M60 idle - lend me your ear

[84318i]

Hi,

Someone with a good running stock m60b40 would you be so kind and listen to this short video and let me know if you hear anything unusual?

It's been a long time since I've driven a 540i, and don't have a good point of reference. Engine is fully stock, resealed top to bottom, oil pump/bolts re-assembled and chain slack set per shop manual, along with new chain tensioner.

It sounds like it's got a stuck hydraulic lifter on passenger side, hopefully that will go away with a bit of running as this engine hasn't been used in 4 years and sat in a closed garage. I've installed new cats, Bosch o2 sensors, new engine coolant sensor, new plugs and plug boots. Each ignition coil was tested, MAF and ICV are used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ7bFhYAbBs


Thanks much!

[moroza]

Engine idle is notoriously hard to record compared to how it sounds live. Mostly sounds fine apart from a loud ticking? Could be lifters, but I can see how it might be garage acoustics and a phone mic affecting some higher-pitched bottom-end knock/slap. Mine did that for a few days when the project first fired up, and gave me a headache chasing rod knock, chain slap, oilpump hypotheses... I never found anything wrong and it gradually went away. My engine came out of a wreck and sat about 16 months, for reference.

[84318i]

Yeah, it's tough to capture the right sound with cellphone . Tomorrow I'll do some more work on it and see how it sounds outside the garage.

[Avec]

I did not listen to the vid, but here are some suggestions.

Does the sound go away as RPM increases? That would be a Chain Tensioner

I had a stuck tensioner and was able to unstick it using a can of Sea Foam in the crankcase oil. Ran it for about 500 miles, and changed the oil. It solved the problem, and it never came back. Whether a tensioner or stuck lifter, I would give Sea Foam a try

[84318i]

Well, tensioner is brand new perhaps it could be stuck with air bubble ? I'll take it out and check it. Don't really want to seafoam a newly resealed engine with new cats and o2 sensors though .

I'll let you guys know if it goes away after I run it for a bit and rev it to 3k and hold there for a minute , the loud ticking noise from what I can tell is coming from the passenger side rear not from the timing cover area.

[eddycooper]

M60s do often get a lifter tick noise that is audible from the driver's seat and fairly loud outside the car. That's what I hear in your video. It often goes away when the car is warmed up. I cured 75% of my lifter tick noise by going from 30 weight to 40 weight oil. Apart from that tick when cold, my M60 runs like a top with plenty of power, at 330,000 kms without any head or timing chain work.

[XAlt]

Well, tensioner is brand new perhaps it could be stuck with air bubble ? I'll take it out and check it. Don't really want to seafoam a newly resealed engine with new cats and o2 sensors though .

I'll let you guys know if it goes away after I run it for a bit and rev it to 3k and hold there for a minute , the loud ticking noise from what I can tell is coming from the passenger side rear not from the timing cover area.Could be defective since it's new.

The old tensioner units don't really fail, spray them up with some cleaner and you're done.

[Mykk]

What do you use for oil?

[84318i]

What do you use for oil?

Conventional 10w40 , plan is to use this to get the engine running and then drain it and fill with good synthetic .

[Mykk]

The M60 is oil picky, use the recommended viscosity and API rating and that valve train will quiet down some. It'll still clatter but not scary loud. And stay up on services, the more you chsnge the oil the more the valve train will quiet down

[84318i]

The M60 is oil picky, use the recommended viscosity and API rating and that valve train will quiet down some. It'll still clatter but not scary loud. And stay up on services, the more you chsnge the oil the more the valve train will quiet down

Yep, was doing bunch of reading on oil and will try 20w50 next as it seems that's what seems to be recommended by many for m60s . What's your take on it ? I am in California so not super cold winters here but hot summers .

[Mykk]

I just used a Mobil 20w-50, it solved the chain clatter noise at first start that a new chain tensioner could not. But it also gets to the low 20 degree F here in my winters.

[moroza]

20W50 is very heavy for an M60. I use 5W30, previously 5W40 and 0W40.

EDIT: doh, I forgot about synthetic vs. not. 20W50 is fine for conventional summer oil.

[84318i]

Most of the noise is gone now after running the engine for about 10-15 minutes to check the coolant system and exhaust for leaks.

I was checking multiple threads on oil recommendations for m60 and it seems it's really all over the place lol !

[m60power]

That sounds like it has a quite a loud tick. But without hearing it in person it's tough to tell. Once it's fully warmed up drive around at 4.5k -5k rpm for a few minutes and get some oil pressure in those lifters.

I have tried many oil weights in the m60 over the years and I've settled on Castrol 0W-40. I have no tests to prove it's better or worse than the other oils I've tried, but it seems to be the most quiet.

[84318i]

That sounds like it has a quite a loud tick. But without hearing it in person it's tough to tell. Once it's fully warmed up drive around at 4.5k -5k rpm for a few minutes and get some oil pressure in those lifters.

I have tried many oil weights in the m60 over the years and I've settled on Castrol 0W-40. I have no tests to prove it's better or worse than the other oils I've tried, but it seems to be the most quiet.

