Strange noise comin from engine

[Nissar]

Ok... i have a 318is 1990 e30. I am gettin a strange tickin/tapping/like metal shaking (not sure how to describe it) kinda noise. This noise at first wasnt happenin all the time... at first only when i pushed her she would make this noise... but now it is more frequent. i parked her up and could hear the noise comin from the engine. Then i took the oil cap off (while engine was running) and the noise dissappeared... and when cap was replaced... it was fine. no noise. any ideas why this is? or what could be causin the noise?

Somethings that have been replaced in the last year are:

Timing chain
Timing chain tensioner
Timing chain guides top and bottom
Water pump
Cylinder head
Head gasket and profile gasket
Head skimmed

I have no idea whats causin this noise... any advice would be helpful.

Cheers

Sid

[E30Mark]

Assuming its not the timing dear, then check the heat shield around the HT leads, they tend to shear through and rattle. Took me bloody ages to find that problem on mine! If it is the heat shield, it's less than a fiver from the dealer.

[Ziggy]

Assuming its not the timing dear

Patronising git

[E30Mark]

Assuming its not the timing dear

Patronising git

You know what i meant... The timing gear

[Nissar]

i will try and have a lookat this today... hopefully its just the heat shield and nothing else.

[Nissar]

ok had a look at it today... and its deff not the heat shield...and had someone look at the timing gear and no problem with this either. i cant figure out where its comin from... and also the strange thing is... it goes away when i remove the oil cap... could it be an problem with air in the engine? anyone got any new ideas?

[gcorky]

probably dissappears with cap of because yuor letting air in that way and so engine speed changes.is it not something resonating?

[Chris-W]

Seems that as you have an oil fed chain tensioner, and you can affect the noise by taking the cap off, there may be an issue down there somewhere?