Engine Knocking

[MikeD]

I have a knocking sound coming from the top front part of my engine. It's hard to tell but it seems to be coming from around where the cam gears would be. It gets ALOT louder as the rpm's go up.
Are Timing chain tensioner or guide failures common on this engine? The engine only has 24000 miles on it.

thanks

[cobrabitn]

Sounds like a tensioner to me. Can you tell if the chain slaps the covers or not?

[MikeD]

Well, when I looked at it this morning it seems to be coming from the belt tensioner not the chain tensioner.
What could be causing a rattling or knocking sound in the belt tensioner?

[cobrabitn]

Bad spring, bad pulley. Do you have underdrives and are they torqued down? If so, check them and see if they came loose. You don't want to see a pulley flying off the crank,.....ughh!:eek:

[MikeD]

No underdrives. I'm going to pull the tensioner off tonight and give it the once over. I'll let you know what I find. Thanks for the help Tony.

[cobrabitn]

Okay! Let me know when you find out so I can beware on my 99. :thumbsup:

[MikeD]

After replacing the Bearings on the tensioner and the idler pulleys the noise was still there.
I went ahead and bought the tensioner. $70 even with my 25% discount. Problem solved. It turned out to be the shaft that the tensioner bearing goes on was worn.

[cobrabitn]

Cool.... where did you get the 25% discount from?? McCarville Ford?

[MikeD]

I got the discount through my job. Our fleet mechanic deals with a local Ford parts distribution center.