[Atheryal]

So after about a 45 minute drive I noticed I had a very loud ticking noise coming from my car (96 SL). It sounded a lot like the lifter tick I had before I had the 3rd gen lifter installed but instead it's only coming from the front right of the engine. In the video I have you can hear the usual quiet lifter tick as well as this very loud ticking noise. The ticking doesn't persist 100% of the time, it sometimes happens at idle and sometimes happen under load. It goes away above 2500 RPM but otherwise increases in frequency with RPM up until 2500 then it disappears and sounds normal. I know this isn't rod knock or a spun bearing, or it would sound like that all the time (or at least I'm hoping it isn't). I haven't had a chance to open up the valve cover or take a look at anything, just wondering if anyone can give me an idea of what to look for.

Had to upload a YouTube video, for some reason this website doesn't like video files.

 

[box]

Timing belt tensioner?

 

[Paul H.]

Sounds a little hollow. Like mentioned above take off your timing belt covers and make sure something isn't hitting the cam gears or pully. After that take the valve cover off and see if Allister came detached.

 

[Chang oil]

Sounds like a wrist pin.... or valve?

 

[Atheryal]

Timing belt tensioner?

Yep, took of the left timing cover to take a look at it and had someone slowly bring the RPM to 2500. The belt was wiggling around like it was about to fall off up until 25000 then it straightened right out. Thanks for the help

 

[Atheryal]

So I got the timing cover and everything apart to take a look and I think the belt tensioner failed. This is really odd to me since I just did a new timing belt + tensioner and water pump about 2K miles ago, all parts were OEM from 3SX. I attached a few pictures to get a second opinion but to me it looks like all the hydraulic pushed out of the tensioner as there is a grey liquid sitting on top of it. I've got another tensioner laying around so it's no problem replacing just wondering if this one can be saved. Thanks again!

 

[Chang oil]

Take that thing throw it across the yard .... garbage .... lol

 

[white93gt]

This is really odd to me since I just did a new timing belt + tensioner and water pump about 2K miles ago, all parts were OEM from 3SX.

Yeah that's a wasted tensioner, fluid leaked out and mixed with metal powder from pounding bracket of pulley. BUT you sure about OEM from SX, because all I see on their site is NON-OEM kit (see below).

60K Timing Service Kit - NON-OEM - 3000GT Stealth DOHC

The world's oldest and largest 3000GT and Dodge Stealth Source for Performance, Maintenance, and Service

www.3sx.com

 

[shellhouse]

What tensioner would y'all recommend or go with yourselves these days? OEM, Gates, or solid tensioner? Considering a solid tensioner, but I don't mind adjusting it as the belt wears/stretches. Haven't read up on them, honestly.

 

[box]

Genuine.

 

[white93gt]

What tensioner would y'all recommend or go with yourselves these days? OEM, Gates, or solid tensioner? Considering a solid tensioner, but I don't mind adjusting it as the belt wears/stretches. Haven't read up on them, honestly.

OEM tensioner only, like from a Mitsubishi parts dealer (part# MD319040). Cherry Hill Mitsubishi (link below) is one with reasonable factory parts pricing, and I’ve seen them list a kit on Ebay before. Edit: Oops; I now see that OEM tensioner is no longer available from Cherry Hill Mitsubishi, not sure what to suggest now!

Order Parts - Cherry Hill Mitsubishi

Also, recommend new trensioner bolt as suggested by @Steve ‘93ES below.

What else to replace in the Timing belt area

Ok I'm just wondering as I'm going to be doing the timing belt and all associated stuff in that area what else should be done? Oil pump maybe? The car has 219k KM(136,080miles) and even though it been my mom's car for the past 20ish years we have only put 74,487km on it since she bought it but...

www.3si.org

The main problem with solid tensioner is’t only adjusting for belt wear, but that it can’t compensate for engine expansion from cold to warm. Which one of our more knowledgeable members @RealMcCoy points out when he said “Since I was taking pics for this I thought I'd also demonstrate just how much these things move around as the engine warms up... If you've never observed it or thought about it, I think you'll be amazed. (This is also why I won't run a solid tensioner)” in link below when discussing his tensioner washer mod.

My tensioner fix

I decided I'd share this one with you all... And I finally got some pics. (not neccessarily GOOD pics, but...) For all of you who lose sleep at night worrying about losing a tensioner, or those of you who throw away a perfectly good tensioner for fear of reusing it even if it only has a few...

www.3si.org

 

[Atheryal]

Yeah that's a wasted tensioner, fluid leaked out and mixed with metal powder from pounding bracket of pulley. BUT you sure about OEM from SX, because all I see on their site is NON-OEM kit (see below).

60K Timing Service Kit - NON-OEM - 3000GT Stealth DOHC

The world's oldest and largest 3000GT and Dodge Stealth Source for Performance, Maintenance, and Service

www.3sx.com

Fairly sure it was OEM. My timing belt says Mitsubishi all over it along with the part number so I'm confident that is OEM. 3SX also does sell a OEM 60K kit and I remember being upset having to spend $600 on it but I can't find a reciept anywhere.

60k Mitsubishi OEM Service Bundle

The world's oldest and largest 3000GT and Dodge Stealth Source for Performance, Maintenance, and Service

www.3sx.com

 

[white93gt]

Fairly sure it was OEM. My timing belt says Mitsubishi all over it along with the part number so I'm confident that is OEM. 3SX also does sell a OEM 60K kit and I remember being upset having to spend $600 on it but I can't find a reciept anywhere.

OK.... You might have got one of the last OEM kits, but if the OEM tensoner failed that quick makes me now wonder about their present day reliability. Especially since I just realized today that Cherry Hill Mitsubishi is no longer selling them.

 

[Halo475*%2]

Looks like 3SX still has the OEM 60K kits in stock. Although I did not see it listed for individual sale, 3SX should have a hydraulic tensioner available. Call them and see if they can help to source a new tensioner. And how did that motor not jump timing if the belt seemed that it was about to fall off?

 

[Duck_God_420]

I had this same exact thing happen to me a few weeks ago. after the same number of miles and everything. Though the tensioner that failed was non-oem, i was able to buy a new oem tensioner from 3sx then for 180$

 

[Chris @ Rvenge Performance]

Personally I could recommend one of our solid tensioners.

3000GT / Stealth DOHC 6G72 Solid Timing Tensioner – R'venge Performance (rvengeperformance.com)

I have personally put a number of miles on these and not really found them to need adjustment. The timing belts are fiberglass re-infoced and really don't stretch.

The chance of failure from a relaxed hydraulic unit or a broken one is too high for me personally after seeing so many.

They are a little bit harder to set the tensioner properly, but the nice thing is if you make a small hole in your lower cover you can reach up and adjust them without really removing anything.

 

[Chang oil]

I would go with Gates for (OEM) look ....or a solid tensioner from Rvenge
In all honesty.... depends on how much your really Driving it Driving it..... if ya know what I mean...... that would be solid tensioner all day long