V8 Guys- Are you pulling your oil pain to check for chain guide rails?

[540IForMe]

I'm going to do this as well(just the tensioner). This God awful racket at startup is too much.

Mine is quiet after startup though. Anyone think it could still be the problem with mine?

[Philboski]

dang, that sounds really bad. Definitely can't miss that one. Thanks for the post. Looks like you have some work ahead of you. You need new Valve cover gaskets as well. Cooling looks shady too.

Good luck in bringing him back to health.

Like I said earlier, this was fixed December 07. At great expense. I need a tissue just thinking about it. Guys were asking about my parts list. I piosted the video to show that if the tensioner has failed, you can't really miss the fact that it has failed because the car sounds like hell.

EDIT: Oops, missed your second post -- sorry. I am still misty, however.

[kaptom540]

I'm going to do this as well(just the tensioner). This God awful racket at startup is too much.

Mine is quiet after startup though. Anyone think it could still be the problem with mine?

Is the noise coming from the engine or underneath either the drive or passenger side? The reason I ask is because maybe your cats are going bad but no CEL .. I have the similar rattling noise but not from the engine plus it gets quiet after the car warms up. I have determined my passenger side cat is bad .. give your cats a quick bang .. does it sound like is hollow

[Wolfen]

Is the noise coming from the engine or underneath either the drive or passenger side? The reason I ask is because maybe your cats are going bad but no CEL .. I have the similar rattling noise but not from the engine plus it gets quiet after the car warms up. I have determined my passenger side cat is bad .. give your cats a quick bang .. does it sound like is hollow

Does it sound like hollow? Hollow what? I have some rattling under a heavier load and mid rpm's i think it might be my cats? Could it be detonation?

[540IForMe]

Is the noise coming from the engine or underneath either the drive or passenger side? The reason I ask is because maybe your cats are going bad but no CEL .. I have the similar rattling noise but not from the engine plus it gets quiet after the car warms up. I have determined my passenger side cat is bad .. give your cats a quick bang .. does it sound like is hollow

It is definitely NOT cats. Straight engine racket. Ever had a car that knocked after changing the oil? That's how mine sounds. I'm skeptical this will even fix it but it looks like it's worth changing anyway.

[Mad Dog 20/20]

I'm going to do this as well(just the tensioner). This God awful racket at startup is too much.

Mine is quiet after startup though. Anyone think it could still be the problem with mine?

Start-up noises are often related to the few seconds it takes for oil pressure to build.

I would not worry too much about start-up noises that instantly go away.

[Skwisgaar]

I can vouch for 540iForMe when he refers to it as a "God awful racket"... The first time I heard it, I literally jumped back. It sounds like something slapping around really hard and then stops after a second or two. I've heard plenty of cars tap while building oil pressure, and Mike's isn't close to that.

[jerkstore]

I think the tensionor helped the noise with my car. I havent driven the car that much, but I think it helped.

I switched to German Castol 0w30 from amsoil 5w40 at the same time. not sure if that reduced the noise.

The spring felt weaker on the old tensionor also

[Mad Dog 20/20]

AGGGGHHHHH SHEIT!!!!!!

I tried to put my tensioner in tonight as the sun was falling. I figured it would be a 2 second job and that I'd combine it w/ an oil change (top side sucker style). Anyway, I parked it in the driveway and figured I had plenty of light left.

Long story short, it started getting dark quickly, so I rushed and the tensioner hole is not exactly easily accessible AND its in a blind location. While I'm feeling around for the hole, The new tensioner expands and falls apart! The tip made its way to the pavement, but the spring got hung-up in the underpanel or something - couldn't find it. So I aborted the mission till the AM . . .

I'm so pissed with myself right now.

Do this when you have plenty of light guys - the hole placement is a blind bitch. And you will need a short 19mm with a wobble extension (as well as a long 19mm). Forget about torqueing the thing to spec - its not gonna happen. BMW actually has a special flexible torque wrench used for torquing it to spec.

EDIT:

OK, its an easy DIY.

Put mine in this morning before I went to work. My "lost" spring was easily visible and retrieved from the underpanel through the front bumper mesh with a magnetic extension tool!

The spring is much longer (almost 2x) than the old one, and is "beehive" shaped on both ends vs. just one end for the old one, but the wire is not quite as thick in diameter on the new one. So the tensioner HAS been updated. This is good.

After install, the chain is quite noisey for the first 5 sec or so until the new tensioner builds-up w/ oil pressure (I did do an oil change too, though). After that, she is wisper quiet.

Its also a good time to change your air filter, since you will be removing the airbox (one bolt, one hose clamp and two clips) in the process of replacing the tensioner.

[BlackBMWs]

The spring felt weaker on the old tensionor also

Didja measure it on a bathroom scale?

