Toyota Hiace 1988 2.2L Camper

[IceWhyte]

Hi everyone,

I just joined today as I have recently purchased the above van which I am now planning a trip around Australia in.
It is in very good condition, however there is a slight knocking noise from the engine. I have driven it for about 500km now and I don't think it has gotten any worse.
I took it to one mechanic and he said it was the big end bearing. He also said that in order to fix it, the entire engine would need to come up and out the cabin(very expensive). The manual says that the engine can come out/be accessed below, does anyone know which is true?
I spoke to another mechanic who said it was the hydraulic lifters and said this was a fairly cheap job. He just fitted 8 new lifters and the issue is still there ($600 later). He was certain that it wasn't the big end bearing though, but then again he was certain it was the lifters too so I am not sure what to believe. Any ideas?