Loud noise coming from vc area! Please help!!!

[JDR7919]

Ok this is for my brother.
He has a 95 tsi.
His car was in the shop for a water pump change. When he got the car back it was idling like crap really really ruff.
So we took the car back and told them to check everything again. They said everything was ok. We told them something was not right and to make sure the timing was right. Long story short they kept the car for a week and could not figure it out.

Then they said the timing was off and that the plastic cover you match the #s up with is not the correct one and when the checked the water pump again they noticed the timing marks were off and that they were able to correct it that way. So we got the car back it idled better but still not like it had before.

That just does not make any sense to me. Yes it does have a 6 bolt swap. Could the timing cover from the original 7 bolt be different from this 6 bolt?

So here is the problem
A week after getting the car back my bro pulls up to a light and the car starts making this ticking sound. He turns the car off and pushes it off the road.
Turns the car back on and lets it idle and it starts to get louder and louder coming from the valvecover area.

Does it sound like a rod or more like head damage from the timing being off for a few days?

Thanks

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

Ticking could possibly be a lifter. 1g and 2g belt covers are different. As a matter of fact you can't get a 1g belt cover on a 2g because of where the engine mount bolts up. I got into this before. At least it was that way in my situation. Rods and mains have a definite knock noise. Mains being more of a "lead mallet" sound. Dull and firm. Rods make more of a rapping noise. Lifters tick. So, there you are. I am somewhat dubious of the timing belt thing though. One sign of a belt not being right is bad idle and no power. Even off one tooth.

Good luck

 

[steve]

Lets hope it's not the tensioner arm hitting the auto tensioner pin. That will tick too.

Steve

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

That too. I had forgotten that one. I do have an autotensioner that just gave up and as the belt flexed it drove the arm into the tensioner so much it created a flat spot on top of the tensioner. And it was noisy. Thanks Steve for reminding me.