Quote Originally Posted by 99gp View Post
the valve cover is the black plastic piece on top of the engine? Or do I have to go further down?
Whoa, wait a minute. If you cannot identify a valve cover, and have already installed a balancer w/ a hammer then you may want to bite the bullet and take it to a shop and let them identify the noise/issue. It may be very much worth the time/money.

I'm all for learning, but when it comes down to my motor making a strange noise that may or may not indicate its untimely death approaching I would def. want a professional opinion. Maybe even see if the shop will let you be present when they diagnose it that way they can point things out and explain it to you, thus you gaining that knowledge for future use. I know I've spent a few times in a shop w/ a tech trying to figure something out and they were happy to show/explain what they were doing. Now I can usually figure it out myself. It just comes w/ time and experience. We can only diagnose things so far on the interwebs before someone w/ a trained ear/eyes needs to see it in person.