Ticking - anything to worry about?

#1

Picked up my 303,000 mile SpecE30 ‘candidate’ and starting to get it ready. Springs/shocks are here, shock mounts on the way. Timing belt changed 20k miles ago w/ water pump, etc.

The car has a significant ticking sound from the engine. I adjusted the valves yesterday (0.10 mm cold) and the idle has smoothed out nicely, but the ticking is still there. The valves were actually tighter than spec. The ticking sound is unchanged from before the valve adjust. The paperwork shows the injectors were replaced 20k miles ago.

Any ideas? Anything to worry about? Should I try running some injector cleaner? Run thicker oil? Run higher levels of oil? Insulate the engine compartment better :wink:

By the way, the previous fanatical owner changed oil 3k religiously. Removal of the valve cover revealed NEW looking internals! No sludge or anything.

#2

Besides valves, my other guess would be the injectors, but you say they were replaced.

As a diagnostic aid, you might try looking for a cheap tool that I would call an automotive stethoscope. Has the earpieces like the docs/nurses wear, but mine has about a foot long solid metal probe. Apply the probe to various areas of the motor and it should give you a clue at least which side of the motor, top end or bottom, is the strongest source of the sound.

I don’t recall where I got it, probably either Harbor Freight or a local Pep Boys-type place.

#3

So, I tried the cheapo stethoscope idea (screwdriver to my ear) and it sound like the injectors. The top of the valve cover is very quiet, but the injectors are loud. They also make the click at the same rate that I hear it, so I’m guessing that’s the issue. They look clean and fairly new and I think the receipt said 20k miles ago. I guess I really don’t care if they are noisy or not, but I might run some fuel injector cleaner through there just to see if they quiet down. I’d rather hear the sing of the engine instead of the click click click click click click of the injectors!

#4

The injectors are notoriously noisy. Make sure the replacement injectors are the correct part. They should be blue…a lot of times they get replaced with Ford Mustang injectors. I think they are red or orange…

#5

Sean Thompson wrote:

And not legal…

If it sounds like injectors, it is nothing to be concerned about (unless there is a bad performance problem) . It used to be that I would remove and pressure test/clean. After 12 came back within spec, I just remove and look for the cleanest in the batch and replace.

Hope that helps, Robert Patton

#6

According to the receipt, it is the OEM injector and was replaced about 35k miles ago.

It’s still hard to believe how much noise they make - there’s no way they were this noisy from the factory, right? I can’t imagine coming home in 1987 with a new BMW and having you neighbor comment "nice car, but what’s up with the CLICKING?" :laugh:

Oh well… at least it passed emissions today!

#7

I have never heard of loud injectors.

My 87 had a seriously loud top end. 1st E30, thought it was normal. When I took the head off the cylinder walls were seriously glazed. I didn’t even inspect the main bearings, just replaced the motor with my spare. Definitely a low oil pressure issue, the new motor was much quieter than the 1st.

Injectors should be very easy to replace, borrow a set, or snag a set from the yard for a test.