New here, just trying to find some answers.
I have a ticking noise. Not valve train, doesn't sound like a bearing. Screw driver trick pointed to belt tensioner but I replaced tensioner and belt. Which leads me to timing chain or chain tensioner. Noise was present with belt off so that rules out any accessory pulley. I feel its to high pitch to be a spun bearing, not to mention the motor would have not lasted 30k miles. Motor has 56k miles, been doing this since I got the car with 27k on it. Motor rev's fine, car is completely drivable. One would think with bad/stretched timing chain motor would run like @!#$ with timing being off. I am able to change timing chain and tensioner but don't want to get that far into the motor if theirs no need. Anyone ever have a bad balancer?

Info on car-
2001 cavi
2.2 motor
56k miles
automatic

Video of noise-
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v297/num482/misc/?action=view¤t=MOV00013.flv

I have a similar sound http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=11&i=124806&t=124806

Try putting an earplug in one ear, jamming a long heater hose in the other to get a good seal, and pressing the other end against various surfaces on the engine to get a good seal. It makes a wonderful stethoscope for locating the source of noises.

I agree, it's too high pitched and doesn't sound muffled like a rod knock. Does your sound go away when revving up and then returns when it spins down, or it quiets when putting some load on the engine at say... 2000 RPM or higher? A timing chain should quiet down under these conditions like a rod knock does, whereas an exhaust leak will become more noticable. Can you rule out exhaust leaks at the manifold gasket and manifold-to-up-pipe joint? Also check for a cracked manifold.

Barring all of that, It could be a noisy valve train needing adjustment. People seem to forget that even modern engines can use valve adjustments sometimes. Despite what "Philly D" posted in my thread, it's not "just something these engines do after abit".... it means it needs a tune up

The 2200 engines with stock valvetrain have no adjustability on the valve lash, all you can do is check the torque of the rocker bolts, they are preset to the proper lash if torqued to spec.

The ticking noise could be from youre fuel system, Or the fuel beening pushed into the fuel rail, I noticed mine doing it while it idles, I thought at first something was internally broken, I asked my friends GM tech friend about it, I Placed my ear close to where the sound was coming from, fuel rail, Also could be youre Timing tensionor, Or chain, Also youre belt tensionor.


Good Luck,

I have ruled out everything up top, intake, exhaust, fuel system. IM really leaning towards lifter or timing chain/tensioner. The noise does not get louder with RPM's. Exhaust leak does not make that noise, if the intake was cracked that would lead to a vacuum leak. No bouncing RPMS, nor driveability issues so vac leak is ruled out. I wish the video was better quality, a cell phone will only do so much. The sound is not as loud as in the video but you can tell its not a "knock" from a bearing. Its more metal hitting metal. How often does a bad lifter happen on these motors? I just feel its rare with such low miles that a timing chain or tensioner would fail. Does the head have to be removed to get to the lifters?

Thanks for the responses.