Oldsmobile/Buick Repair: Crankshaft repair costs, crankshaft repair, step in the right direction

Question
My car is knocking very loudly and when I put it in gear the knocking gets louder but when I get the engine up over 1200 rpms the knocking goes away.

I've been told that I need to replace the crankshaft and balance pulley and the quote I was given was $3,000.

Is this a fair quote?  Would it be better to put in a used engine?

Thank you in advance,

Jerry

Answer
Hello Jerry,
That is going to be a hard one to answer.
I would recommend getting a few different opinions from mechanice actually seeing the car.
it is possible you have a rod knocking, in which case, a replacement engine might be the way to go.

However, I had a little car one time do something that sounded like that, and a rod, or the engine for that matter, was not the answer.
It broke a drive ear off the torque converter, and that's all I needed to get.
I have seen flex plates crack, which also sounds like a knock.
And, I have had soft journals on a crankshaft, that allowed the crankshaft to move far enough to bump the block inside.
It is true, that a broken crankshaft is a possibility also.
A good mechanic with some good basic diagnostic skills, willing to get under it and move the crankshaft some would be a good step in the right direction.

Van