Common Engine
Timing gear wear and rattle (B18)
Symptoms
Rattling or chattering noise from the front of the engine, especially on cold start or at idle. Sometimes a metallic ticking that doesn't go away when warm.
Cause
The B18 uses fibre timing gears (early models) or nylon-toothed gears that wear and crack. They were designed to fail quietly rather than grenade the engine, but eventually they strip teeth or disintegrate.
Fix
Pull the timing cover, inspect the gears.
Replace with steel gears if you want it sorted for good, repro steel gear sets are available.
Takes a few hours if you know what you're doing.
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