I am the original owner of a 1994 Accord EX Sedan with 112000 miles.
I have always used Mobil 1 5W30 changed between 5000 - 6000 miles since new.

About 2 months ago while changing the coolant and reving up the engine to heat it up I noticed a strange tapping or dieseling sound around 2k to 2500 rpms while in neutral under the hood.

First the dealer said piston slap, a second said balancer shaft belt misalignment, but now after checking these out the conclusion is main engine bearing problems. They want to drop the oil pan and take a look. They say the cost will be at least $800.00.

Having just driven the car back and forth to North Carolina
with it running fine (except for the Tapping when the engine is at operating temperature, and in PARK or NEUTRAL @approx. 2K RPMs) . How long can I expect to still drive the car before the condition gets worse?

Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated. This is the second Honda we have had out of two cars that has had engine problems (also a 1993 Civic LX). This engine had to be replaced because of combustion in the coolant! Eventually it was diagnosed as a bad block after 90,000 miles.

I thought Hondas were supposed to be good cars???