Well it turns out the ticking/rattle of my engine wasn't the vanos or the DISA... The ticking was the sound of impending doom. At 330,793 miles and just over twelve years Sally-Sue's heart exploded on I-85 North just outside Burlington, NC. The engine locked up and is officially toast. Trying to figure out if I'm replacing the vehicle with another E46 or replacing the engine with perhaps a 3.0 liter... Any-who we have had an outstanding run and I would say that preventive maintenance helped me get this far... The engine was just tired and ready to go to lil engine heaven. I'll keep you posted on the next chapter in this bimmer saga!