Overheating and a bad noise!

[Rhino]

Ok, I bought a e30 318. I knew it had a bad head gasket. The car over heated and had bubbles coming through the expansion tank. So i had the head resurfaced and put on a new headgasket. I did the job on a budget.
After getting the job completely done i started it and the motor has a very loud knocking or Clattering sound. Above 3000rpm it goes away and the motor sounds really smooth. I have 20-50 castrol motor oil in it. I check timing and it seemed ok. i cant figure out the sound. it wasnt there before i did the work.



I drove the car for the first time a good distance in 100 degree weather about 5-8 miles. It stayed just a tick over the 1/4 mark on the temp gauge. Today its the same weather maybe a bit cooler and it started to over heat when sitting at a light. When moving the temp goes down. I let it almost get to the 3/4 mark. Then i shut it down and then i let it cool down. I am just running water. I opened the system to bleed it and the screw broke off. so this is what i used in place of it. I opened the cap and it was bubble but i am pretty sure it was just boiling because i just shut it off.

Any help would be great. I am so frstrated with this car. I am used to working on m30/m20 motors and really need this car to work. I am with out a car for work or school. Feel free to call me if you would like to talk ideas on fixing this. My name is ryan. MY phone number is 408-476-4780.

[kenika65]

That is your timing chain tensioner making all that racket I would only buy one from the dealer, What you do is pop it in and rev the motor to 3000 for 3 min and then the new tensioner adjusts and all that noise will go away.

The tensioner is located on your passenger side of the motor near the front about half way down it is the large bolt comming out of the side of the block near the a/c line.

As for the bleeder screw, just to make sure your doing it right, with the engine off open the bleeder and fill the motor with fluid until only fluid is coming out. then shut it and keep the radiator cap off and start the car and turn your heater on, then let the motor heat up so that the thermostat will open and let out all of the air, now all you have to do is keep an eye on the resivour and that should get out all of the air, now if your still having problems with your car heating up then make sure you have the fan shroud on and make sure the fan clutch is working correctly.

[DCColegrove]

hey,

The oil should be 10w30 or 40 (20w is too heavy for the HVAs)

Get a new radiator and replace the timing chain tensioner piston.

The cooling system in these can be a bitch to bleed sometimes I end up taking the aux fan switch out to fill the radiator and slap it back in when the coolant reaches that level.

Then remove the bleed screw to continue filling, close the bleed screw and leave it alone.

Run the engine with the cap off at @15K until there is a constant stream of coolant then slap the cap on.

let me know how it goes.

[Dave]

Run the engine with the cap off at @15K until there is a constant stream of coolant then slap the cap on.

let me know how it goes.

If he revs it at 15,000 rpm, it won't go very well, I am afraid. ;)

[Rhino]

Why would the chain tensioner be all the sudden bad after fixing the head?

[kenika65]

well it looks like you got water in your oil when the head gasket went south and water could have gotten in the tensioner or all of the oil could have drained out of the tensioner and hasn't filled back up yet?

All I have to say is replace it no mater what it is good insurance.

[Rhino]

There was no water in the oil.

[bsop]

Your overheating problem sounds like its a bad clutch in your aux fan i believe... its the fan closest to the engine behind the radiator.
An easy test is to take a magazine or rolled up newspaper and see if you can stop the pan easily by lightly rubbing it with the paper. My fan clutch is worn out and the fan hardly spins anymore. Its supposed to kick in when the temp reaches a certain level, but if the clutch is bad it wont grip. When the temperature declines as you move this replaces the forced airflow, cooling your engine etc... Id say check out that fan and see if you cant get a cheap clutch off someone.

Unless its your coolant problem, this sounds just like my car... i try to avoid long lights now and i rarely have issues with it, but i will need to fix it soon.