I got the SoloRu engine completely torn down and found the bad bearing. I added the pictures to the engine rebuild (take 2) album. It wasn't a spun bearing after all. In fact, all the bearings looked fine, except for the rod bearing for cylinder #1. The bearing was still in the right place and didn't spin within it's journal in ways it's not intended. It appears instead to have disintegrated, or at least it was trying to. The bearing surface was flaking off and it's those flakes that I found in the oil pan. There was no real metal dust to come it it - just the flakes I already found.
I'd love some suggestions as to what can cause this. I know improper oiling can cause a spun bearing, but can it do this too? Maybe this was some predetonation? I never did find an ignition timing map I liked very much.
-N
