Identify this engine noise

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2kewlgypsy

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Sounds like my motor - bought at 103,000 miles, has 115,000 on it now. I'm changing the oil every 5k miles, and catching up on maintenance (diff, trans case and transmission fluids are next) and driving it. We will see.
 

Localschauss

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I checked my timing chain various times trough the oil filler hole. Sometime it's nice and tight other times it has slack. I'm thinking it may have issues with the ratcheting/holding mechanism on the tensioners and it only tighten up by oil pressure - I still hear the chain noise.

I have ran seafoam trough the engines now for a full tank and it has significantly reduced the noise to where most the time I can't even notice it. I will keep and eye/ear on it and report back.
 

jlglr4

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That’s interesting - thanks for reporting back. I can’t imagine why seafoam would have any effect on chain noise, but go figure. Good luck with it.
 

Localschauss

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@Localschauss - ever get anymore info on what was/is causing the noise?

That’s interesting - thanks for reporting back. I can’t imagine why seafoam would have any effect on chain noise, but go figure. Good luck with it.
I'm thinking it didn't quite down the chain which I never did hear, at least not that I could pin point to it, but it quitted down what I suspect to be a noisy injector.
 
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Localschauss

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I'm torn as it seems to be running well, no codes etc, however as mentioned above I can feel a lose chain every other time trough the oil filler hole.
At my mileage of almost 300k I suspect the chains must of been touched at one point but I have no way of knowing for sure if they have or how they were addressed.

Part of me wants to dig in and replace the chain, tensioners and associated components, but part of me also feels like I should just wait till i have codes or hear are more distinct chain noise, don't fix what's not broken...oh choices...
 

jlglr4

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I’m no expert, but I don’t think that timing chain is ever supposed to be slack. That sounds like a tensioner problem to me, as you already suspected. And I seem to recall reading about tensioner problems separate and apart from the more notorious problem of the guides wearing through.

When you start the engine, that chain might be slack for a spit second before the tensioners fill with oil. I think that’s an opportunity for the chain to skip. You don’t want to wait for codes, as that means the chain has already skipped or stretched far enough to put your timing out. If you have a mechanic you trust, you could maybe ask the question. Or maybe someone here will chime in.
 

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