Help make the ticking stop! (E36 m52)

[zornyan]

Really need some help here guys, currently my e36 is sat in my workshop and I’m out of ideas.

Here’s where it started

Driving car, pull over to pick up a mate, notice very slight ticking. Drive to his house, ticking noticeable louder.

Coast car to my workshop (20miles) no change in ticking

Opened cam cover, no noticeable damage, found a head bolt washer loose in cam cover! All head bolts and washers present, so must have been there since the block was replaced in 2001 (was a nikasil engine replaced with steel linered version by bmw)

So guessed bent valve, removed head, bought spare replacement head.

All 24 of my lifters were seized solid, completely sorted, took them all apart and cleaned, then soaked in oil and pumped by hand, (used my lifters as ones with replacement head didn’t look as good)

So, new head gasket, all new intake/exhaust gaskets, new head bolts, new vanos unit, new upper tensioner (chains and guides looked perfect) bores looked good still (only 80k on bottom end)

Put engine back together, still ticking!

Ticking is very noticeable loud, gets louder as you accelerate/Rev, checked injectors and fitted rebuilt ones, no change.

Completely out of ideas, every part of the top end has been checked/rebuilt yet no changes? Sound is exactly the same as before

Anyone got any suggestions before I have to swap the entire engine?

[jmo69]

Have you checked for oil pressure?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[zornyan]

I haven’t, didn’t cross my mind as a potential issue honestly? Everything seems well oiled in the head and bottom end as far as I can see.

I’m guessing get a tester kit from somewhere and plug it in to OEM oil pressure sensor location?

[Brian 328is]

Did you look into "Emission system purge valve"?

http://jackassofalltrades.com/ticker.html

BA

[jc43089]

How long have you run it after having the head off and lifters apart? Usually you need to rev to 3k for up to a couple minutes to pump the lifters up. What oil are you using? Have you checked the oil pressure? The spec isn't very high I think minimum 7 psi idling and about 10 psi per 1k rpm, so 40 psi at 4k rpm for example. You can remove the oil pressure idiot light switch from the back of the filter housing and adapt that to a gauge.

[Eric93se]

Sounds like an oil pressure issue to me. Two known issues the oil pump nut can back itself off and then the sprocket can walk off. Second the oil pump pickup tube can crack and suck air.

[zornyan]

Did you look into "Emission system purge valve"?

http://jackassofalltrades.com/ticker.html

BA

That’s already been removed from my car a few years ago.

- - - Updated - - -

How long have you run it after having the head off and lifters apart? Usually you need to rev to 3k for up to a couple minutes to pump the lifters up. What oil are you using? Have you checked the oil pressure? The spec isn't very high I think minimum 7 psi idling and about 10 psi per 1k rpm, so 40 psi at 4k rpm for example. You can remove the oil pressure idiot light switch from the back of the filter housing and adapt that to a gauge.

Run it for approx 40 mins total, held at 3k rpm for about 10 minutes. Using 5w40 oil whilst I changed when I did the head.

Just ordered an oil pressure tester kit so when that arrives I’ll test and report back