Hello folks,

I haven't been on here in a long time time as my truck has required lots of work and has been in hibernation. I just completed all ball joints, all cvs pitman and idler. Now, I have a new problem...a bad connecting rod bearing. This repair is beyond my skill level and I don't have the $700-$1500 to have it repaired right now <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />.

I really need to drive my truck and I'm wondering what the gurus of this forum think. My mechanic told me I should change my oil to 20w50 and keep my revs down and it should last a long time.


Questions:

If I continue to drive it, what will be the next part that will fail, what will be the symptoms, and will it leave me stranded?

Will changing the oil to 20w50 really help?

I'm hoping to drive the truck into the bush today, depending on your responses.

Thanks folks!

1992 Mitsubishi mighty max v6 3.0l with 60 000 miles on motor

You didn't mention your current oil brand or viscosity or the state it is in.
No you do not want a spun bearing on a trip, it likely will tear up the bearing surface worse than it already is. And probably the rod too. A correct fix would be crank and rod to the machine shop and mic'd for out of roundness.
With all that being said even my truck will tick a little bit in the winter running 10w30 until its warm. 15w40 in my other truck quietens the lifter tick completely in it but it sounds like a box of bolts <lifter noise> running thinner oils.
Switch to a thicker oil and see if it gets better, 60k miles is very low to have a bearing problem unless its run low on oil before.
If thicker oil gets rid of the noise drive a bit and be sure it doesnt return right away.
I've had several old motors along the way i've nursed knocky rods and piston slap with thick oil and stp or lucas oil thickening addatives.
Let us know if this is a tapping or a hammering. Thicker oil probably wont help an about to fail bearing very much at all as out of round is out of round and remachining will be necessary.

Well...I just returned home from a good 200 mile round camping trip. I changed the oil from 10w40 to 20w50, before I left. After about 60 miles of hwy driving I entered the trails. About 2 min In the bearing noise disappeared! Weird. The truck has been running perfectly ever since with no hammering noises.

I forgot to mention in my previous text that this noise began when I realized I had run low on oil. Yes, I'm an idiot! So now I'm beginning to think it was just a sticking lifter....it just seemed so much louder though and the two mechanics that listened to the noise were both certain it was a connecting rod bearing. Is it possible that what ever was making the original noise has disintegrated.

Sounds like that was a lifter as an oil starved rod bearing will only get worse over time. Any future thread readers take note the lifters are in the rocker arms just under the valve covers, if its louder under the hood than under the truck its likely lifters over rods making the noise.
Glad to hear ya had a good trip