what does loose tensioner shock sound like

[jsmith]

i have read about this problem with the tensioner shock and the noise it makes. i thought i had this problem then i forgot all about it but recently it came to my attention that i do get the noise but only when i am in gear. this makes it difficult for me to isolate by myself. to me it sounds somewhat like a muted diesel clatter and it is quite annoying. is there anything else that might make a similar noise only when in gear? i checked the top of the tensioner shock and it doesn't appear to have play but i know to check if the noise goes away by pressing against it with a large screwdriver. i'm just waiting until i can get someone in the car to put it in gear while i do the check, in the meantime, anyone have ideas as to what else it could be?