Annoying Tappet

[Kitch 4]

A couple of years ago, I did a complete rebuild on my Mi lump. It was the first time I'd done one, and I nearly got everything right....except the tappets.

I've been told you have to clean up the little oil hole in the side and line it up with the ones in the head or something....which I never did.

 

I think its just one of them that is really noisy now....sounds like a Fiesta HCS engine and its really ruining my enjoyment of the car as it sounds like a complete wreck at any engine speed other than flat out.

 

I only took them out to change the valve steam seals, and I'm pretty sure they all went back in in the same order as before, although not 100%.

 

Is there anything I can do? I'm happy to pull the top of the head apart again to fix the problem if there is a definate cure.....don't want to pull it all apart and replace it all again only for the problem to remain! Is it a case of removing them all and cleaning up etc, then replacing and lining these oil gallies up?

 

I've flushed and changed the oil already.....no joy.

 

Cheers

[welshpug 1,657]

is is tappy on start up or all the time? doesnt matter where the holes go as theres a groove for the oil to travel in to get to the hole in the tappet.

 

maybe its time for new ones?

[Kitch 4]

Nah its all the time. The tappets were good as gold before I rebuilt it.....must be something I've done wrong.

 

Are new ones easy to come by?

[welshpug 1,657]

while surfing I found Newman cams quote £120 for a set.

[Mikey S 29 1 Cars]

Nah its all the time. The tappets were good as gold before I rebuilt it.....must be something I've done wrong.

 

Are new ones easy to come by?

 

i would whip the cam cover off and start it to see how much oil is getting to the head. its either a blocked oil gallery in the head or the oil pump maybe about to die.

whats pressure like on the gauge? i know there not the most accurate but it should give you an idea.

Edited April 14, 2007 by pugger

[Kitch 4]

£120 isn't too bad for all 16 actually.

 

The oil pressure is brilliant according to the gauge. The reason the lump was rebuilt is because it suffered oil surge....could that have anything to do with it? Once the damage had been done at the time, the bottom end was knocking its nuts off, but the top sounded fine. Its only since I rebuilt it that the top end has become so loud.

 

It gets worse the hotter the engine gets.

[Guest Roland]

It gets worse the hotter the engine gets.

 

 

Just adding my 2 bobs worth!

 

 

What grade oil are you using?

Is it thick enough?

 

Also is there a non return valve in the oil feed systen to the head - maybe its not sealing if there is one?

[Kitch 4]

I was using Fuchs 10w40 S/Syn and now I'm using Total Quartz 10w40 S/Syn.

 

I don't have a clue about the valve you speak of?

[Grez4 2]

Left a spanner in there?

 

I would strip it out asap, incase whatever is going wrong is causing more damage

[Guest Roland]

I was using Fuchs 10w40 S/Syn and now I'm using Total Quartz 10w40 S/Syn.

 

I don't have a clue about the valve you speak of?

 

 

There was some discussion on oil viscosity on the aussiefrogs forum a while ago.

 

One contributor, who has had considerable experience in the trade, recommended a thicker oil for a Mi16 engine - as far as I recall.

 

As it gets noisier when its hot and the oil is thinner when its hot, then maybe before taking things apart you could try a 15w50 oil or possibly some additive of some sort.

 

It seems to me that you have one tappet which is worn a bit and thicker oil may be all you need to compensate for the wear.

[Kitch 4]

Thanks for the advice. I would just put it down to a worn tappet, but as I say it wasn't doing it before.

 

Unless I've refitted it to a different valve by mistake? But surely a hydraulic lifter would compensate that?

 

Might just buy another head so I have plenty of spares

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Several points for you:

 

1) If it is a tappet, I've got about 8 spare you can have for nowt if you wanna PM me your address. Refurbing them is easy and quite satisfying; I did all mine (16 ). I had help from PeterT who sent me little QT vids of the process. I subsequently found loads of useful web articles on doing it so it's not unique knowledge to Pete or indeed is it a unique issue to Pugs.

 

2) Ofcourse to do tappets that's a cam belt/cams out job so......apart from it being a left item like a spanner , have you considered the possibility of an exhaust manifold blow or a faulty injector which can sound very similar? Of course re: the injector you'd be noticing some performance, starting or idling issues.

 

When you get it sorted you'll love it. I know how you feel too but if you want my spare lifters and the videos from Pete let me know.

 

DrS

Edited April 19, 2007 by DrSarty

[Kitch 4]

I'm stunned by your generosity mate, thanks! I'll PM shortly.

 

I have considered the exhaust blow/injector noise too. I think the manifold is actually leaking slightly, but its so slight that the resulting noise isn't all that similar to the tapping noise.....its more of a resonation (sp?) of sorts.

The injectors aren't quiet at all, but again its not that kind of tap. Plus it runs, idles and pulls with no issues.

 

Cheers

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

Neck on line - spring(s) broken inside one or more tappets? Unusual I guess but why else would a tappet make a noise?

 

People have been extremely generous and helpful to me on this forum with bits of car , I'm just sharing the love.

 

[Kitch 4]

Well if it were a broken spring, I'd be in luck as it'd be fairly obvious on removal Therefore easy to fix.

 

But being my car, it won't be.

 

I'm fairly sure I must have done something wrong on refitting. All I did was wipe em all off and get them clean, then pop them back into the head. I don't think I put any oil in with them, as I assumed they'd fill themselves.

 

One thing worth noting so far actually, ref the oil grade, is that before I blew the engine I was running 10w60 F/S oil, compared with the normal 10w40 grade I've now got.

But I was worried that because I'd used such a thick grade, that it might not have helped the ol' oil starvation situation, hence why I changed back. Plus its not cheap!