Tappets tapping badly

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crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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Had the tappets adjusted about 140 miles back, one or two must have been badly out sounding like a blacksmiths work shop. All adjusted and sounds much quieter, then whilst driving along the tapping came back and within another 15 miles as bad as before! I realise tappets shouldn't be closed to make them quite but the racket indicates the tappet(s) must have slipped out of adjustment. Is it reasonable to go back to the garage and expect re-adjustment FOC? (Pre 1930's engine) Is it possible the locking thread is shot on just one rocker?

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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Can you not do something as basic as tappets yourself?

wildoliver

8,766 posts

215 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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Suggests either as you think a tappet that's loosening off because it wasn't nipped up properly or the threads gone because a gorillas been at it.

Badly worn rocker tips or rocker shaft can also be the most common causes.

But it's really a job you need to do or learn to do yourself it's the most basic first step to keeping your engine in tune, the tools to do it cost pennies and learning how to do it takes minutes.

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
quotequote all
wildoliver said:
Badly worn rocker tips or rocker shaft can also be the most common causes.
Indeed. If the rocker tips are worn then a feeler gauge will almost certainly be too wide and will register across the top of any depression in them and lead to an overly large clearance setting. It's a simple job to regrind the rocker tips on the side of a bench grinder wheel. I used to do it on Ford CVH rockers all the time. A couple of tries and you soon get the hang of the sweep of hand needed to get a nice smooth radius over the rocker tip. A quick polish afterwards with a small oil stone and Bob's your aunty's husband.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
quotequote all
Pumaracing said:
Can you not do something as basic as tappets yourself?
The garage replaced the head gasket for me a couple weeks back, checked for head cracks and valve seats. Tappet adjustment part of original job. Why one otr two have slipped out again. The tappets wre quite for a hundred miles so it looks like nipping up suspect or worn thread.



Edited by crankedup on Wednesday 2nd September 19:36

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
quotequote all
crankedup said:
The tappets wre quite for a hundred miles
Quite what? Quite noisy, quite silent?

DVandrews

1,315 posts

282 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
quotequote all
If it is pre 1930 is it OHV ? If not and it is a side valve then It won't have rockers but direct acting followers with the clearance adjustment on the follower, it should be straightforward to remove the tapper chest covers and check the clearances and the integrity of the locknuts.

Postscript..

Just read that it is OHV with aluminium rockers, the threads in these will be more vulnerable that a steel rocker.

Dave

Edited by DVandrews on Wednesday 2nd September 22:27

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2015
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Pumaracing said:
Quite what? Quite noisy, quite silent?
You're being quite naughty.

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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Boosted LS1 said:
You're being quite naughty.
I let the first instance slide but second time around I couldn't stay quiet.

kev b

2,708 posts

165 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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I am cautious posting advice amongst such skilled company but might it be the head gasket bedding down?

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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No.

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
quotequote all
kev b said:
I am cautious posting advice amongst such skilled company but might it be the head gasket bedding down?
No, it's a tappet snoring loudly ;-)

Richyvrlimited

1,824 posts

162 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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kev b said:
I am cautious posting advice amongst such skilled company but might it be the head gasket bedding down?
I didn't even know that was a thing!

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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I assume the Cam is ok??

(you can adjust the tappet clearance on the base circle till the cows come home, but if the nose of the cam has "gone missing" it's always going to sound like a bag of spanners! )

Pumaracing

2,089 posts

206 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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kev b said:
I am cautious posting advice amongst such skilled company...
But you thought you'd have a lash anyway?

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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Or a whole preload of trouble.

Bennachie

1,090 posts

150 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
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Has a cam follower stopped turning? Can be very noisy

kev b

2,708 posts

165 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
quotequote all
It was just a thought, not knowing what pre war gaskets were made of and remembering having to re set tappets a few miles after a head gasket change on sixties cars.

Looking forward to seeing the resolution to this, putting the thread to bed so to speak.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

242 months

Thursday 3rd September 2015
quotequote all
Pumaracing said:
crankedup said:
The tappets wre quite for a hundred miles
Quite what? Quite noisy, quite silent?
Quite a pain in the arriss.

Defo' a tappet or two. New head gasket is solid copper, the composite gaskets are pure crap, mine burnt out after just 6000 miles.


Edited by crankedup on Thursday 3rd September 19:19


Edited by crankedup on Thursday 3rd September 19:23

Boosted LS1

21,165 posts

259 months

Friday 4th September 2015
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Copper gaskets are crap imo. Why did your composites fail?