[cmartin]

Maybe 2-3 times when I started the 3.6 over the winter there was a ~1 second sound that I thought was the chain hitting something. It sounded like it was coming from the left side of the engine.

I pulled the chain covers off today to inspect the tensioners and am not quite sure what to look for. The right side tensioner seems to be a little stiffer than the left, does this matter? Maybe a better description is that there is a little, a coupld mm, play in the left side before it gets hard. This is only pressing with my fingers, no bar for leverage. There doesnt appear to be any wear on the chain ramps or the case.

How do I test and/or inspect the tensioner? These parts arent cheap so I dont really want to buy one unless I need to. On the other hand, they are much cheaper than a rebuild, so if it's bad, out it comes.

Any ideas?