compcat

My 1997 1.6L Corolla with about 180K miles developed a severe oil leak. I topped off the oil and was driving it to the shop. The oil light had not come on (not that low) when the engine developed a knocking sound. I immediately stopped & called for a tow. The shop has located & repaired the oil leak, but has only told me that a "rod is bent" and their specialized service technician will check it out today. Any ideas what I might expect? What questions should I ask? How much could various repairs run? I can't buy another car at this point. My finances are EXTREMELY limited. I need to make a cost effective, affordable choice. Any suggestions are welcome. I've been getting about 25 mpg, so compression is apparently good. While they are repairing the "bent rod" should I have them replace the timing belt as preventive maintenance? Would that save on labor costs, since they will already be opening the engine?

I have a coolant leak at the short hose connecting the water inlet pipe to the back of the water pump. Is there an easy way to replace this? I am familiar with cooling system repairs, but it sounds like this would be complicated if I have to remove the water pump. Can I replace the hose by detaching the water inlet pipe from the back of the engine? Can it be replaced without removing the inlet pipe? (It looks like there is not enough room to slip the short piece of hose in place without moving at least the inlet pipe.) Any suggestions are welcome. Note this is a picture from internet. I have not taken anything apart yet. engine diagram.docx Jump hose.docx