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Thread: Ticking noise from top of engine

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    68

    Default Ticking noise from top of engine

    After a 2hr drive down to London last night, I noticed a distinct ticking noise coming from the top of the engine as I parked up. This is an 525 with the M50 engine and hydraulic lifters and I've never heard such a tick-tick-tick noise coming from the top of the valve cover area before. Normally the car is near silent (ignoring the normal noise of the fan spinning) after it has warmed up.

    I took a look around but didn't see any obvious leaks or hoses hanging loose. The oil level is fine. Water temperature and level also fine.

    How can I check whether any oil is actually being pumped up to the valvetrain? I tried to look down into the valvetrain through the oil filler hole while the engine is running, but there is the splash panel over the camshaft and I could only just see a tiny bit of the spring-deck area. Couldn't see any oil flowing around there. Should I be able to see any oil anyway? The only thing I noticed was a fine mist trying to escape from the open oil hole. I'm guessing this is normal, but the ticking noise is not.

    I am tempted to remove the valve cover to check for further clues. I suspect it's the supply up to the top that's the problem though. So any ways to check the oil pump is working? The oil pump is in the pan on an M50, yes? Should I take the oil pan off and check the pick-up pipe? Your thoughts would be very welcome.

    Cheers,

    Mas


    95-525i manual rhd black

    Confucius says, "War does not determine who's right. War determine who's left"

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Location
    Vancleave, MS
    Posts
    629

    Default after resting several hours or overnight, do the lifters go silent w/in a few secs?

    or do they keep chatting away... OR is it only noisey after a good drive? OR both?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mas (UK)
    After a 2hr drive down to London last night, I noticed a distinct ticking noise coming from the top of the engine as I parked up. This is an 525 with the M50 engine and hydraulic lifters and I've never heard such a tick-tick-tick noise coming from the top of the valve cover area before. Normally the car is near silent (ignoring the normal noise of the fan spinning) after it has warmed up.

    I took a look around but didn't see any obvious leaks or hoses hanging loose. The oil level is fine. Water temperature and level also fine.

    How can I check whether any oil is actually being pumped up to the valvetrain? I tried to look down into the valvetrain through the oil filler hole while the engine is running, but there is the splash panel over the camshaft and I could only just see a tiny bit of the spring-deck area. Couldn't see any oil flowing around there. Should I be able to see any oil anyway? The only thing I noticed was a fine mist trying to escape from the open oil hole. I'm guessing this is normal, but the ticking noise is not.

    I am tempted to remove the valve cover to check for further clues. I suspect it's the supply up to the top that's the problem though. So any ways to check the oil pump is working? The oil pump is in the pan on an M50, yes? Should I take the oil pan off and check the pick-up pipe? Your thoughts would be very welcome.

    Cheers,

    Mas
    1993 / 525ia / M50TU / EAT / Sachs / Infiniti Kappa & Basslink / super clean / Style 5s wearing Pilots / Mobil 1 everywhere / long road ahead

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    68

    Default The ticking noise is there from start-up,

    Quote Originally Posted by RobPatt
    or do they keep chatting away... OR is it only noisey after a good drive? OR both?

    and gets louder with faster engine speed. I changed the oil and filter to see if it would make a difference but nothing noticeable. At idle, the ticking is about 2 ticks second and definitely seems to be coming from inside the valve cover or somewhere a bit lower in there.

    I am going to open the valve cover up and take a look in there. What is really strange is that even after a few minutes run of the engine there is a fine mist which you see when the oil filler cap is removed. I don't believe I ever noticed this before this problem. I am guessing oil isn't getting up to the top. Where are the oil holes if I want to check that they are clear and unblocked? Any help & suggestions would be very welcome.

    Thanks,

    Mas


    95-525i manual rhd black

    Confucius says, "War does not determine who's right. War determine who's left"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Bay Area, CA
    Posts
    395

    Default

    Valves need to be re-adjusted?
    Greg Mannino
    Car Audio.Video.Security.Navigation Guru
    Electrical/Mechanical Specialist

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    68

    Default This M50 engine has hydraulic actuated tappets

    Quote Originally Posted by gmannino
    Valves need to be re-adjusted?
    and doesn't need adjusting as it's done automatically.

    Mas


    95-525i manual rhd black

    Confucius says, "War does not determine who's right. War determine who's left"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Hockinson, Washington
    Posts
    2,499

    Default

    Sticking injector/s?
    Lowered with blue h&r(?) springs, Bilsteins, tint, 19# design 3 injectors, Dual Magnaflow
    southwest WA

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Perth Western Australia
    Posts
    438

    Default

    I think you'll find one HLA has a carbon chip blocking the oil feed.

    No oil to the head would be really rattly as all the HLA's would have collapsed.....

    I'd be running an engine oil flush and doing another oil change to try to break the bit of crud down..

    Do you run synthetic or mineral oil?
    BMW parts professional

    Previous rides:
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    E12 M535i (go the dogleg!)
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  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    68

    Default I was running semi-syn, but just put in ...

    Quote Originally Posted by Ausmpower
    I think you'll find one HLA has a carbon chip blocking the oil feed.

    No oil to the head would be really rattly as all the HLA's would have collapsed.....

    I'd be running an engine oil flush and doing another oil change to try to break the bit of crud down..

    Do you run synthetic or mineral oil?

    some fresh mineral oil to check if the oil was the problem. The ticking is still there so something may well be blocked in the valvetrain. When I take the cover off, where exactly are the oil holes for me to check? Anything I can do to clean the hydraulic tappets manually? Is it worth spraying everything in there down with WD40 (or such thinning lub) to help free any blockages? Then renew the oil. Will WD40 harm the engine if traces are left in the oil?

    Mas


    95-525i manual rhd black

    Confucius says, "War does not determine who's right. War determine who's left"

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Melbourne, Australia
    Posts
    451

    Default

    I have the same problem as you Mas. Whenever the car starts, ticks like a bomb. I tried some Lifter Free from some company called Nulon, also tried Engine Tune Up additive from Wynns.

    Now, after the engine has warmed up, it's not as loud, but definitely still there. It also gets louder when the engine is at idle, but as soon as you press the pedal the sound (almost) disappears.

    I think this is the case with my M50 because I have left this lifter to tick for more than a year now without doing anything about it (I know, my bad, what kind of d*ckhead am I, what kind of an E34 owner am I, etc etc.), so I'm guessing that a replacement of my lifters might be the only solution for me (and an expensive one -- $tealer quoted AU$2400).

    I might try the Engine Flush, but I'll let the Lifter Free thing do its course first (it said on the bottle leave in the oil for 14 days or 500km).
    Last edited by Yiorgos; 08-07-2006 at 06:16 AM.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Cheshire, UK
    Posts
    261

    Default

    I agree with AusMPowers diagnosis. Bit of crud blocking a lifter. My 525 M50 used to do this alot. Run some engine flush through and replace oil & filter.

    I had to flush the engine twice but it has been rattle free for a long time now - over 10k mile.

    With the Flush I used (Wynns) you have to fast idle the engine to around 2000 rpm for 10-15 minutes. If your BM is an auto either take it for a SLOW drive or jack the back end off the ground and put the box into drive. You will cook the trans if you rev it in Park or Neutral for that length of time.

    My $tealer priced the job at £80 per lifter and he wanted to change them ALL. With labour on top the job wasn't financially viable so I had nothing to loose by flushing.

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