Cam tensioner weirdness...a sign?

[SeanMc]

Well, I was driving on my merry way to my parents yesterday, and when I got there, I heard a knock, knock coming from the cam bulge on the front head. I did the screwdriver trick, and sure enough, "knock, knock, knock." Well, I get in the car to go home after letting the car sit for a half hour or so, there was no more knocking sound. This morning, no knocking. Is this a sign that it is acting up intermittantly? Seems to be normal occurance for my car now, tensioner after tensioner has gone out.

 

[SHO#7]

I do not know your history of tensioner after tensioner. But a knock from the cam cover is a common sign of a tensioner going bad. You may want to take the tensioners off and apart to clean them up. Also you may take the covers off and see you little orange pad is no more.

I had a little noise from mine. Took it apart and cleaned the guts of the tensioner and all my issues went away. The pads were still in excellent condition. I was not sure why they gunked up as my motor is spotless and I only use Mobil 1. But none the less they did.

Sorry if this is of no help to you. By you sig, I assume you already know all that I have written.

Mike

 

[SHOtimer]

When your motor was rebuilt did they clean the tensioners? When I redid mine I took them all apart and cleaned them up with B-12 Chemtool, they were like new when I was done with them and it is not that difficult at all.

They probably need to be disassembled and cleaned.

Doug

 

[SeanMc]

Yeah, they were. The head and all the internals were spotless. Right now, the noise has stopped. I will open it up and clean it out just to make sure.

 

[jelloslug]

The majority of the "bad" timing chain tensioners I have seen were just gummed up internally. Just pop the roll pin out and clean the guts.

 

[munkee]

The majority of the "bad" timing chain tensioners I have seen were just gummed up internally. Just pop the roll pin out and clean the guts.

Exactly. I always find little bits of silicone in the noisy tensioners I have cleaned out. Something to think about.