I've got a little rattle in the front end of my TR3 at about 1200-1500 RPM.
I finally found my stethoscope and confirmed that it is coming from the
timing chain. The engine does not have any of the original "sound proofing"
goop that's supposed to be on the timing cover and I have absolutly no idea
how many miles are on the engine. I've been on a campaign to tighten up all
of the stuff that rattles in the front of the car so I don't know for sure
how long it's been making this noise or if it is normal. The engine itself
seems to be in good shape: Good oil pressure, Compression is
140-143-140-140, it pulls well, runs smoothly, timing doesn't seem to wander
at all.
I know this is a difficult thing to quantify without being there with your
head under the hood but how much chain rattle is normal?
Is there any way to test for a sloppy chain short of pulling off the cover?
If it were your engine would you still putter around on a few short easy
trips to the store for a few weeks while until you could replace the chain
and gears or would you shut it down right now and not dare use it until
replacing them?
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