1998 Mercedes E320 Engine Ticking After Rebuild
 

After putting everything together, I got this sound. What did I miss? Is this valves slapping against the pistons? Is it possible lifters going bad? It is coming from the passenger side. I followed all the instructions precisely, and am very puzzled!

SEE THE VIDEO AND THE ATTACHED PHOTO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPkpLQIihFg&feature=youtu.be


Will go check the timing and lifters again...

The noise sounds like hydraulic lifters not filled with oil. After our 1998 E320 sits for an extended period the lifters make a slight ticking sound when first starting the engine with 61,000 miles and Mobil 1 0W40 oil. If your engine has significantly more miles the lifters may make more noise. I can't say from experience. Seriously doubt the pistons are hitting the valves ... that process would quickly destroy the engine as far as I know.

I agree it sounds like lifter noise, but listinening with a mechanic's stethoscope can help isolate the location. A rubber hose can also be used in a pinch.

this is the sound of lifters, they bleed down on older cars whilst sitting for a while - e.g. over a week etc.

what oil are you using in the engine? and how does the breather system look like in your car, bad breathers can cause oil to sludge and gum up oiling galleries.

Thank you for your replies! I must have been very tired, but I figured it out. It was one of the coils, labeled A & B and I had reversed them. After i fixed the coil goof up, the engine started running properly, but i felt a vibration that did not appear normal.

So here's the story on this issue... All my timing chain marks align, but my balance shaft mark does not align with the engine block arrow. If i align it exactly, then it throws off the crankshaft to approximately 36 degrees instead of the TDC 40 degrees. I rotated it like 14 times to make sure that my copper chain marks align with all necessary marks on camshafts and balance shaft. And i assumed that once the tensioner kicks in and puts the chain under tension, the balance shaft mark will then align with the arrow on engine block. But it didn't (that's after i put timing cover back on and looked through the valve cover opening). So i took the timing cover back off to investigate this issue. And now my question is...can the front balance shaft weight somehow misalign from the rear weight that's on the side of transmission?

I don't know if you misaligned something, but that sounds like more than lifters. Lifters unfilled, are usually just a soft ticking, then they fill and no more sound. Of course, it's possible that yours aren't filling, but I doubt it. I would pull it apart again and you didn't reverse the chain or something.

is your chain new? did you also change the nylon chain guides? Im thinking that a worn chain or worn guides can cause this mistime you are experiencing.