It's a slim chance and I'm only throwing this out here just in case it's not actually the engine making the noise but something else.
It happened to me, I misdiagnosed, went on for a while, and cost me some oil to end up working out it wasn't the engine after all. Turns out when I fitted the snorkel I made something rub on the chassis by not putting it back properly.
Here's what happened to me, in the 'Oils ain't Oils' thread --->>>
http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...39#post1386839
Posts 39, 41 and 55.
Yours is on the driver's side though, so it probably isn't the same thing that happened to me.
Just a thought.
Hope you work it out.