Scratchy noise around left camshaft area

[pillow]

Looking for thoughts and opinions really. So I have this scratching type of noise around the front of the left camshaft area. I had originally thought it was the centrifugal oil separator and replaced this but no dice.

Noise goes away when the engine is up to temperature. Anyone have any ideas what this could be?

You can hear it clearly from 48 seconds onwards in the video.

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[BlackC55]

It could be the ABC pump or ABC related. Does it go or get better or worse when you raise and lower the suspension?
I would take the belt off first to see if it goes.

 

[pillow]

You can see the belt is already missing in the video so definitely not belt related (I have a squeaky pulley but that is another issue).

 

[pillow]

Little bump. Anyone have any suggestions?

Going to try an oil and filter change at some point this week but finding this a bit puzzling.

 

[Sicario]

If you had a stethoscope you could narrow it down, its difficult to tell from a video but to me my first thought was noisy bearing, and it also sounded like a shredded belt of some kind, or it could a slightly noisy chain.

 

[Deleted member 149005]

Mileage and service history of the car might spark some further thoughts...

 

[pillow]

I have poked it with my trusty metal stick on the noise is most prominent to the lower left of the external PCV valve (round circle plastic bit in the video) between it and the oil filter housing. I have ordered some better kit to confirm and will post a picture of where the noise can be heard from. In the video id you note the two e-torx bolts the noise is loudest just above these two. I think behind this is the upper short timing guide.

Car has 119k miles ok it and FSH. I've owned it for the last 18 or so months and I don't think the noise was originally present. Last serviced it at 116k.

I just pulled the oil filter cap apart and I can see the there is a spring valve at the top which is a bit broken. I think it's a pressure valve.. not sure if this is an issue (there was no noise from the filter housing) but I've ordered a new one.

 

[pillow]

Ok so new oil filter cap with no broken valve hasn't really cured it. Noise is very clear in the front camshaft area. No noise from the oil filter section, and becomes very difficult to hear as you move back along the cam cover. No noises coming from the centre of the V on the intake manifold at the front. Attached is a picture of the area I took when I replaced the oil separator. (Noise was there before I changed it so wasn't something I did!).. nothing looks amiss in the picture.

Best step is to strip it all off again and run it without the cam cover to see if I can spot anything obvious. If the noise is coming from the camshaft I'll be able to narrow it down at least.

The cam seems to have a row of bearings that are bolted in (a bit like the rod bearings are bottom end). Does anyone know if I can remove and inspect these one at a time?

 

[pillow]

Ok, update. Just taken the cam cover off again. Nothing too untoward but I can see both guides have some play. I can move them about 1mm back and forth along the pins. Should there be any play like this?

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