E30 vavle adjusting

[pauld]

Do you guy's adjust the valves on these car every 8k like
suggested in the manual I've seen??
179k on my '86 but only had it since 169k. Runs good but
it is louder than I'd like so it sounds very easy in the
books so I will do it. Any tips??
Thanks

 

[bichmgnt]

Don't know that it will fix the noise issue but the valve adjustment is fairly easy and straightforward. I don't do it enough but that's because I'm lazy and generally the valves don't get tighter - which would be bad - but looser which means they don't stay open as long as they should which just degrades performance a bit. Still not good but not as bad. But if the valve train sounds noisy it can't hurt to do it. Get a new valve cover gasket and go to town on it.

BTW, BMWs are notorious for having ticking noises in the valve train. Doesn't seen to hurt. I put over 120,000 miles on my 86 325 es and the noise is still there and running strong.

Steve

 

[rjp325i]

Remember solid lifters are noisier than hydraulics so don't expect too much even if they need adjusting. The manual I have says adjustment recommended every 15K miles. This is done to coincide with the inspection cycles

 

[pauld]

Thanks for the replies. A guy at work has the same car but
sedan. He has only 120k but I did not hear any noise at all.
Maybe its a case of the grass is greener but sounded very quiet.
I have to get to the wheel bearings first. Went without warning.
Not sure if I want to wait to drive it. I thought it was the p/s pump
and have been driving for about 500 miles. But now pretty sure
its the rf screaming at me.
Thanks again

 

[mrferg]

Awww great so the ticking noise will never go away, hopefully the squeaking will dissappear though.

 

[bichmgnt]

Yeah, that squeak gets less and less noticeable the more you drive the car. I hardly hear it anymore. [fake]

Steve

 

[Ben]

wait..... what squeak???? am i missing something here?????

 

[xLibelle]

i guess not hearing the squeak is a good thing. i dont know what that one is either.

 

[mjbst111]

I don't have a squeak as far as i know.

I don't think my valves have been adjusted in a long time. I'm going to do it sometime soon though. Haynes is going to teach me... doesn't look too hard.

 

[OreoGaborio]

get a bentley manual... i know bav auto was havin a sale on em a while back for lik 35 bucks... give em a shot

 

[mrferg]

It's probably because I have a 210,000 mile BMW in the rust belt, because my engine goes 'squeak squeak squeak'. I know it's not the belts, maybe the fan bearings or something? I have no freakin' clue at all!

 

[Ryan Stewart]

probably a bearing or alternator bushing.

The ticking can also be the injectors. I have heard E30s with adjusted valves and new injectors and its amazing. Now he just had to cure the belt noise.

 

[bichmgnt]

Wow, I gotta quit making even tiny jokes around here. I've got an 86 325es that has over 200k miles on it and it needs some work. Not that I want to invest in something I'd rather sell. Besides some rust, the suspension should probably be gone through thoroughly and frankly there are rattles and squeaks when I hit a bump. Not bad like a beater pick up truck but not a new sedan de ville either. From the vague remark about squeaks that mrferg made I couldn't tell what he was talking about so I made a goofy, cryptic comment about squeaks right back at him. Didn't want anyone to think I didn't know what he meant especially since I had just made that effing brilliant comment about lifter noise. So I did the old 'If you can't dazzle 'em with brilliance...' routine. I guess I'm not as think as I funny I am.

So here's the deal - if you don't hear a squeak don't be concerned. It's a good thing.

They say being worried about getting sick all the time, especially when you hear about a new disease, is one of the warning signs of hypochondria. I wonder what they call it when you worry about your car getting sick?

Sorry if I freaked anyone out.

S