Question About Chain Tensioner?

[07 Boss]

Due to what I believe was a bad oil filter I may have driven my car a few miles along the freeway with a very low oil pressure. The light never came on but as I rolled up to an intersection I glanced at my pressure gauge it was hovering between 0 and 5 psi. I shut the motor off and coasted into a parking lot. Towed it home. It’s been a few days but I swapped out the filter and oil. Threw a fuel filter on while I was under there. Anyways, cranked it a little bit with the pedal on the floor to try and circulate a little oil and then fired her up. I was relieved she turned over freely and then actually started. Pressure was up there towards 65-70 psi but I’m getting a clanking from the front right and she seems a little rough. I didn’t run her for very long and only once lightly gave a blip to the throttle. My question is if the tensioner collapsed due to not enough oil pressure, would it not come back to life once pressure was reacquired? Should I try and let it pump itself back up or just pull the cover and replace it?

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

The timing chain tensioner should pump itself back up again with an oil pressure feed. The clanking could be from a broken cam phaser, and that would also account for the slightly rough running. If that's the case, you should hear it at the very front of the cam cover using a mechanic's stethoscope.

 

[07 Boss]

The timing chain tensioner should pump itself back up again with an oil pressure feed. The clanking could be from a broken cam phaser, and that would also account for the slightly rough running. If that's the case, you should hear it at the very front of the cam cover using a mechanic's stethoscope.

You don’t think it would throw a cam position code?

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Not always. The phaser would have to be pretty bad to throw a cam position sensor code.

 

[Steve Waters]

Did you happen to check the rod bearings out while you had the oil pan off? If so and found nothing it might be time to pull the valve cover and check out the phaser like DDB mentioned, you can also check the chain tension and if any cam followers/cam lobs have been affected due to low oil pressure. The passenger side seems to have more problems than the drivers side with oiling issues.