Ladies and gentlemen,

I have a 2000 Intrepid that was run two quarts low on oil. After a hard accellaration, it developed a tapping. This tapping is most pronounced when the engine is in a coast (not acceleration, not deacceleration, no load condition). My gut tells me it is a bent valve, although I have no loss of power or stumbling. Does the 2.7L have lifters? Could it be as simple as a lifter? If it were a connecting rod bearing, would it not fail pretty quickly? Are these repairable by removing the oil pan with the engine on the car (as long as there was no damage to the rod or crank)?

Thanks,

Ray