I've read through several of the existing threads and couldn't find a direct answer, so excuse the repetition, please!
Very quickly, my e30 318is has timing chain rattle/diesel noise on initial startup on cold mornings. The noise goes away in a minute or so once oil circulates through the engine, and does not recur during the day.
Would it be worthwhile to install a new tensioner to see if that solves the issue?
Cheers,
dh
P.S. I posted the question elsewhere but it was probably buried in that thread, and somewhat of a threadjack anyway.