2004 3.0 D Sport engine top end TICK after a repair !!!

[X5-D-Sport]

2004 3.0 D Sport engine knocking.

An Enigma of a ticking noise.

Had the whole top side of the engine apart to fit a replacement exhaust manifold...
Fitted all new induction gaskets & also a cam cover cam cover gasket too.

When finally started the engine... there is a ticking noise that was not there before it came to pieces.
Its definitely INSIDE the engine, as it gets louder when the oil filler is removed...
Actually sounded like a cam lobe was totally knackered or a lobe was tapping on the cam cover... even tho it was smooth & quiet before I did the manifold swap.....

It was definitely NOT ticking before the repair....

I stripped it down to bare cam shafts AGAIN to see if there were any witness marks inside the cam cover from moving bits colliding etc or id left a socket in there or some thing silly, but all looks clean & as it should be..

I was also wondering if an injector could make some odd noises after a refit/re-assembly ?
It was getting a bit dim light at 5:30pm today, so will have another peep in better light in the morning..

Any ideas on this one ??

[chrisn7]

Are you sure you tightened up the exhaust manifold correctly? Its quite possible to get a tick from a slight leak

[X5Sport]

Long screwdriver with handle to ear to see if you can localise it?

[X5-D-Sport]

Problem fixed....
I stripped the top end down to the bare cam-shafts.... could see no impact witness marks any where...
did a bit of research on You-Tube & matched the tick to a few movie clips where people had iffy injectors...
So... in a bit to stop injector clatter & prime the system better & remove air in the system (even thou supposed to be self purging), I bought an injector socket tool & bled the system while spun over on the starter without the injectors electrically connected....
And took some guys advice to syringe some bicycle oil into the injectors prior to connecting the fuel feeds..
The oil supposidly give a gush of lubricant to the injector, & as it isthicker than diesel fuel, it forces the injector to work harder & free up...  theory or not, it worked !

2nd re-assembly completed... started the beast.... & after a brief puff of smoke & a splutter, she is firing perfectly & more importantly, NO TICKING...

A result 

[graemeX5]

Glad you got it sorted and resourceful to use you tube for the sound and solution, well impressed.

[X5-D-Sport]

Hi Graeme, many thanks - praise is welcomed....

My 1st thought was that I'd dropped a socket into the engine or some thing equally stupid... even tho I put an old pillow case over the exposed engine top end... cams, chain etc...
I did check all the cam lobes & there were no signs of wear of lips detectable by finger nail - and my Old Girl has done 178k miles too...

One thing I did do, which scared me senseless... As I was pinching up the new manifold bolts, even though I eased the tension on them in sequence so they were all pinching up evenly.... I heard this "Tink"... one of the bolting lugs had cracked off.... Bugger me !!
Fortunately it was a TOP one, so I tightened all the others down, left over night to settle, then put a seam of weld across the cracks after tacking securely...

Fortunately, the weld has held secure & no gasket blow either - A Result ""

The original OEM manifold was as hopeless as the tits on a witch, tinny, skinny & weak, & it rusted the entire flange off that clamped to the Turbo Charger... The cast one also seems to run quieter, as the OEM tin manifold allowed a lot of noise thru the thin tin walls.

All I gotta do now is replace the AC pump.... that is going to be a nightmare in its self I think, as access is almost none existant..

Cars & Women..... expensive & troublesome..... I am still hope-full of finding a nice woman though... So I may be proved wrong lol.
Grant B