Well as some of you know, I had my timing chain replaced at a shop 3 weeks ago or so. Well the noise didn't stop, it actually got worse. I took the car back in to the shop the next day of course, and the mechanic took his fancy stethoscope to the motor to see where the noise was coming from.

Well it was coming from the camshaft housing (or so it seemed), and I listened to it, wow was it noisy in there. He said the bearing was probably going out (no way!). So I went ahead and talked to mongo () and ordered one from him. Well, I went ahead an replaced it thinking all is well and the noise would stop! Nope, of course not, my evil cobalt never wants to make repairs easy. The noise is still there, no change in noise at all. It sounds like its still coming from the cam sensor.

Now we can either go with the fact that I somehow got 2 bad cam housings , or that the timing chain tensioner that was put in had a bum spring and noise is transferring across the cam. I'm gonna go ahead and say that noise is transferring. I could be wrong of course, but I already ordered a new tensioner, and will be slapping that in there tomorrow and will post back.

Point being, if you have the issue and its coming from the camshaft housing area, it probably isn't the housing. The noise started to get worse since the day the timing chain was replaced, so I'm 90% + that it is the tensioner, **** happens I guess, and of course I don't want the shop telling me its not and trying to charge me more money.

The more you know, knowledge is power and what not

 

unless a guide broke or a bolt broke...

 

possibly, I still have to pull the valve cover, but i'm full time in school, so time is short for me

 

my car is doing the same thing and i just dont want to tear into it...

 

time to take off the front cover

 

but its cold here

 

Wimp^

 

i have 2 feet of snow sitting around it lol

 

took off the valve cover, chain is loose I cam move it on the cam sprocket with my finger and I can move it up and down very slightly, brand new tensioner chain and all, wtf gm. But either way, I have a new tensioner coming in tomorrow. Its not terribly loose, but still, brand new parts, wtf again.

 

Sorry to hear man.. Hopefully its just the tensioner.

 

Brobalt!

 

You should put these in, they're cheap and I'm putting them in mine. One of these bolts(stock) was snapped in a friend's lsj when they did his cams.

ARP Ecotec Timing Chain Tensioner Bolt Set 11588522R

 

heres a video where you can see me moving the chain around, its not extremely loose, but its not tight. The shop told me that I might have low oil pressure, I told them it should still be at least finger tight when the car is off, if it wasn't my damn chain would slap around like crazy when I start the car, they had nothing to say to that. So I have a new tensioner coming in tomorrow, throw it in and let you know. And Mahan the parts are brand new, 3 weeks old, highly doubt a bolt snapped off already lol (could be wrong it is a cobalt). Either way, should just be a bum spring in the tensioner, my old one with my crappy timing chain had less slack

 

guys from zzp said its always good to give that tensioner a tap after installed

 

oh ive tapped the **** outta that thing! moment I heard the noise, then after inspecting it we were like oh camshaft housing! Replaced in then I was like oh timing chain. You can see the marks on the top guide, again its not horrible, but somethings not right, there should be more tension