It is hard to say the mileage but this motor was a replacent so it didn't start its life until about 2001. The old 2 door Amigo it was in had a broken speedometer and was totalled then sat for 1 year. I put the motor in a 99 4 door rodeo. The car only had one speaker so I could hear the motor noise and grew accustomed to trying to drive it easier as it started a noise soon after its rebirth. I did have the tensioner changed as PM about 15k miles ago.

It started this chatter that sounded like it came from the top of the engine on one of the cylinders closest to the front passenger. It would go away if I loaded the engine by accellerating or going uphill. The worst thing was going downhill. I kept adding oil because it had become a hog. Then I finally changed the oil and the filter. Well within a week I thought I heard the motor making more noise than usual so I was trying to really baby it and when I crested a big hill on the interstate and the motor changed from being unloaded, something let loose in the motor and I really lost power and that chatter started sounded like a slower harder knocking sound,still sounds like the top.

I pulled over instantly and trailered it home. It will still crank up but it makes a lot of noise and doesn't have much power.

How do I know if it is something in the top or bottom that caved? I don't have a compression tester but I'm going to get one. I have a haynes manual. I really need to fix this thing, I just can't give up which is what my mechanic buddy told me to do. The vehicle ran awesome up until it faded. Please help with how to determine exactly what is probably busted in the motor and the best way I can fix it.

This generation of 3.2L likes to fry the very front rod bearing if oil levels are not kept up on. If you've been driving it on a spun rod bearing, it likely has thrown that rod, finally. I got my 99 cheap because someone let it get low on oil. A crank a set of bearings make it nice again,

So, should I pull the motor, put it on a stand and examine it, then go for a crank kit. I found a motor in a local scrap yard with nearly 90k on it for 1,500$. What is the price of the crank kit.

I have a machine shop but I have never done something like this, but I would like to give it a try if it might turn out. I guess if there is a chunk of metal loose in there it is going to crap on itself.

Was that noise the bearing the whole time, it lasted with me driving for about 8k miles and then didn't go out with the bang that I thought it would have for throwing a rod.

I don't hate on this vehicle, in reality I never ever ever changed the oil. Just added because it used so much. The one time I did change it, she blew a few hundred miles later. knowing this should I be more inclined to go for another motor?

thank you for your help.

Sounds like could be a bent Valve or a Piston rod, depending on how bad it's bent you should be able to pull the valve covers and check the valvestems without removing the engine. Bad rods would be visible if you took the Oil pan off but that pretty much means removing the engine. Many manchine shops will turn a crank pretty cheap and a set of rod bearings can be had for around $30 online, you just need to mate the sizes (i.e. get the crank turned .010 over then purchase .010 rod bearings