Rep Power: 0

Recently replaced the cam shaft position sensor last week. Car ran great until last night. I got off the freeway and walked outside the car, noticed that there was a strange noise under the hood.

Thought it might have been the harmonic balancer, but the bolts are tight and there is no play.

Took the valve cover off and timing cover off. Timing belt is still tight and the crank position sensor is still in place, with no movement from the bolt.

What could this noise be???

 
Rep Power: 125

Did you put the Woodruff key back in properly?

 
Rep Power: 0

the pulley was not removed. I used a 19mm socket to make sure the bolt was on tight and it was..

I'm thinking this might be the timing belt tensioner?

 
Rep Power: 518

Good lord shut it off before it jumps time, or worse
Remove upper timing and see if the spring for the tensioner pulley is disconnected/missing/damaged

The tensioner pulley arm could now have a slot cut all the way through the steel, instead of a round hole or reinforced hole, where the hook on the end of the spring was attached

 
Rep Power: 367

some of the belts are moving more than the direction they are intended to...

 
Rep Power: 0

i dont have the tools to remove the crankshaft pulley so i cant see the spring's condition.
last night, while moving the power steering hose to see the pulleys, the noise died down a little but was still present..

i just noticed this also when i replayed it in slow motion.

Could this be rod knock? I youtube'd some other videos and the sound doesn't sound exactly the same, but I'm really worried...

 
Rep Power: 367

first solve the checking the tensioner.
Then you start looking for other things.

 
Rep Power: 518

Oh, sorry.
Remove the upper timing COVER.

 
Rep Power: 0

I took the cover off and couldn't see well enough to check the spring's condition

I'm thinking it could be some plastic that got cut off from the old Crankshaft Position Sensor.. A little chunk of it was missing and probably shot around the timing covers and harmed something.

Hauled the car over to the mechanic. I'll report back with that they find

 
Rep Power: 518

after removing the upper timing cover, it's not hard to see the installed spring if you know where its supposed to be.

If it was not found still stretched between the anchor pin and the tensioner pulley, that's trouble.....the loose belt slapping and loose pulley makes a lot of noise and may allow timing belt to skip teeth/bent valves is very possible

 
Rep Power: 0

the timing belt was on tight. no slack when I pressed/pulled it after removing the upper timing cover

Mechanic says that he thinks it's rod knock and has to do a engine swap.

Labor alone, 12 hrs, gonna run $1500...IDK what he's gonna charge for the new engine + parts

 
Rep Power: 224

Drain the oil to see if there are metal flakes present (rod bearing destroying itself). That would just about confirm rod knock.