camshaft lifter ticking

[molesz]

My '91 E34 520i 24v (m50b20 engine) cold starts with a very annoying ticking sound from the engine, to be exact from the engine head. After a few minutes it stops until a next cold start. I have changed oils, grades, synthetics, minerals, additives (Würth, STP ...) it still does the same lifter ticking every damn cold start. Except this, everything is just fine (oil consumption, oil color, performance, sound, temperatures etc.).

Anybody solved this without changing the 24 lifters, if not, anybody actually did the job of installing new lifters ? Please send me some detailed info's about the procedure.

[Bill R.]

My '91 E34 520i 24v (m50b20 engine) cold starts with a very annoying ticking sound from the engine, to be exact from the engine head. After a few minutes it stops until a next cold start. I have changed oils, grades, synthetics, minerals, additives (Würth, STP ...) it still does the same lifter ticking every damn cold start. Except this, everything is just fine (oil consumption, oil color, performance, sound, temperatures etc.).

Anybody solved this without changing the 24 lifters, if not, anybody actually did the job of installing new lifters ? Please send me some detailed info's about the procedure.

[molesz]

been there, done that ...

[632 Regal]

so i didnt reply earlier, you could have a chunk of dirt inside the lifter, it dont take much. I believe you can rebuild it and pop it back in if you can find the offender. I personally wouldnt want to change all the lifters since they are pretty much mated to the lobes of the cam, maybe you can take the valve cover off and zero in on at least the area of the noise and rebuild a few to see if you find the bad one.

[molesz]

Now this is a surprize! Independently from the lifters ticking I had replaced the rear muffler on my exhaust system (had a rather big hole on the inner side) and put on a Remus Sport "somethingwildwithtwochromethingsontheend" and the lifter ticking have changed its behaviour. I must point out that the exhaust system was sitting ok. nowhere touching anything it should not. The new situation is that when I do a cold start the lifters are silent for a minute or two, then a couple of them starts the ticking for a couple of minutes but much quieter and than everything gets normal!
I guess this could narrow down the problem to the exhaust valve lifters. Any ideas?

[632 Regal]

when you say lifter ticking its a lifter, now that you mention exhaust I think you have some sort of lea where the manifold connects to the head. Just like old hotrods with headders, once the gasket blows it will make a loud "ticking" sound. As you car warms it uses different amounts of fuel and different timing settings which could cause the "sound" to occur at different or specific times. I dont know if your car has exhaust gaskets or not, might want to check that the bolts are tight first. Maybe your on to finding it after all!!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[AllanS]

They all should have gaskets- m50s have 3 2-hole gaskets, and m30s have 2 3-hole ones.

[winfred]

i've done that to a couple m50s on request and the only thing it did was lighten their wallet, the one car got louder, it is my thought that it's a oiling problem on cold start, i think the oil may be draining out of the head through one or more check valves, theirs one on the bottom of the head between the head and block that may be the problem but it's a lot of work and expence for a hunch, i've been trying to remember to check for a lifter tick on cars before i do a head job and see if a new valve will fix it, but most if not all of the m50s that come in are too screwed up with blown head gaskets or cracked heads for a decent test

Anybody solved this without changing the 24 lifters, if not, anybody actually did the job of installing new lifters ? Please send me some detailed info's about the procedure.

[molesz]

These days my brain is overheating and in the final desperation, after trying all out (changing oils, additives, tightening screws, plugs etc...) I started a cold engine, took off the oil filler cap+plastic cover and started to listen veeeery carefully to my M50B20. I have a loud tick or ticks at 5th or 6th cylinder (with oil filler cap closed) than I simply looked into the engine trough the oil filler and deep down I saw two valve parts moving in and out. They were barely oiled specially the one closer to the windshield (completely dry - 6th cyl. I guess), as the engined heated up, the amount of the oil flowing over those moving parts (I could not see it clearly what exactly those parts are) was rising and the ticking slowly stopped.
I have had no oil pressure problems at all no matter what oil grade I use and no matter what temperature the engine is.
I was suspicious that my oil pump is playing games with me but honestly this check valve thing makes more sense to me although I am not exactly shure what they are doing in my engine and where they are!
HELP!

[winfred]

one valve is between the head and block, and theres one in the oil filter housing (that's the one that dies on a m30 making the light stay on for about 10 seconds after start up)