I have a noisy tappet or worn camshaft on a 95 diesel P38 with the BMW engine. I get a loud ticking noise when it warms up but it is fine when cold.Been like that for the last 2 years/20,000 miles. The engine has done 180,000 miles.The car runs ok but I am thinking of changing the camshaft and hydraulic followers. The garage quoted 3 hours for the job but suggested changing the timing chain which is another 5 hours plus parts. Can I just change the cam and followers?

Will it be cheaper to source a Vauxhall Omega/BMW camshaft?

Do I need to change the camshaft or is there a cheaper fix?

old pilot said:

I have a noisy tappet or worn camshaft on a 95 diesel P38 with the BMW engine. I get a loud ticking noise when it warms up but it is fine when cold.Been like that for the last 2 years/20,000 miles. The engine has done 180,000 miles.The car runs ok but I am thinking of changing the camshaft and hydraulic followers. The garage quoted 3 hours for the job but suggested changing the timing chain which is another 5 hours plus parts. Can I just change the cam and followers?

Will it be cheaper to source a Vauxhall Omega/BMW camshaft?

Do I need to change the camshaft or is there a cheaper fix?

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The camshaft is a piece of cake to get out, and the buckets should lift out nice and easy aswell.

The chains are a much, much bigger job!, and IIRC the sump needs to come of to replace the bottom one.

Remember, if you take the cam out, the timing is fixed by the tension of the cam sprocket bolt, i.e. there is no keyway on the camshaft, or taper!
set the timing in the right position before you remove anything, release the tension on the top chain tensioner and hold the plunger back with a bit of coathanger wire and the chain will be loose enough to remove the sprocket easily, use a new bolt on re-assembly, about £7.00 from the stealers IIRC.

If you are going to renew the chains, let me know as I think I have a brand new set I'm happy to sell.

How do you remove the cam without the special tool LRT-12-113? I need to remove mine to get the head skimmed but a few people I know have snapped the cam when releasing the bearing caps.

if the noise only appears after getting warm it is going to be a hydraulic used to have this on one of my bmw,s it was down to oil on that, changed that to a good quality oil it was alright after and never put cheaper oil in after and problem never came back .might work cheaper than changing everything so its worth a try

ian24895 said:

if the noise only appears after getting warm it is going to be a hydraulic used to have this on one of my bmw,s it was down to oil on that, changed that to a good quality oil it was alright after and never put cheaper oil in after and problem never came back .might work cheaper than changing everything so its worth a try

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Thanks for all the replies.

A couple of people have suggested it is a hydraulic tappet problem.
What do you call cheap oil? I changed the oil and filter 6,000 miles ago and refilled with Halfords diesel oil.

Would this be better?
or what about this?

I am a bit confused by oil. Surely it is all similar?
Can you explain what the difference is (apart from price) on the oils listed for my DSE?

Is it possible I have a blockage on a hydraulic tappet? If so how do I clear it. By the way I've been told a BMW diesel looked after properly is good for 4-500,000 miles.

halfords are only good at one thing getting something decent sending it to china and getting it copied at a fraction of the cost i think it was tents last year, magnatex is good but run a hydraulic tappet fluid(forte if you can find it) through it before you change the oil and make sure you go an a good run after you have put the fluid in dont just leave it ticking over as oil pressure will be too low to do any good

I've got the camshaft off now, rigged a piece of 4x1 softwood over the cam bearing caps, put a scissor jack on top of that and compressed the caps with the base of the jack on a piece of 3x2 against a beam in the garage, removed all the nuts on the caps and then slowly released the jack.
With regard to oil, I use Macro's fully synthetic, engine is as clean as a whistle inside, just over a tenner for 5 litres.
Head's off to be pressure tested tomorrow, hope there are no hair-line cracks!