I just replaced my upper tensioners using the zip tie method. The process went well, the orginal units were past gone with the plastic shoe on the left one totally gone. No damage and I dropped the pan to fish out the pieces.

I followed the process before I started the car and removed the relay-fuse for the fuel pump, built pressure and no more ticking until I started the car again and a faint ticking, not as loud but it was still there. I sounds just like when the old tensioners were starting to fail.

So I removed everything and checked my work and everything appears fine. One thing is the ticking goes away when I rev the car. Any ideas what am I missing?

 

Maybe it is one of the idler pulleys and the noise was previously masked by the other noises.

One test is to temporarily remove the belt(s) and see if the noise goes away.

 

Wish it was just removed the belt and its still there, just a few seconds after start up it comes back, tick, tick, tick..... rev it up and it stops so I don't think it is bearing knock.....help please that noise is driving me nuts.

 

Use the tube in ear or screwdriver at ear method (or a mechanic's stethoscope) and try to determine the general location of the ticking.

 

Or the VVT's are clicking, another common problem. Higher weight oil is the usual solution.

 

Injectors will make that sound. when you rev the engine it overpowers the injector noise.

 

Well, with secondaries chewed up like yours were, I would sure be thinking about my primary chain tensioners. Although they apparently do not usually cause chain jumps when the y crack up, they deteriorate just like the secondary tensioners,

 

Well its not the injectors, I listened to each one and disconnected one by one and nothing even close, so I went to a stethoscope and I found that it is not in the front of the engine but under the intake runners about the fourth from the front about center of the valley.

What is located under the intake runners???

Also when I rev the engine the ticking stops and doesn't return until the car is restarted, some times so I don't think it is the primary tensioners as its not making any noise up front and most likely would be making noise all the time.

Earlier today I started the car and nothing no ticking, turned off the the car waited and nothing again, no ticking then later I took it for a ride when I started the car it was ticking again. When I took off it was ticking then it stopped when I gave it some gas and started moving.

Any ideas????

 

How bout hydraulic lifters? Not familiar enough with the vvt to know if that's a reasonable guess. I Have a s/c so no vvt.

 

No hydraulic lifters either.

About the only thing under the intake manifold are the knock sensors but I have never heard of any noise being associated with them.

Put a can of 'Restore' in and report back.

 

Ok gang-the tick is still there, secondary tensioners have been replaced, cold starts (higher idle) no ticking noise, warms up ticking comes back; give it some gas and goes away. After a few mins the ticking comes back. I thought it was in the valley under the intake but it appears to be the front end of the engine after about an hour with a stethoscope. Could it be the VVT?

It seems the VVT could be one option as the VVT would compensate with the engine revs but could it cause a ticking at idle?

I listened to the front of the engine and doesn't appear to be lower like a primary tensioner might be. Am I heading in the right direction? Are there any test that I can use to see if the VVT might be the issue?

 

Ok more info when it is ticking and I rev the car it has a slight chattering noise, it happens for a split second then the ticking is gone along with the chattering gone. Could it be the VVT, if so has anyone replaced the VVT?

 

Also some with VVT issues have adjusted the weight of the oil, I'm running 10-30 with a pint of something like restore called motor honey, they didn't have restore. What so you think about running 15-40 or 20-50 with restore or a like product.

 

YES! the VVT's can cause ticking at idle! See post 5.

Have you tried just adding the Motor Honey to the existing oil?

 

I did add the motor honey, but no change or a very slight change, it was only a pint. I think I'm going to replace the 10-30 with a higher weight oil. My reasoning is that when the car starts it doesn't start ticking until the oil warms and that may be causing the VVT to tick. Another reason to try that heavier oil is when I give the car gas the ticking stops so it may be the weight. I will change the oil and reply back to my findings

 

Definitely sounds like hydraulics related to me. When I replaced my secondary tensioners, the first time I started it the next morning it ticked for a bit. I think the piston that slides in the tensioner cylinder was tight, and it took a bit to get fully lubed, or so I guess. I wonder, is it possible you got a bad tensioner? Is it coming more from one bank than the other? Probs like this can be a beech, but persistence like yours will usually win the day. Good luck!

 

Yeah, it does sound hydraulic related and the VVTs are hydraulic. It sounds like when the oil gets hot and thinner it happens. If a "new" tensioner was bad, it seems like it would rattle on startup like you would expect old tensioners to do. I think I've seen this issue posted before and the solution was thicker oil or additive. It may be an irritant, but probably not worth the cost of replacing the units. Can you tell if it is limited to one bank ??

 

I have the same problem, I live with it over 2 years (after all tensioners, chain guides and chains replaced) my version is : what is ticking is that chain (when engine is on idle and gets no load) is a bit slacken and it knocks in to chain guide. when you push the gas, the primary tensioners start to move faster so they work more efectively becouse they are geting more oil, making more compression for themselves and and making more tension for chains thru the chain guides... I think that VVt ticks more rarely (ticks per second I mean). I'm using oil 5-30 and the sound mostly apears in winter time or when it's time to change oil.. never ticks with fresh oil... well maybe for few seconds in the morning....

 

Well guys-I did change the oil to 20-50 W and added restore and it was quiet for a bit. Shut the car off, waited a few mins and started up, nice quiet engine. About 20 mins later I started the car and bang its back, give it some gas a it goes away...

It appears to all be coiming from the rights side or passenger side.

I'm thinking that since this a "spare" car I going to tear into the engine check the chain guides and maybe as long as I'm in there change the chains... What the heck, at least it would be fun.

Anyone care to talk me out of it????

 

Don't do it!