Disaster?

An update about the sump spill; last Saturday I refilled the now-empty engine with fresh oil so that I could drive it a ¼ mile (not the Santa Pod kind) down the road to my local garage so that they could fit the sump I reluctantly bought and refurbished from Fritzl’s bits. Irony was I could have got a cheaper one if I’d waited but hindsight and all that, but at least I’m reminded why I don’t buy anything off them…
Anyway, I started the car and heard a sound like the bottom end was knock-knock-knocking on heaven’s door.

...

The engine must have been starved of oil long enough to knock out a big-end bearing.

Bollocks.

Drove it down there and left it with them, as I needed to get the new sump back from my workshop. I resigned myself to the fact I would have to pull my spare B23 lump out and build up a short engine.
This is where it gets a bit weird. Picked up the car on Monday (not worth shelling out bucks to fit a sump to a knackered engine, right?) refilled the engine with the oil that had dripped right through to the drip tray, started the engine and –
No knock. At all. Took the car for a short drive (floored it to 4000rpm, took off at a low speed in a high gear), no sign of the knock. I have a theory that the oil pump had some kind of airlock (as the oil light was on en route to the garage on the Saturday) or a piece of debris blocked the pickup so possibly the gears in the pump were running without oil, hence the clattering sound. I’m ordering a new pump along with a set of big-end bearings for piece of mind. And I’m gonna build up the spare engine anyway, I need to brush up my engine building skills in preparation for the day I get down to building my dream 3.0 M20 engine…