1993 Ford Tempo clancking

You didnt say if the timing belt has been changed, or how many miles are on it, but there is a tensioner for that too.

What front cover? The 1 behind the distributor? Or the top cover you put the oil in? The turning the steering wheel is the puzzler here? That car with the ford 2300 has a timing chain. Never seen problems with that. If junk cheap oil from the dollar was used that can cause clogging of all the oil passages and result in premature wear on parts from oil starvation. Did this noise just suddenly appear? More details please. These cars are notorious for valve train wear. Lifters and rockers. Low oil or thin oil can exaggerate it. Clacking noise is the result. Power steering mounting bracket is known to loosen to. You should be able to pinpoint sound by using vacuum cleaner tube or piece of pvc pipe with your ear like a doctor! Any tube should work! Move it around to find loudest sounding area and then focus in closer!

It also occurred to me that your harmonic balancer could be rattling/clanking. I've never heard of that on any tempos i've owned but a friends buick had a bad 1 I changed. The symptoms sound the same.