I know what is making the noise, I just can't get it to stop...I took the front timming chain cover off, and the timming chain spring tenssioner is not keeping press. on the chain. As long as I'm driving, or the motor is under a load, it gets quite, but at idle, it starts making the noise again...Went to Auto Zone, got a new one, and it won't fit. (The tenssioner, and shoe are connected) Went to the dealership, they showed the same one from Auto Zone...Took the old one in, (tenssioner, and shoe are seperated)...The dealership showed two series of spring tenssioners for that year (97)
Put the new one on from dealership, and was louder...Took everything back appart, and the tenssioner was completly compressed, and would not spring back up, causing the timming chain to slop around at idle...
It's been making this noise since last year, when I changed the water pump, but now, I want to sell the car, and I can't sell it for what it's worth when it's making this noise...It's not hurting anything, and it runs great, but nobody is going to buy a car thinking there is something wrong with it...Please help...Does anyone know how to keep the tenssioner from locking in the down position? How do you reset the two piece tenssioner?
TIA
P.S. Both the old, and new tenssioner releases like a ratcheting effect, but gets stuck when pushed down....

1] Lube the thing, all of it, except the pulley itself where it contacts the belt. I have used silicone spray with success, actually if ya have part out of car, use a grease, silicone-based for all moving parts, including the bolts/brackets, etc.

2] How old is your belt? They stretch, given time, and may be slight possible cause of noise. If the belt is stretched out, the pulley can't take up the slack to quiet the noise, so examine the belt itself as one possible solution.

97 has a timming chain instead of belt...
FYI: Just incase some of you have the same noise after changing the water pump on a 2.4L twincam with a two piece spring tenssioner..
A buddy works at a garage, and says the manual doesn't tell you the correct way to reset the timming chain tenssioner....Here's what you need to do:
Take the tennsioner and housing, flip it upside down on a bench or flat surface...Push down till the cylinder is almost flush (.007)...Install the shoe first, then the spring tenssioner, and housing...With a flat blade screwdriver, push down on the center of the cylinder (it will go into the cyl.) Then release it, and it should reset...If you take the cylinder out of the housing, you have to reset it again by turning it upside down, and push down on a bench...
There really wasn't anything wrong with my old tenssioner, just didn't have it set right...All is quite now...