Just wondering.
What brand/type oil do you use and how often do you change it ?

 

Well, I hope the intent behind your question isn't to badger me about how I may do things wrong and subsequently destroyed my engine and chain. I've been in too many online debates about what type and how often the oil should be changed. Ask a thousand mechanics and you'll get a thousand different answers. I finally decided to march to the beat of my own drum. Having torn apart my very high mileage engines at various times for different repairs, and finding the reciprocating parts virtually pristine, I am 110% satisfied with my oil choice and interval. Not to mention, I've been wrenching since I cut teeth, so I've seen a lot of open engines with various oil choices. The HHR dash reminder runs me to nearly 10k miles before warning me to change. My previous car from another manufacturer ran about the same span. That said, I perform oil changes at 10K miles and use Castrol Edge full synthetic 5W-30, with Wix filters.

 

Nope. No intent. As stated, I was just curious.
In fact, I don't really care what other people use. It's their car, their choice of oil and filter.
I've also been turning wrenches for a long time. Even did it for a living back in my 20's. Still do my own stuff now.

As stated. Just wondering. I use Mobil One but my SS only has 58k miles on it.

 

 

I think we’re talking about the timing chain tensioner here, but I think both tensioners provides their tension with oil pressure, with a ratchet mechanism that’s supposed to keep them from backing off excessively when there’s no oil pressure. I say ratchet for lack of a better word. I think it advances incrementally to make up for initial build tolerances, chain stretch, and guide wear. I suspect they don’t always work perfectly and the two timing tensioner redesigns may have been attempt to improve it. These thoughts are pretty speculative, but explains what I have read and have personally observed. I think sometime the “ratchet” part ceases to work properly and fails to advance sufficiently, allowing the tensioner to back off excessively, if not so far as to allow the chain to jump, them far enough to cause the racket.

Case 1-

Back in 2018 or maybe earlier, I had a 2008 2.2 with maybe 80K miles that started to rattle on startup only. It had the old-style timing tensioner, and since I had owned the car since nearly new and knew it had been gently driven with way more oil changes than it really needed.

I decided to gamble and just update the timing tensioner and do nothing else. I bought the ACDelco. I didn’t have the correct socket and more importantly a good place to work or much time, so I paid a trusted mechanic to put it in. Obviously, the most time consuming part was to R&R the valve cover to activate the tensioner.

It worked. Noise quit, drove without issues for another 30K and sold it. Number from fuzzy memory but close enough to make the point.

Case 2 -

2010 SS, 100K or so, slight chain noise intermittently, then sudden sever noise, which proved to be a broken front guide, but in addition, the balance tensioner was sticky and clearly not operating properly, and I attribute the earlier subtle chain noise to that. Both chains and tensioners and all guides replaced, no sprockets replaced, intermittent subtle chain noise for the first 100 miles or so, quiet since. I now regret using the Cloyes timing tensioner instead of ACDelco, knowing that they may be the exact same thing.

Cases 3 -

I have a 2011 2.2 w/ less than 80K. Also gently driven since new w/ lotsa oil changes. Began hearing chain noise upon startup only, abates when oil pressure builds. With watchful waiting it went away, and I visualize the tensioner indexed another step. If it happens again I may consider a new timing tensioner.

 

@PulpFriction Great feedback! Thanks for sharing! Yah, I have a new OEM tensioner on order. I want to compare its spring tension against the old one. I wonder if the old one just lost some of its tension and/or ability to ratchet tighter on the chain. In several locations online, I read of folks with Ecotecs who had cold startup rattle. They merely replaced the tensioner and fixed the problem. So I wonder if that will be the case for me.

 

Let us know, after you install the new tensioner.

 

Quick update:
The replacement ACDelco tensioner arrived. I spent some time dissecting it on the workbench to see if there were any noticeable differences between it and the old one. I thought possibly that the spring tension of the old one had weakened. However, I found that was not the case. With a crude setup, using a bathroom scale on my drill press, I compressed both the new and old tensioners 1/8" (1/8" was the point where the internal ratchet bottomed against itself). Both exerted about 18 pounds of force. I carefully inspected the innards but didn't see anything noticeably different, except...the closure collar with its o-ring, was looser in the old tensioner (see the circled components in the attached images). The old one's o-ring seemed to be stiffer (i.e., from heat and oil exposure over time) and didn't set in the bore as firmly as the new tensioner. It had a little more slop than the new one. So perhaps the o-ring was not sealing as good as when it was brand new. *shoulder shrug*

Bottom line...several reports online and at least one person here, mentioned that replacing the tensioner eliminated the cold startup rattle. I think I am going to install the new tensioner and see how things go. Granted, my chain will need serviced, but I think I should be able to get another 20k miles out of it first. We'll see. I'll post back in a few weeks with an update on the rattle condition.

 

Okie dokie, keep us updated as to what you experience. Less cold start rattling, most likely.

 

There is no "old" and "new" design!!!!!!!!
There is a VVT (hydraulic) design and a non-VVT (mechanical) design.

The VVT design works in non-VVT engines and has superseded the part number.

When the tensioner gets to the end of it's travel the chain and guides need to be replaced, it is not the tensioner's fault. The tensioner is not a wear part.

A tensioner in the compressed state (in the box, before installation) should measure 72 mm from end to end. A tensioner in the active state should measure 85 mm. If you reuse the tensioner it must be in the compressed state. There is a "special" tool for the job.