Clankity Clankity Motor sounds, good or bad?

[gdsqdcr]

OKay folks, I went to the convention and right now, wish I hadnt ...

I was heading into the SF in a caravan to do the SF tour. I was suppose to be a guide. My beautiful blue 94 decideds that it does not want to participate. I am getting noises form the top of my motor. I have heard different opinions as to what it is, but the mechanic can not look at it till Friday. I want to know how much ...

A couple of ppl (knowledgable) are saying I lost a valve, more than likely in the front bank. I figure that is head removal, rebore etc ... How much?

The noise is metallic in nature and is definately from the top. I blew the rod bearings in another one, and this noise is completely different. The car has oil that is sparkling clean (4K miles on Redline), though I have managed to lose about a half a quart in the last 4K(small leak in the rear main). 4K miles ago the car received her 120K service. All shims replaced! New timing belt, plugs, gaskets, etc ... All ford factory parts as well. Very expensive ...

Another person (knowledgable) is telling me that I probably slipped the chain. There is a cam chain? on the drivers side of the vehicle just under valve covers. I may be calling it the wrong name, dont remember exactly what it was called. How much? Also for this situation, what kind of damage could of occurred?

I very irratable, hot, ******, angry, annoyed amongst other feelings right now. I have been looking forward to this convention for the whole fricken year. I get a new job, so I cant take the whole time off of work, but I work it out so that I can hang two days there. Then on my first day there, motor goes CLANKITY CLANKITY CLUNK!!

Thanks!
Anthony

 

[jelloslug]

Can you pinpoint the noise? Use a long screwdriver with the handle to you ear and the tip on the valve cover if you don't have a stethoscope. I have never seen an SHO motor "skip a tooth" on the timing chain. It might just be a bad chain tensioner. They sound really bad when they go. If you did drop a valve a compression check would tell.

 

[gdsqdcr]

Can you pinpoint the noise? Use a long screwdriver with the handle to you ear and the tip on the valve cover if you don't have a stethoscope. I have never seen an SHO motor "skip a tooth" on the timing chain. It might just be a bad chain tensioner. They sound really bad when they go. If you did drop a valve a compression check would tell.

So if I have a bad chain tensioner ... what kind of damage has been done? Any ideas?
I was going to do the stethoscope and compression check Thursday afternoon.

 

[SHOTIME]

there wouldnt be any damage with a bad cam chain tensioner. You would loose performace because it would now be out of time. but with our motor the valves wont hit the pistons so there should not be any damage. (Note - with stage cams there would be a problem)

Fairly easy repair if its cam chain tensioners, remove the cams and replace the tensioner and reassemble. Hardest part is realigning the cams. You may want to re-do the valve lash.

 

[Mr Anonymous]

Ok, at the moment you're right around the corner from SHO Central USA. Maybe if you can get in touch with someone at the convention willing to come out and help you with some diagnostics. I bet you can get them over for something like a cheap meal, a few beers, etc.

Most likely seems like a bad cam tensioner and possibly a stretched chain to go along with it. Or, I suppose you could have spit out a shim. I tend to doubt the "lost a valve" theory, and would be very suspicious of any so-called "expert" that would diagnose that without ever seeing the car -- it's not a common SHO problem, and to just pull that out of one's hat tells me they don't know what the heck they're talking about.

 

[gdsqdcr]

The ppl that said I 'lost a valve' actually stood there and listened to the car run. They said it sounded like I had spit a shim out, I interpert that as 'I lost a valve'. Sorry for that confusion.

Yes, I am right around the corner, so to speak from the convention. When this happend I was driving with a tour group to San Francisco. I had a young, but knowledgable SHO mechanic in my car with me at the time the noise started.

I think I am liking he idea of a cam chain tensioner being bad. I can pop the valve covers off. I know where the chains are, what am I looking for?

 

[SolidState]

alot of slack in the chain on the right side, and signs of the chain slapping against the cam cover.

from what I have gathered, cam chain tensioners typically don't just let go. Mine is sounding tired, and I recieve a faint knock on the cam cover from time to time....

 

[jelloslug]

The cam chains are located on the drivers side of the heads. If there is any slack in the chain at all the tensioner and/or the chain is bad. On the front head the tensioner faces up and on the back head the tensioner faces down. If it is the tensioner and you cannot get your hands on one try taking the tensioner apart and cleaning the gunk out. All the failed ones I have seen (especially the rear ones) had lots of gunk in them. They are spring loaded and also work off of oil pressure. If the oil passageways are cloged the tensioner will not work.

 

[gdsqdcr]

The mechanic has checked it out! He thinks that my front cam chain tensioner broke.
Should I replace back and front, or just the broken one? Any thoughts on where I can get a cam chain tensioner?

Thanks!
Anthony