My Shelby Lancer has been down for quite a while and I'm tired of not being able to drive it. It still runs and drives but has a bottom end noise which I'm pretty sure is a failing rod bearing. That is the only thing wrong with the car though, so I'm thinking of putting it on jack stands and removing the oil pan in order to install a new set of rod bearings.
The engine doesn't 'knock' yet, although it does make a taping sound that lasts for about 1/2 second upon startup. It also makes some noise while driving, but that pretty much disappears when I give the engine some load. The noise is present mostly at light load and cruising but is quiet on decel and under load.
Is simply changing the rod bearings with the engine in the car a bad idea in lieu of a full rebuild? How will I know if the crank is too damaged to bother just replacing bearings? The engine has about 120k miles and has never been rebuilt, although I did replace every gasket and seal and the oil pump a few years ago. I have a set of standard size and .001 oversize rod bearings. Which ones should I use if I do this?