First some background info on the recent developments of my '97 Trooper 3.2L automatic: I recently replaced my alternator for the third time due to some recent power steering pump issues. About a week after installing this alternator, my vehicle would not start 15 minutes after I had returned from dropping one of my children off at school. The point is I had no indication that I had any battery problems and then boom, it's dead. I jump started it and tried to take it to get my battery checked and ten feet into my forward progress, it died again. I took the battery out; it checked out fine. I took the alternator out; it checked out fine. I put it all back together with some new battery clamps and presto, it seems to be okay.

Then I take it for a test drive. Everything's warmed up--it seems to be running great. Hit an onramp to a highway, engine's winding up past 5k rpm, which it has done without issue forever, and then I hear a pop sound and then a metal rattling sound. I lose oil pressure and then it stalls out on me. I coast off an off ramp, shut it down, and then after a little bit, restart it. It starts up with no check engine light. The engine is running without a knock, but the metal rattling sound is present. It runs okay and I limp it back home. Transmission is shifting fine. When I get home, the idle becomes irratic temporarily and then stabilizes. The front of the engine sounds louder too, as if the tensioner went.

So I guess the main question is, "I am hosed?" Thanks for any feedback.

Sounds like maybe a tensioner. I'm not too familiar with that engine but I'd definatly take off the front cover and find out what it was and fix it.

Thanks for the input. Do you know if the tensioner would explain the loss of oil pressure or at least the oil pressure gauge failing and the engine stall? If people think its the tensioner with probably no other damage, I'll be pretty motivated to replace the tensioner, t-belt, and h2o pump, but if people suspect other damage as well...

If a main bearing is going or something is wrong with the crankshaft, would there be other indicators? Thanks.

I took it to a shop for diagnosis. The mechanic thought it was the tensioner and wanted $900+ to fix it. So I replaced the tensioner, timing belt, water pump, and thermostat this weekend. The loud, metallic ticking is still there. bummer. Any thoughts on whether I should bother to part it out or drag it into a place like Carmax and see what they'll offer me?