goldy,
I don't recall you mentioning having taken apart the big ends. Did you? What was the condition of the bearings and journals? Were the rods stable on the big ends with no side-to-side rocking or other noticable (by hand) play? You say you didn't like the noise but you did not describe the noise. Was it a klonking or screaching? If klonking, I would think it was the big ends, perhaps with failure caused by an oversized timing-side bush. I can't say I know the hand-sraping technique, but is sounds like an opportunity for oversizing the bush and, as has been said, potentially starving the big ends. Having participated a ton in the hole-in-rod discussion and not really thinking we have yet agreed on a diffinitive answer as to the absolute reason it's there, I am, however, rather certain that the extra hole is not a cause for oil starvation at the timing-side bush (as others have unanimously said). On the other hand, if the left big end, only, was shot, it would be tempting to consider the hole in the right-side rod as a possible, maybe not probable, cause.
Richard L.