I'd say 90% of the noise is now gone just after running the engine for about 10-15 minutes twice with slight revving, my tach isn't working yet but I'd say 2-3k rpm .

Exhaust idle - https://youtu.be/K3RvW9u4H1M

[84318i]

She is sounding good now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVyP0Lvtz0U After maybe 100 miles I'll drain this oil and refill with something better. Still not 100% sure what oil I'll go with as there appears to be a lot of contradicting feedback, some really like 20/50 and some aren't recommending it ;)

[Mykk]

I was mistaken earlier, I just found my oil container in the trash. It's Mobil 15w-50, has been the quietest thus far for me

[moroza]

She is sounding good now - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVyP0Lvtz0U After maybe 100 miles I'll drain this oil and refill with something better. Still not 100% sure what oil I'll go with as there appears to be a lot of contradicting feedback, some really like 20/50 and some aren't recommending it ;)

EDIT: deleted misinformation

[84318i]

Thanks , out of the 3 you used (5W30, 5W40 and 0W40) any comments as used specifically in m60?

[nonturbodan]

I always used 20w50 in the M60. I still use it in my 4.4, M60 heads and M62 block. Uses no oil, runs quiet.

Lighter viscosity oils resulted in increased oil consumption in my M60. I would not use anything thinner than a 15w40 in a pre-99 V8. 99 and later were designed from the factory for use with 5w30 synthetic and use different rings and bearing clearances to suit.

[BleedsBlue]

^It's a bit region-dependent, as well. Though you and I likely in similar climates.

I've settled on 5w-40 (the Rotella T6 diesel) for my now 157k mile original M60. This oil keeps it the quietest and the motor will not consume more than a quart between 7500 mile oil changes. The 5w is great for my sub-freezing cold morning starts. I believe this car had 5w-30 Mobil 1 in it before, and it would tick pretty loudly after even mildly aggressive motoring.

[XAlt]

^It's a bit region-dependent, as well. Though you and I likely in similar climates.

I've settled on 5w-40 (the Rotella T6 diesel) for my now 157k mile original M60. This oil keeps it the quietest and the motor will not consume more than a quart between 7500 mile oil changes. The 5w is great for my sub-freezing cold morning starts. I believe this car had 5w-30 Mobil 1 in it before, and it would tick pretty loudly after even mildly aggressive motoring.If you can trust it in the big diesel truck with 2 million miles on it, you can trust it in your car.

[Mykk]

I used the Rotella T6 5w-40 for a couple years, it never seemed to quiet the valve train down and turned black really quickly.

[nonturbodan]

If the Rotella is getting dirty quickly it is doing what it is supposed to do. You may have excessive varnish or carbon deposits. Diesel oils are designed to clean up diesel combustion byproducts. They have more detergent than the ordinary motor oils.

I run the 15w40 T4 in my Yamaha. It sees 14000 RPM daily and the oil in the sump is used to lubricate the gearbox as well. The last oil analysis after 2000 miles indicated excellent protection with below average wear metals across the board. The T6 5w40 is a more highly processed conventional base stock that they call synthetic, which is the case for most synthetic branded motor oils these days. Its all good stuff though. These engines are pretty easy on oil. They don't need the extreme pressure additives the older SOHC motors require.

[m60power]

I always used 20w50 in the M60. I still use it in my 4.4, M60 heads and M62 block. Uses no oil, runs quiet.

Lighter viscosity oils resulted in increased oil consumption in my M60. I would not use anything thinner than a 15w40 in a pre-99 V8. 99 and later were designed from the factory for use with 5w30 synthetic and use different rings and bearing clearances to suit.

I use Castrol 0w-40 in my m60 motors in Florida all year. Even the highest mileage one (~220k miles) uses less than half a quart in 7000 miles. Although, I wonder if the zero weight may lead to increased bearing wear if these motors have looser bearing clearances?

[nonturbodan]

Probably nothing to worry about. The 40w viscosity at operating temp is reasonable.

[moroza]

0W40 Mobil 1 - used it once a long time ago. Remember it ran fine but no details. Was quite clean when changed at 10k.
5W30 Castrol Edge - used at least twice. Collapsed lifters after sitting for a month or two, was medium-brown at 11k. Oil pressure light a bit more active at cold starts than with other oils.
5W30 Amsoil - used a few times, engine feels smoothest and happiest with it, stays clean longer than I cared to find out (10-15k).
5W40 Amsoil - used once. Similar to 5W30 but revved slower and lost ~1.5mpg.

I changed all my oil seals (including the rear main) with OE parts 7 years and ~60k ago, and used good full-synthetic oil ever since. One oil (don't remember which) burned ~1L between changes - all 10-15k - the rest less than half a liter. There's ~215k on my engine. All were used between -10C and +40, the Castrol down to -16C cold-starting and -20 or so prolonged driving. It seemed to have no trouble with the cold, I was impressed. (Had a lot more trouble with snow and ice, I was not impressed. Also 12.7mpg that winter.)

[84318i]

Thanks , appreciate your feedback moroza!