolts were torqued and secure so all should be good with that. My 9 to 5 is painting for a major commercial aircraft manufacturer that's currently in alot of trouble for door plugs blowing off mid flight. So paint is m thing. I saw cerakote had a thermal barrier coating so I got some of that. I also picked up a coaing that's for oil. I did the inside of the timing cover with the micro slick, I just allowes oil to rain back quiker. The thermal barrier I used on the plastic air tubing and the metal water pipes under the intake and also did the intake manifold. The last time I built the engine with diamond pistons thati coated the top of with carakote piso coat. 100 or so miles later they still look good.