4.0TDi timing chain and tensioner replacement

[erubus]

I've been discussing this a little on my hot start thread but thought I'd be better starting a seperate thread about it.

Symptoms: rattle on start-up. Happens on most starts. Ticking noise while running at idle. The ticking noise sounds like its coming from the back of the engine and is actually quite loud. Sometimes when starting from cold the ticking is quite violent and noisy and doesnt clear until the engine has been running for a few minutes.

Questions: Can the noise be narrowed down to a specific tensioner? If its one of the front uppermost ones, can it be replaced by taking the front of the car off? If it can be done I'd prefer this method to the whole engine/transmission/subframe removal method and I would just replace the offending part rather than the entire shooting match in order to save hundreds of pounds. Time isn't really an issue for me and I'd be doing the work myself.

Is there something at the back of tghe engine that needs doing that causes the noise? Obviously, if its the back of the engine I will need to drop it and would change everything in that instance.

As mentioned above, I wil be doing all the work myself. I shall make up a how to as i go and post progress/mistakes etc as there doesn't seem to be much in the way of info about this other than take it to audi and pay most of the value of the car to have it sorted. Time is no barrier as I have a selection of spare audis and land rovers to use while it's off the road but I do enjoy my d3 so want it to be done quickly.

any thouhts, info etc gratefully recieved, gill