Tapping noise (in head?) - sound clip

[Hypr5]

Sound clip: (The video has some wierd clicking in it, but you can hear the car's noise at the end over the video noise.

http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=noisemy7.flv
The noise is toward the end.

Finally finished the head gasket job and triple checked the timing. Turned it over 3 - 5 times with a wrench and double checked with the cam locking tool / flywheel pin and it was still lined up. I started it up and it runs smooth, but now I hear a tap tap tap noise and it dos increase with engine speed. It's pretty loud.

It sounds like it's only coming from the front. Around the chain area. Maybe slightly further back. Does this sound like lifter noise or chain noise or ... what does it sound like to you guys?

Thanks!

[BMWPWR]

Hi Hypr5,
I had the same noise in my 525i (M50) not long ago. One of the spark plugs was found loose & sounded like a valve lifter noisy!
Re-tightened the loose plug & noise has gone. Hope this helps!
Regards,
Nello

[Hypr5]

Hi Hypr5,
I had the same noise in my 525i (M50) not long ago. One of the spark plugs was found loose & sounded like a valve lifter noisy!
Re-tightened the loose plug & noise has gone. Hope this helps!
Regards,
Nello
Thanks,

I just went out and checked the plugs, but no luck :( They were all snug.

The thing I noticed is - the ticking is a lot louder under the car than on top of the car. It sure sounds the noise is coming from the seem of the head and block area.

[bsell]

What sound does a bad coil jumper wire thingy make when the spark goes to ground within the spark plug access hole? I wonder if we both don't have a bad spark plug lead causing our similar noise...

Brian

[mamilapon]

sounds like one of your Hydraulic lifters is starving for oil.

[Ross]

Sounds like valvetrain noise. The cadence is right and it never varies like a sloppy chain might.
Collapsed lifter as malipon says is my guess. Let it run a while, it may clear up on it's own.

[Hypr5]

Thanks for the input guys.

I double checked the timing just to make sure and it appears to be okay - so I took it out for a drive for about 20 minutes (just over 13 miles). It didn't go away - and it's still loud, but it IS a good bit better than it was.

I guess I'll continue to drive her and see how it goes :)

Thanks again everybody.

[bsell]

Hi Hypr5,
I had the same noise in my 525i (M50) not long ago. One of the spark plugs was found loose & sounded like a valve lifter noisy!
Re-tightened the loose plug & noise has gone. Hope this helps!
Regards,
Nello

Give this man a cigar! He hit the nail on the head for my new-found 'lifter tick' after changing the valve cover gasket. I guess I forgot to tighten down one of the spark plugs I forgot I looked at while everything was apart. I found #6 loose so I went through all of the plugs to ensure they were clean and tight while I replaced the spark plug leads.

So now I am 'noise-free' (if you don't count the vanos rattle).

My hat is off to you, Nello.

Brian