Well I think I may have found my problem. It was in the timing assembly as I suspected. Towed it to a local shop with our truck and started it up and had one of the mechanics there check it out. He had me rev it to around 2000 every so often so the sound would amplify and started probing everywhere with a stethoscope. He said when he was ON the water pump it was the loudest and the further out from that the sound diminished so it looks like my water pump may be failing. My question is, is it just possible I got a bad one or is something else causing premature failure (pump only has around 5000 miles on it)? Well nevertheless I'll be replacing that soon and hoping to get a hold of a hydraulic tensioner and pulley assembly and converting back from my mechanical. The mechanical one is just too much of a PITA to get the right tension, much more difficult that pulling a pin and viola. So looks like my water pump is going out, so I'm gonna start there with my repairs. Need to re-time my engine anyhow so this would be a good time to do it.

-Ben
Black 1999 RS

Basic mods and a South Bend OFE-SS Clutch
~150bhp.....for now!