Even a totally missing bearing wouldn't let a rod hit the pan, and the noise from a bearing that loose would sound like somebody inside with a sledgehammer trying to beat his way out. Use a carpenter's square or something similar to measure the distance the rod drops below the pan rail, and then compare that dimension to the depth of the pan. I'm pretty sure you're going to find the pan is bent- - - - -possibly by somebody putting a jack in the wrong place when changing a tire, etc.
Jerry

"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!