Please help with Rattle coming from cam cover?

[c-dub]

Doing the oil on my girls 08 5spd and noticed a rattle coming from the engine bay while parked at idle in neutral. It comes an goes, nothing constant about it. Best guess is its coming from the cam cover and sounds kind of like a pot of boiling water with a lid on it kind of rattle (best I can describe) doesn’t sound like a lifter, or a lower bearing, but I’m not up on my Toyota tech. any ideas that can point me in the right direction?

[WeeYari]

Could be the heat shield between the exhaust manifold and the firewall. Or, it's just our normal valve tapping.

[c-dub]

Could be the heat shield between the exhaust manifold and the firewall. Or, it's just our normal valve tapping.

yah i thought it might be the heat shield, but it looks good and tight. pulled the plastic cover and it sound like its in the drive train on the driver side. dont sound like a normal valve tap, but who knows with 73,000 miles. realy dont want it going to the dealer.

[c-dub]

got around to taking a closer look today. Pulled the accessory belt off and the noise went away. Put it back on and it was back. Pulled out a stethoscope and tried to listen for anything out of the ordinary on the a/c, alt and water pump. Think I can hear the noise coming from the water pump. Every thing else sounded normal, but I can hear the rattle when I put the scope on the water pump near the pulley just not as loud. Any ideas?:iono:

[c-dub]

how about a faulty Timing chain tensioner? would having the belt on cause extra strain on the chain causing it to rattle? i would think the noise would get worse when you loaded the rpms if it was in the timing gear set?:iono:

[c-dub]

found this on youtube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ggV2MSxTM

...sounds just like that.

[bronsin]

With the belt off grab the wp pulley and try to move it side to side. If it moves theres the trouble. Shake the alt and ac pullys too.

[MickZEL]

This is clearly not a chain. Sound like a faulty bearing.

[c-dub]

replaced the water pump and all is good. thanks for the help:drinking:

[c-dub]

With the belt off grab the wp pulley and try to move it side to side. If it moves theres the trouble. Shake the alt and ac pullys too.

i did this, but realy didn't notice any movement. maybe a little like a 1/16" or so, but after i pulled the water pump and spun it and than the new one it was night and day.

[bronsin]

ANY play side to side and the component is toast!

[c-dub]

ANY play side to side and the component is toast!

it was plain as day with the new one and the old one side by side.