 '93 LX Wagon 3.8L Hard Knock - Cons or Mains?
My wife's 93 LX wagon, 3.8L, 104kMiles developed a small knock this morning, but it was only at higher RPM's - say around 2200 and up. This afternoon she drove it home and about a mile from the house the small knock became a larger knock at lower rpm's also.
Also suddenly have an oil light flicker at idle rpm's! Oil level is OK and was changed about 2k miles ago. It sounds like a bearing going...going...gone.
This car has been one of the most reliable vehicles we ever owned, the engine has been rock-solid since '93, nothing but oil changes, a set of plugs, and all new belts and hoses a few years ago.
We live in a rural area and my link to anything car-parts wise is via the UPS truck, so I need to diagnose this right. We're used to rebuilding tractor engines and such on the farm but this is the first time I've had to get serious with the Taurus engine.
It is one hard knock per revolution, and it gets much louder when engine is under load. Its not lifters.
Is there a way to tell if this is a con-rod bearing vs. main bearing?
If I tear into this, should I order a single con-rod bearing($6), an entire bearing set ($90), or just replace the entire crankshaft with a matched bearing set ($128). AI'd rather not pull the engine, but if we have to we have to. I don't have the facility to grind a crankshaft, but we replace them on the tractors on occasion.
I'm going to be replacing the timing chain as well as the water pump - the water pump is just beginning to make some noise, so for the price might as well do that also.
Any advice is appreciated! | 
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