Hi everyone,
I have som problems with my "big one"....

Facts:
Bad on low revs, engine is working but must have some throttel otherwise it dies.
It is sending out an laud ticking noice, this noice started one year ago, at that time it came and went, now it´s worse and constant.
The cam-shaft looks okay but I am an amatuer.
Compressiontest on the five front cylinders is around 10, and the sixth has around 6. This cylinder had 7-8 when some oil were poured into it before testing.
I think it drinks coolant, white smoke and always some dripping at the exhaustpipes, I cant see coolant leaking.

My guess:
Vents have the hydrolic thightening, and I think that these are faulting on one or two cylinders.
The "topp" (the cylinders roof with all the vent and cam-shaft) is leaking the compression.

I have the "big one" standing nice on the lot, plenty of time...but I don´t really know what to do...

Any help are welcome

Tobix, Sweden
BMW 740 E32
BMW 740 E38
MB 300SE w126
+8 other

You may have a bad cam or a broken valve spring.

The leaking coolant catches my attention. That's indicative of a blown head gasket. Did the car overheat at any time prior to the problem? Do you have coolant in your oil? Check your dipstick. Is coolant coming out of your exaust pipe? If so it most likely is a blown head gasket. You might have coolant in your hydrolic lifters that causes the ticking sound.

Benzmac - could faulty hydrolic tappets cause the same kinda ticking noise?

Thank you for helping me, some more info.
 

Thank you!

1. No known overheating history.
2. No trace of coolant in oil or dipstick.
3. Most likely, coolant is leaking trough exaust pipe.

Do you still think it´s possible with coolant in the lifters? I would like that, cheaper than camshaft and easyer than headgasket.

Super big thanks!

Best Regards Tobix

how many miles
 

are on it? Leaking head gasket comes to mind first. Could a worn timing chain cause the loud ticking?
Jim
'85 300D
'95 E320
'97 CRV

"just worn in"
 

Thank you for your help, gasket is a strong aspirant.

Well, almost new...only 315 000 km if you divide with 1,6 I think will give you the milage.

Best Regards Tobix

Where do you see the coolant leaking from? The tail pipe? Or is the coolant simply disapearing from the radiator? If you can positively identify coolant comming from the tail pipe then the problem is a blown head gasket. Do not mistake water as coolant. Water always drips from the tail pipe when the car is warming up. It is condensation caused by the hot exaust and the cold steel of the exaust syatem.

If you cannot positively find coolant in the oil or exaust pipe then you probably have a bad cam or valve spring as Benzmac first suggested.

Smiles

Thank you, I will analyse the dripping
 

and I will come back.

Best Regards Tobix

A perfect combustion (raw gasoline + oxgen) produces heat, carbon dioxide, and water. I am happy when I see my car dripping water from the tail pipe with the engine idling while I am waiting inline for a smog test.

David

Hi all, the dripping doesn´t taste sweet
 

Thank you all for all the suggestions, now I have doing some wine tastings and exhaust water tastings.

No sweetness-taste like the ccolant.

And the strongest ticking noice is probebly ??? the camchain ????, because i have been listening with an screwdriver and it noicy as hell in the front/ ahead of the first set of vents over the first cylinder.

And I´m starting to think more on the possible broken piston rings in the last/sixth cylinder, because the it sounds more like it, and that with a lot of gas it produce some blue smoke, (havn´t seen that before).

So if anyone is left and still wants to help the swede with his big one, it is very appriciated.

Best Regards Tobix