[Shotimes] Failing Cam Timing chain tensioner sound?

[Bruce Malachuk]

Can anyone describe the sound a failing tensioner would make? I have this
wierd rattling sound that is only present from 3000rpm and up, but it only
happens some times. I've verified that it's not the TOB as it doen't go away
when the clutch is pushed in. I seem to really hear it coming thru where my
pillar pod is mounted, as the spots where the clips used to be affixed are
open, and I think they carry sound from the engine bay up into the car. I
put a piece of a broom handle on the tensioner area of the front head, and
there is a slight noise there, but not like waht I'm hearing while driving.
The back head is silent as far as I can tell.
 
Is it possible that the front tensioner might be failing, and letting the
chain slap around, and if so is it something that can kinda happen one day
but be quiet the next? My Opal is up to 95k miles and is perhaps a week to a
week and a half from comming off the road for the winter. I have a 3.2 that
will be going in there over the winter, but I wanted to troubleshoot this
and see if it's gonna be ok to keep driving on it till I've made sure the
winter beater is up to snuff so to speak.
 
Is there any sure fire way to test out a tensioner and see if it is bad? I
know it's like a 25 min job to get the front valve cover off, 15 of that
being the intake. :-)
 
Thanks in advance
 
Bruce Malachuk
94 Opal Frost MTX SHO - my baby - 1 of 241 produced
93 Black ATX SHO - cutting time need the parts
93 Green MTX SHO w/black int.-winter car..needs some love
95 Silver Frost SE - yeah it's SLOw but reliable -awaiting it's SHO ATX
tranny transplant :-)