Noisy lifter...ticking sound?

[canada karl]

The car hasn't been run in quite awhile so maybe a good run might solve a sticking lifter or adjustment problem. Does the E12 engine have lifters or mechanical? I have a stethoscope so i should be able to isolate the ticking. Might just be a valve needing adjustment. Is top end lubricant worth a try? Any thoughts? I realize a certain amount of valve noise is common on these engines.

[keehn]

Karl,

Our cars have mechanical tappets with an eccentric end that needs to be adjusted every ~ 30k miles. The clearance between the eccentric and the valve is .012" at an ambient temperature of around 70 degrees. As for "sticking" valves? No, not that I'm aware of. Because it's all mechanical, any sticking would also be mechanical....and likely damaging to your engine

Your question is quite topical for me, as I just finished adjusting my valves yesterday for Eleanor. I'll post pics of the job here shortly.

Mike

[keehn]

Karl,

...I was thinking more on your ticking noises and maybe your oil rail banjo bolt is loose? Check both banjo bolts and verify that they are tight. If not, then remove them, replace the copper crush washers, put some red locktite on the threads, and tighten them back up snugly.

Before applying locktite however, clean the threads, both on the bolt and the oil channel with some degreaser and a Q-tip. Locktite won't bond correctly on an oiled surface. Also, don't drive the car for 24 hours after applying locktite; this allows it to fully cure.

Mike

[canada karl]

Thanks for the info Mike. The ticking seems to be from one spot in particular. I'll pull the cover and have a look. I'll check those banjo bolts while I'm in there.
Karl

[528i-1981]

Likely the rocker closest to the firewall. Some mechanics have crimped the oilrail at the midpoint to force better oil distribution - I think you can find that on an E34 board somewhere, if memory serves. I would definitely take out and clean the banjo bolts and rail as Mike describes any time the valve cover comes or 30K miles, whichever happens first, and adjust the eccentrics. Also, do not reuse the crush washers - just order new ones now to fight off the temptation. Merely adjusting the eccentrics will lessen the noise. Mike just included this process in his latest Eleanor update with a nice color-coded picture! Thanks Mike!

[keehn]

You're welcome Eric

Here's the modification to the oil bar in question. The guy also put photos in the writeup to show exactly how to do this.

http://www.e9coupe.com/tech/spray_bar_fix/70590.html

....I'm going to do this myself! Thank you Eric for the heads-up!

Mike

[528i-1981]

Yep that's it. E9, E34, what's a few generations? Still the M30. Hat tip to Lock, who sent this to me during my top-end refresh.

[canada karl]

Who sells those crush washers?

[528i-1981]

BMW p/n 11 42 1 252 343

https://www.ecstuning.com/Search/SiteSe ... 421252343/

You can find them lots of places.

There are also some useful articles and videos about the process, particularly achieving proper camshaft position for each valve:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/maintenan ... am-engine/



I found the Hack Mechanic article's camshaft lobe positioning approach using the "companion cylinder" to be easier than using the dial indicator described in the video. But I found the video helpful otherwise.

[canada karl]

Thanks for the info.

[keehn]

Who sells those crush washers?

I bought a set of various sized copper washers from Amazon. Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/OwnMy-280Pcs-Was ... hi&sr=1-13

This set has virtually every copper crush washer size needed for our engines.

Mike

[canada karl]

I wonder about that modification to the oiler bar. Seems to me if you were to compress it a bit too much with the sockets in the vice you would cut off the oil supply completely? Is the whole idea to narrow the pipe thus increasing the speed of the oil flow so it goes farther to reach the first valve area?

[keehn]

Karl,

If you remove both banjo bolts, you'll see the camshaft directly underneath, and the feed oil channel drilled in from the side. Both of these oil channels are one-way, and the nozzles in the oiler bar are the only way for oil to escape this one-way passage (aside from the lubrication the camshaft receives at these two points).

Having torn through my M30 block throughout the Eleanor rebuild, it is apparent that the valve train oil return is merely gravity-fed back into the crankcase; there are no dedicated channels (other than bearing clearances) that force oil back into the crankcase.

Remember, the oil pump only provides volume. The smaller passages produce pressure. It's akin to running a garden hose with no kinks, this is volume. Once you put your thumb over the outlet, you just created pressure, causing the water to spray, versus pour out.

Crimping the oil bar makes perfect sense, because each banjo bolt feed no longer has to support the other, hence, increasing pressure. We are effectively, putting more thumbs on the water hose outlet. In my situation, because I put more load on the oil pressure spring, I should see higher pressure at idle, so perhaps, crimping the oiler bar wasn't necessary. Regardless, I have done the mod, and, should there be any adverse issues, then I'll need to eat crow and create another rebuild thread

Mike

[canada karl]

Mike What did you do to put more load on the oil pressure spring to increase oiling at idle?
Karl

[canada karl]

Mike What did you do to put more load on the oil pressure spring to increase oiling at idle?
Karl