Ticking sound after timing belt change

[skoobeesnak]

Please help if you can. I recently bought a '87 325is which I love and decided it was due for a timing belt change (50K miles and 9 years on the old one!!!!). Everything went fairly smoothly on the change of the belt and tensioner and while I was there I changed the coolant pump as well to avoid having to do it later. So far so good. I started it up and now I hear a loud ticking sound that sounds exactly like a stuck lifter. The ticking speeds up with the engine RPM and slows down with the engine speed and stops when the engine is turned off.

I checked the oil level and it is halfway between full and low so that should be fine. Before I tore it all back down again I was hoping for some advice on what you guys think it could be. The sound seems to be coming from the top of the motor on the passenger side, any help would be appreciated.

Mike

[e30-320i]

sounds like injectors i think they're pretty noisey anyway but a lump of bluetack in the hole in the steering column (behind horn button) may help if this is the noise

[e30-320i]

just noticed you said loud ticking so maybe not

[Martinaston]

Run it with the rocker cover off and have a good look to see if you've left anything in there, other than that are you sure the timing marks are still lined up ?
You may have bent a valve and then you've got real problems.

[Adammcf]

Did you turn it over by hand after fitting the belt to make sure everything turned nicely?

[skoobeesnak]

Yes, I turned it over by hand at least 4-5 full turns before putting it all back together. I have done timing belts and chains on a Mazda, VW and a Yamaha motorcycle (chain) but this ticking noise has me a little worried so I haven't been driving it until I can tear into it again. I was thinking if I had the alignment off one tooth would it still start easialy and seem to run fine? That is about the only thing I can think of at this point.

On a side note on the last time I replaced the antifreeze with BMW coolant but I don't have any more. Is there a more easily available brand that would work without problems? Thanks again for the advice, you guys are very halpful.

[boybimmerm3]

sounds like you have put the timing covers on the wrong side of each other. timing covers can cause a noise when they are fitted wrong. from memory the upper cover fits on the outside of the lower cover.

[andymn]

i am in a similar situation......having had the head off and on....timing belt change , tappetts adj etc etc.......i have quite a loud ticking....but from around the rocker cover.

if i come to a conclusion i will repost, until then.....sleepless nights ahead

[k130]

Have you tried checking the valve gap clearence? It will be different with a new belt.

[Gt6s]

Have you tried checking the valve gap clearence? It will be different with a new belt.

Thats a good one !

What is the theory behind that statement ?

[skoobeesnak]

I tore it down again this weekend and figured out what I had done wrong the first time. I was misreading the timing marks on the crank wheel (I'm not sure what the correc term is for this part). I was looking at the arrow on the face of the plate instead of the little mark on the side of the wheel. If I would have paid a little more attention to the Bentley that I had open at the time I would have been OK but I was glancing at the picture instead of reading the entire caption. The arrow in the picture was actually on the cam gear and not the crank wheel. So I removed the belt, lined it up to the correct markings are put it back together and it sounds normal now except now I have a coolant hose leaking but I can fix that relatively easy. Thanks for the input guys, RTFM more carefully next time!

[k130]

Have you tried checking the valve gap clearence? It will be different with a new belt.

Thats a good one !

What is the theory behind that statement ?

Experience.

Of the cars I've changed the belt on all of them have needed the valve gaps checking and changing afterwards... although they are never usually more than .05mm out.

Also I thought it was standard practice after changing the belt anyway after all while youre there it would be lazy not to...

If the gap is too great it *might* make some noise[/u]

[gcorky]

Have you tried checking the valve gap clearence? It will be different with a new belt.

Thats a good one !

What is the theory behind that statement ?

Experience.

Of the cars I've changed the belt on all of them have needed the valve gaps checking and changing afterwards... although they are never usually more than .05mm out.

Also I thought it was standard practice after changing the belt anyway after all while youre there it would be lazy not to...



on an m20 engine valve clearance has nothing to do with timing belt?dont even need rocker cover off.bit of confusion here me thinks.if anyone has ticking after new belt its quite obvious cam timing is out!

If the gap is too great it *might* make some noise[/u]

[Gt6s]

Have you tried checking the valve gap clearence? It will be different with a new belt.

Thats a good one !

What is the theory behind that statement ?

Experience.

Of the cars I've changed the belt on all of them have needed the valve gaps checking and changing afterwards... although they are never usually more than .05mm out.

Also I thought it was standard practice after changing the belt anyway after all while youre there it would be lazy not to...

If the gap is too great it *might* make some noise[/u]

Experience ! Sorry but thats not a theory.
If you had said the newly tensioned belt pulls the cam further down, away from the rockers that would have been a theory.
TOTAL CARP ! But a theory.
The cam belt has absoutly no relationship with valve clearances, even if you took the head off and took it forty miles away the valve clearances will remain the same (Okay belt wouldnt reach and compression would suffer).
Your statement was a bit like saying, when you change cam belt, FEED THE CAT !!
or
TIGHTEN THE WHEEL NUT NEAREST THE VALVE ON THE LH REAR WHEEL!!
No relationship at all.
As for standard practices If you worked like that it would lead to full rebuilds on a chain reaction any time you did anything.
Cam belts connected to the cam shaft. Cam shafts connected to the cylinder head. Cylinder head connected to the engine block. Engine block connected to the gear box. Song goes on !!
AND ON,AND ON.

[Brianmoooore]

But don't forget that a butterfly beating its wings on one side of the world can trigger a hurricane on the other!

[Gt6s]

But don't forget that a butterfly beating its wings on one side of the world can trigger a hurricane on the other!

Quite right !
And the answer to life the universe and everything.
42

[DelaneyG]

LOL