When the car sits at idle I hear a pretty loud clicking..It's not the injectors because this sounds as though it is coming from the side or front. My only two guesses are that it's the timing chain or the lifters? Do lifters make a loud ticking? I noticed that when I give the car a good rev and it dies back down to idle that the sound goes away, but when I turn off the car and then start it back up it returns, but goes away again when I rev once. Any help would be appreciated and I am currently using 10W30 Castrol Syntec Blend motor oil and have just changed it this past week.

Thanks guys!

Does it happen constantly at idle or just for a bit when you start it up?

Mike

Well..I do notice it when I first start it up in the morning (pretty loud, but goes away by itself) the sound I'm hearing right now is when I turn the car off and start it back up..it does it UNTIL I rev once and then when the car goes back to idle it stops..that's what I didn't get and yes it does constantly do it at idle, but it's never as noticeable as when I turn the car off and turn it back on. It does sound like the timing chain, because when I hold the revs it sounds like a steady sound, but when I rev harder and let it die back the sound goes away..if that makes sense.

I forgot to mention that it does have a ticking constantly when the car is on, but it seems to be more noticeable when I restart the car. I think it is the timing chain, but it just seems weird that it is more noticable when I restart it and goes away with one rev.

sounds like a timing chain tensioner. my 93 se-r does same thing.

When does yours do it? Mine does it in the morning (very loud for a few seconds) and when I restart the car (not so loud, but you still can hear it out of the car) and when does yours stop? Mine stops either when I start to drive it and come to a stop or when I rev once.

It's fine. I would honestly not worry about it. If you are worried about it you can always go out and get yourself a new designed chain tensioner (if you car doesn't have it already) or if you really.. really concerned you could try replacing the lifters and get it re shimmed (not cheap).

Almost every Sr20 I have heard or owned has some kind of lifter noise at start up and even very faintly at idle. It's just how the motor is.. loud ;)

Mike

Yeah, that might be it, but the sound goes away with one quick rev...that's the part I didn't get. I took a wrench and put it to the valve cover and it didn't sound like the noise was coming from there, but it sounded somewhat like the injectors, but do the injectors sometimes make a louder than normal clicking and go away with a quick rev? The injectors clicking is always there at idle, but this sounds a bit louder when I restart the car.

Thanks for your help!

mine has been this way for 2-3 years. has 255K and has never had a timing chain or tensioner replaced. i figure when it goes or w/e **** do a swap.

I was wondering..but has anyone ever had a perfect running engine, but went ahead and purchased a JDM one just in case something went wrong with their current engine? I'm thinking of doing the same thing in case I either need a part or need to do a full swap.

It's fine. I would honestly not worry about it. If you are worried about it you can always go out and get yourself a new designed chain tensioner (if you car doesn't have it already) or if you really.. really concerned you could try replacing the lifters and get it re shimmed (not cheap).

Almost every Sr20 I have heard or owned has some kind of lifter noise at start up and even very faintly at idle. It's just how the motor is.. loud ;)

Mike

I have a Nissan Primera SR20DE Low port and a JDM Nissan Pulsar GTi-R SR20DET, i from Latinamerica, Panama. i had this same issue with both cars!, it seems to be a known issue or common with SR20s engines, when car is cold or at morning when start the sound a loudly clack clack clack like chain sound, the as soon it lubricate fine with oil or after few seconds it sound normal.

i have replaced the tensioner, chain and guides on the nissan primera but still have the same issue, sometimes this drive me crazy because i cant fix that issue, some peers told me that i could be that teeths on the cam gears are wasted so thats why it make that sound but i am not sure. i am still thinking about the cam gears could be but i m not sure i dont know....

It's fine. I would honestly not worry about it. If you are worried about it you can always go out and get yourself a new designed chain tensioner (if you car doesn't have it already) or if you really.. really concerned you could try replacing the lifters and get it re shimmed (not cheap).

Almost every Sr20 I have heard or owned has some kind of lifter noise at start up and even very faintly at idle. It's just how the motor is.. loud ;)

Mike

no need to replace the lifters, just check if they need to be bled.. remove, bleed, reinstall... not expensive at all. it will take a few hours thou.