Thanks to Bill R., my M50 lifter noise is gone

[Dick Schneiders]

A few weeks ago I posted about very loud lifter noise in my wife's 1991 525i. The noise only occurred after driving the car at highway speeds for 20 minutes or so. It never occurred when only driving in town. Bill R. diagnosed it as a leaking gasket between the oil pump and oil pickup tube. He said that it would allow air to enter the system and cause the oil to foam up. When that happens, the oil pressure isn't great enough at the lifters and the noise would occur. When the oil was cooler, like driving in town, the pressure would be greater and not cause the noise.

Well I replaced the gasket and also the oil pump, which made sense as the labor to get into the oil pan had to be incurred anyway. I just got back from my first highway driving with the car and the noise is totally gone. Also, my gas mileage improved by 2 or 3 mpg.

The gasket only cost 75 cents, but it sure caused a lot of trouble.

Thanks Bill R. for the spot- on diagnosis and suggestions.

Dick Schneiders (2, 1991 525i's - both of them quiet now)

[Unregistered]

How hard is it to get to and replace that gasket on a 535i?

[winfred]

aint got the same problem

How hard is it to get to and replace that gasket on a 535i?

[Paul in NZ]

if you have a ticking sound on your 535 it will be due to either a "loose" adjustment or perhaps an exhast leak at the manifold or ahemmm something more

[Jr ///M5]

That's great news Dick! Bill R. can do this stuff in his sleep, but what it takes to make a correct diagnosis is an accurate explaination of the trouble along with the model and year of the car of course. I remember that thread when someone else asked about lifter noise in cold weather and was pointed in the direction of Mobil 1 0-w40, which had cured lifter noise on other models. Bill R. was sharp enough to determine that your case was totally different and even noted the cause for you. Yeah, if the old buzzard drank, I'd buy him a beer! =)

[632 Regal]

I drink buy me a beer!

[Bill R.]

know on the part about giving a good description of the symptoms in order to help the mechanic determine what it is....I interrogate my customers and it really annoys the hell out of some of them. Stry enough some of the men are the worst at giving descriptions of things..most of the women don't hesitate to do sound effects to try and show me what its doing but alot of men just say its not acting right, fix it... At any rate glad to hear that is wasn't anything serious.. Nice write up on the 3 too Jr.. sounds like a lot of fun..

A few weeks ago I posted about very loud lifter noise in my wife's 1991 525i. The noise only occurred after driving the car at highway speeds for 20 minutes or so. It never occurred when only driving in town. Bill R. diagnosed it as a leaking gasket between the oil pump and oil pickup tube. He said that it would allow air to enter the system and cause the oil to foam up. When that happens, the oil pressure isn't great enough at the lifters and the noise would occur. When the oil was cooler, like driving in town, the pressure would be greater and not cause the noise.

Well I replaced the gasket and also the oil pump, which made sense as the labor to get into the oil pan had to be incurred anyway. I just got back from my first highway driving with the car and the noise is totally gone. Also, my gas mileage improved by 2 or 3 mpg.

The gasket only cost 75 cents, but it sure caused a lot of trouble.

Thanks Bill R. for the spot- on diagnosis and suggestions.

Dick Schneiders (2, 1991 525i's - both of them quiet now)

[Jeff N.]

hehe...chalk another one up to our resident wizard!