Is it possible the fan is hitting something in its way, id imagine that would be a much easier fix than the timing chain. I'm really no mechanic though, just a thought.
Its not the fan. The fan is not hitting anything.
Its not the oil. The oil guage reads as if everything is normal.
I spoke to a mechanic today and told him the symptoms. He seemed to know about the history of problems of Explorers. I said to myself, good. This guy knows what he is doing. He quoted me $1800 for the job.