M52 lifter noise!!

iverson03tj · 10-22-2012, 09:58 PM

Hey guys, i searched many forums but still no clear answer, So im debating a few options

I noticed that my lifters were getting a bit noisy..

from my research i got 3 things that was most popular...

!) thicker oil... (but its almost winter and my cars a rust bucket anyways so imma drive it

)

2) lucas oil stabilizer i hear good things...

3) this was a old hot rod guy that told me to put 1/3 L of ATF and leave the car running for 30 mins then do an oil change...

And i noticed the problem when i was using mobil1 (0w40) synthetic oil and when i tried the bmw synthetic oil (5w30) as well..
And i dont burn any oil but i always check it and its always full!

SamE30e · 10-22-2012, 10:34 PM

Changing the viscosity of the oil from the manufacturer spec is only masking the problem. It also will increase wear or decrease oiling capability. It can also damage the oil pump.

Lifter noise is usually caused by lack of oil flow to the hydraulic lifters or excessive valve train wear.

Lucas oil stabilizer is not a good thing to use, all it does is change the viscosity of the oil when cold. Which will increase engine wear, namely bearings on start up, when the engine oil is crucial.

The ATF idea could work, the oil passage in the lifter itself could be clogged. Try it, if not you may have damaged lifters or another issue.

iverson03tj · 10-23-2012, 08:58 AM

thanks for ur input, im just hoping i dont do more harm to the motor...
- and has anyone tried the ATF trick to clean the motor?

SamE30e · 10-23-2012, 09:26 AM

ATF has a lot of detergents in it, it's more corrosive but offers sufficient lubrication for idle while "cleaning".

Don't drive on it or rev the engine high.

I would read up on it and understand the process first.

richie_s999 · 10-23-2012, 12:09 PM

ATF or there are designed engine flush additives that will help clean things out.

iverson03tj · 10-25-2012, 10:41 PM

hmm i know its a common problem.. did anyone have any luck with any of these methods?

iverson03tj · 10-25-2012, 10:42 PM

Kurt just put this engine in for me in spring so i don't feel like using it as a test subject

doogee · 10-26-2012, 12:51 AM

Blowing it up already I see! Haha

iverson03tj · 10-28-2012, 05:12 PM

i hope not! im hoping to keep this car for a very long time lol

Blades · 10-28-2012, 09:43 PM

I had lifter noise with my first E46 .. bit thicker oil and making sure it was always topped up was the best thing to get rid of the noise. I also used Lucas every once in a while and it did take some of the noise away but mostly keeping it topped up was the best thing.

Dissembler · 10-28-2012, 11:35 PM

Common to every m series BMW engine, especially m52s that see extended times at high revs. overfill the oil by half a liter and the noise will go away or be significantly reduced. Don't change viscosity and don't worry about it. Mine made the same noises and after two summers of weekly track use the cams and lifters still looked minty. stick with a very high quality synthetic and you shouldn't ever have issues.

iverson03tj · 10-29-2012, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dissembler

Common to every m series BMW engine, especially m52s that see extended times at high revs. overfill the oil by half a liter and the noise will go away or be significantly reduced. Don't change viscosity and don't worry about it. Mine made the same noises and after two summers of weekly track use the cams and lifters still looked minty. stick with a very high quality synthetic and you shouldn't ever have issues.

i'll try this out first thanks for the info!

iverson03tj · 11-02-2012, 07:51 PM

ok so i filled the oil about half a litre more and ur right the now has stopped at normal operating temperatures and it make less noise when the engine is cold.

Axxe · 11-06-2012, 09:20 PM

FYI I did half a quart of ATF and drove 100km on it. Cleaned the motor out beautifully and got rid of the ticking lifter that I couldn't pump air out of using the lifter pump technique (3-4k rpms for 2-3min with no load).

iverson03tj · 11-19-2012, 11:24 AM

I heard that some times the junk actually helps seal the engine. So thats why i didnt want to try. i once put seafoam in my car and drove 100km and afterwards my car started to consume oil. lesson learned to never put seafoam in oil. I had to change my motor.. kurt heard the old motor. It was horrible.