# Removing m50 camshafts. Lifter noise?



## tekviper (Oct 9, 2006)

I have a 94 325i 5spd with a 2.5L, 108k miles. I think it has a noisey lifter. The sound is coming from the rear of the engine, front is quite so I do not think it is chain or vanos related. Here are two short clips of the sound, the first one is with camera under the car and the second is with the camera near the cam cover:

http://media.putfile.com/ticking-1
http://media.putfile.com/ticking-2

All spark plugs are tight and there are no performance issues with the motor, it runs great. The noise is in sync with the injectors but I do not think that is the source of the noise, all injectors are equally loud when I listen to them with a stethoscope. I also checked for exhaust leaks and could not find any. The noise is fairly loud when i listen to the bellhousing/trans with the stethoscope but i think it just may be the sound transfering to there, not originating there. I had 5w30 in the motor but I went to 10w40 with a minor drop in noise volume at times. Sometimes you can barely notice it other times it can be hard to miss.

Well my question is to those that have removed the camshafts on this engine. Did you use the special BMW tool? Is there anywhere I can buy/rent this tool? I am aware of the guide on pelicanparts that describes a way to get them off if you remove the head but it seems a little risky to me. Also to remove the cams, do you need to remove the oilpan or front cover to get the chain off the sprockets or can the chain be removed with only taking off the cam cover?

Thanks for reading.


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