'93 Cavalier with a sudden onset of running problems

[Peggy_ann]

I have a 1993 Cavalier 2.2L 5speed manual that i recently bought. Honestly, the car appears to have taken very good care of. It's clean, straight, and pretty.

This car is my primary transportationf or my family and I really need some help from you all - Thanks in advance!

My son was driving it last week and it went from a good running car to a non running car - just like that. It didn't begin running rough earlier in the day - nothing changed.

So, after it died on him, he restarted it and with some difficulty, it finally started and was making some very loud noises and running verry rough. he brought it home and told me about it, and I went out and started it.

When I turned the key, it behaved as though the battery might be running down - except all the lights and radio were working fine. It wouldn't turn over, and wouldn't turn over, and then it finally started up. Then I heard the most hideous noise i've ever heard, and I shut it off right away because it scared me. I wish I had ran it longer and listened more to the noise and knew exactly where it was coming from, but I didn't, so I can only tell you that it was a combination of a metal grinding, and a rattling.

It was shaking and very rough, and then it died. The temperature was rising - it didn't go into the danger zone, but was up further than half way and it's never ever up there.

My ex husband (a mechanic) told me that it must be the timing chain, and the timing chain simptoms he described seemed in line with what I experienced. I dunno - I guess i shouldn't believe him - i divorced him for that anyhow. lol

We did first do a compression test and that came out just fine.

So, we tore the wheel well apart, and took the timing chain cover off, and we were expecting to find a broken chain or missig cogs or some obvious thing that said "Hey, here's your problem!" but there was nothing. The chain looked brand new and so did the cogs.

The only thing that was out of place was that there was wear on the inside of the timing cover that looks fresh - as though the chain is wearing a hole in the cover. Other than that, I can't see anything wrong in there.

I read somewhere that the rubbing problem could be the dampener? The chain has a little bit of play in it but it doesn't feel horribly loose.

When I told my ex about the chain then he said that it must be the distributer, but it doesn't have one - I'm not exactly sure what kind of ignition system it has, but there's no distributer there. The plug wires go between the engine and fire wall and dissapear there.

Could this rubbing problem be my major problem? If I change the dampener, will it be all better? If not, are there other ideas any of you have? Please?