[jnyost]

I'll write a DIY on the tensioner. It was very easy and I took a bunch of pics. My new tensioner was A LOT longer than the old one. The spring was a lot longer but also a little thinner.

My noise is MUCH improved. It ticked the first time I started it but I think it was just getting seated.

Jared

[Marven]

subscribed, looking forward to the DIY Jared..

[Wolfen]

Good tips guys. I think the tensioner is the real cause of problems down the road. Good job on the replacement. Looking forward to a DIY. Ill replace mine on the next oil change too.

[GhostfaceKillah]

I heard most chain guides are plastic. From what I heard for a mechanic I know (He work on alot of GM never had him touch my car) when I told him they were plastic and maybe Thats where some of my noise is coming from he looked at me and said "what else would they be made of" I know he work on alot of high powered muscle cars so I dont know if we should even remotely worry about the plastic guides. Any thoughts? I dont beleive everything I hear so thats where Im at right now

[Wolfen]

The guides are not the problem. It's the tensioner failing and allowing the chain to slap and lash back and forth that eventually cracks the guides. No mystery there.

With a chain slapping and lashing it can also just sever or jump a tooth on the sprocket.

[Orxan4ik]

Cant wait for diy (:

[BlackBMWs]

My replacement is in. Easy, cheap and fast DIY. Click, click, Click on startup like Jared described, then quieted down and running smooth as silk... I'll check again in 100k.

Thanks Jerkstore for bringing awareness of this!

[jerkstore]

My replacement is in. Easy, cheap and fast DIY. Click, click, Click on startup like Jared described, then quieted down and running smooth as silk... I'll check again in 100k.

Thanks Jerkstore for bringing awareness of this!

the bill for my services is in the mail

[sofa king]

Just went through this whole thread. I wanted to add a couple of things. The easiest way to check if your guides are worn is to take off Bank 1's valve cover and look with a flashlight and a mirror at the U shaped rail. Also, many times these guides cause a check engine light. The CEL will indicate an intake cam sensor on Bank 1. If the sensor tests out to be ok, what is happening is that the vanos can no longer keep the cam within its limits of adjustment because of the extra slack of worn guides or a failing tensioner. And lastly, if going ahead and doing this yourself, the reason you should do a pan gasket at the same time is that when removing the front cover, the very front part of the pan gasket mates to the lower cover. So its just recommended that you replace the gasket since you are removing its original seal.

[540IForMe]

Very easy job. Someone mentioned something about lining up some tabs or something, but that didn't apply for mine. I just shoved it in and screwed it tight.

It has minimized my startup noise and cut the duration of the noise. However, I feel I may have some guide wear since I still have some noise.

[Orxan4ik]

can someone make a DIY please?

[540IForMe]

Sure.

Take out the old tensioner. Put in the new one.

It's really that simple.

[jamesdc4]

I'll write a DIY on the tensioner. It was very easy and I took a bunch of pics. My new tensioner was A LOT longer than the old one. The spring was a lot longer but also a little thinner.

My noise is MUCH improved. It ticked the first time I started it but I think it was just getting seated.

Jared

Cant wait for diy (:

can someone make a DIY please?

It's only been 8 days, Orkhan!
I'm going to replace mine as well. If there isn't a DIY by that time, I'll do one. It sounds like it only takes 3 minutes, so 5-10 minutes for a DIY.

[Mad Dog 20/20]

can someone make a DIY please?

Here is the very complicated procedure:

1. remove air box. One visible bolt holds the box to the chassis. One hose clamp to the hfm and one hose clamp to the intake tube (down under the box).

2. remove tensioner. the tensioner is down below the valve cover on the left side of the motor. There is an A/C line that runs right in front of it (making it a bit difficult to access). Put a rag under the tensioner, as it contains oil and some will spill. Using a 19mm socket (long or short w/ wobble extension), unscrew the tensioner. It is under some spring and hydraulic pressure so it will kinda pop out once it is unthreaded. Remove it, the old seal ring and the rag. Clean-up any spilled oil on the motor (even a little bit will stink once baked).

3. replace tensioner. Take the new tensioner with new seal ring and try to place it in the bore without getting the new tensioner dirty with crud as you feel around for the bore. The new tensioner is under a bit of spring pressure, so you will have to press it into the bore with some force and compress it to the point where the threads will engage, while at the same time turning it clockwise to screw it in. This takes a little bit of dexterity/coordination, but you'll get the hang of it. Once tight, give your wrench a good solid tug to get her "good-n-tight" and deform the seal ring.

4. replace the airbox.

5. start the motor. You'll hear a bit of noise for a few seconds and then it should quiet down nicely. Let her idle for a little while and then check to make sure there is no oil leaking from the seal ring.

[540IForMe]

One thing that you should do is spray the area off as good as possible. Mine had some grime from leaking valve covers so I soaked it with purple power, and sprayed it off removing most of the debris.