2nd Gen R56 Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Knocking noise heard from above cylinder head?

I thought I would update this thread with the cause of that knock like sound that turned out to be my 3rd gen tensioner not tensioning enough at idle only, no issues with proper tensioning above 1000 rpm. It must have been a little loose causing a marble like knocking sound that was enough to cause a link in the chain to make that noise, guides looked fine.

After replacing my 2 year old 3rd gen tensioner with the newer final redesign 5th gen tensioner I never heard the noise again! It's been since the beginning of March I had the 5th gen tensioner installed, it paid off!

I strongly believe that the 5th gen is much improved do to the very smooth plunger action that I witnessed firsthand (thumb pushing) on the plunger when comparing it to a new 4th gen tensioner that felt exactly the same as my old and lazy 3rd gen tensioner.

 

That's it, 82mm longer tensioner. The 4th gen tensioner was shorter in length, I believe it was 78mm, you can tell them apart easily because the lack of the V-shaped pin hole at the center of the tensioner bolt. You don't see it on the 5th gen 82mm longer tensioner, I believe Mini removed the V-shaped pin hole at the center of the tensioner bolt so that when someone came in with a problem related to a tensioner/timing chain, they would know it didn't have the latest final 5th gen tensioner installed.

I think anyone who doesn't have a 5th gen tensioner installed should immediately have it installed to prevent the timing chain issues from reoccurring. It's a safe, cost preventative measure as it can tension a longer chain should it become stretched over time. Far better than the older problematic tensioners failing completely costing people thousands in repairs, not all failed timing chains and tensioners provide you with a warning of what's about to happen.

However I do not recommend installing the new tensioners without first locking the cams and crankshaft!

 

A year ago my entire timing chain tensioner, chain and guides were replaced, the noise isn't coming from the timing chain area, it's coming from above cylinder #4 intake side. Some think it's a lazy lifter, the sound is coming from the intake valve area.

 

I heard the noise again this time it was a little louder and coming from the valve train, I could clearly hear a cam lobe slapping against what sounded like a collapsed lifter. The sound was unmistakable to me and appeared to occur every forth stroke on the intake valves. Again every time this happens it's when getting off of a freeway where I was doing 70+MPH, never has this occurred at any other time. I shut off the engine for few minutes and restarted and the noise was gone. It just so happens that it's the cylinder furthest from the throttle body, closest to the Vanos cam gear.

Anyone have a clue to what it would cost to replace all lifters? It seems like the intake camshaft must be removed in order to replace a lifter.

 

I didn't know that, it's only one lifter that going bad and not all of them. How would I even go about checking if the oil pump is working correctly? I get a lot of oil volume around the valve train, the bottom of the filler cap is always dripping wet with oil when I check my oil, I can see the oil dripping off the cams.

 

That's the proper procedure unless you want to risk the cams and or the crank from turning when you install the new tensioner, why risk it? Threading in a tensioner applies force on the timing chain, the Bentley Manual also states this in detail. That's why I had the dealer perform the tensioner install, I didn't want to buy the $200 tools and do it myself and screw it up.

 

My ex-Mini dealer charged me 1 hour labor ($150) to install the tensioner.