Discussion
I've got a V8 vantage and my brother-in-law is considering buying one of a similar model year.
We went to look at a car and it looks great and drives well. We left it running on idle for 15 minutes given the cold weather and during that time I noticed a slightly more pronounced rhythmic noise from the engine bay. It's not loud. More noticeable in the garage where there was hard surfaces for the sound to bounce off than it was outside.
I'm not technical and wasn't able to say whether it's injector noise or another part of the engine doing its job. Or whether it's something potentially problematic.
Here's a link
https://youtube.com/shorts/1tUeClxmVz8?si=8vw-8HhU...
We went to look at a car and it looks great and drives well. We left it running on idle for 15 minutes given the cold weather and during that time I noticed a slightly more pronounced rhythmic noise from the engine bay. It's not loud. More noticeable in the garage where there was hard surfaces for the sound to bounce off than it was outside.
I'm not technical and wasn't able to say whether it's injector noise or another part of the engine doing its job. Or whether it's something potentially problematic.
Here's a link
https://youtube.com/shorts/1tUeClxmVz8?si=8vw-8HhU...
Shinjuku79 said:
I'm not technical and wasn't able to say whether it's injector noise or another part of the engine doing its job. Or whether it's something potentially problematic.
I would be fairly certain that noise is valve shims out of spec.. I'd also go as far as saying it's definitely not injectors. More common than AML would have you believe ("they all do that sir" but you know that they don't because yours doesn't).
Often considered to be benign even though it's very annoying (and you can't un-hear it) however, my old engine sounded like that before it dropped a valve head and destroyed itself. We'll never know whether or not this was related to the valve failing but one specialist I spoke to at the time suggested it could be. My new engine doesn't sound like this.
If it's exhaust side it can be done with the engine in situ, if it's inlet then the engine has to come out which is obviously much more expensive.
Personally, I'd look for another but you could get a decent independent inspection then negotiate on price if it's only exhaust side.
Mine made exactly the same noise (4.3 V8.) but from the other side. Sounds normal up top, and that is almost cerainly a valve shim out of spec, heard as you come down to the wheel, more pronounced on left side?
Probably an exhaust valve on that bank, which as Pete says can be sorted with engine in. Inlet is engine out! But I’m lead to believe the majority that do it are exhaust, and the echo down the pipes under the wheel sounds promising but get it checked.
Mine was, Bamford Rose sorted it last year and now run very sweetly.
Common issue, I’ve heard lots doing it at car meets etc
Probably an exhaust valve on that bank, which as Pete says can be sorted with engine in. Inlet is engine out! But I’m lead to believe the majority that do it are exhaust, and the echo down the pipes under the wheel sounds promising but get it checked.
Mine was, Bamford Rose sorted it last year and now run very sweetly.
Common issue, I’ve heard lots doing it at car meets etc
Edited by Krhuangbin on Saturday 11th January 13:30
How does it sound compared to yours? I was a bit concerned about mine so took it it a renowned specialist for there opinion and they advised me that it as just injector noise and nothing to worry about. It’s definitely a lot more noticeable when parked in the garage on a tiled floor opposed to outside.
Injectors´ noise is that very fast and quietly "flickering" noise audible from the very top of the engine.
My valve train (presumably tappet shim) noise on my AM15 engine is audible after cold start only for approximately five to ten minutes maximum (not as loud as in the video) and then falls nearly completely silent.
I just hope that is ok and it will stay like this because I let it idle every six to eight weeks in winter for ca. 45 minutes to prevent the seals from drying out (successfuld so far). I appreciate, though, that some of the experts have told me that idling puts a relatively high strain on the valvetrain (for whatever reason).
My valve train (presumably tappet shim) noise on my AM15 engine is audible after cold start only for approximately five to ten minutes maximum (not as loud as in the video) and then falls nearly completely silent.
I just hope that is ok and it will stay like this because I let it idle every six to eight weeks in winter for ca. 45 minutes to prevent the seals from drying out (successfuld so far). I appreciate, though, that some of the experts have told me that idling puts a relatively high strain on the valvetrain (for whatever reason).
This is probably the disadvantage of taking someone who knows a car but is not an expert. Probably it needs an PPI from a specialist but I doubt that will be a practical option.
This was hardly noticeable outside the garage. Although I did hear something when paying close attention. I'm now slightly reluctant to give my own car that same close attention !
When we say it's relatively common and there's an element of TADTS to it, is this something that is known to lead to a failure or does it remain less than ideal noise. If the latter may be ok as you don't experience a car sitting in a garage do you.
I see someone raised the question of we'll never know if my engine failure was connected to this, but as the poster said this is speculation.
Is there a known expert view on if it definitely progresses to a mechanical failure? Meanwhile, what's the cost to fix. If it's a day's work plus a small part is it in the order of 1500?
This was hardly noticeable outside the garage. Although I did hear something when paying close attention. I'm now slightly reluctant to give my own car that same close attention !
When we say it's relatively common and there's an element of TADTS to it, is this something that is known to lead to a failure or does it remain less than ideal noise. If the latter may be ok as you don't experience a car sitting in a garage do you.
I see someone raised the question of we'll never know if my engine failure was connected to this, but as the poster said this is speculation.
Is there a known expert view on if it definitely progresses to a mechanical failure? Meanwhile, what's the cost to fix. If it's a day's work plus a small part is it in the order of 1500?
Edited by Shinjuku79 on Sunday 12th January 11:12
That video is pretty much the summary of what M. Beake had published on this topic over the years. But here is another one of him which goes a little bit more into detail about when "catastrophe" is looming or probably rather not looming by giving two audio examples:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYWgZcyB0KQ
Mine falls into the first category, I would reckon (but only for a very short period after cold start as I said):
https://youtu.be/az0qgmwQen4
I don´t think you can "cause" or "provoke" tappet shim rattle by idling for a short period of time. It´s either there or not. As M. Beake outlines it is crucial to cold start the car when trying to judge or measure the issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYWgZcyB0KQ
Mine falls into the first category, I would reckon (but only for a very short period after cold start as I said):
https://youtu.be/az0qgmwQen4
I don´t think you can "cause" or "provoke" tappet shim rattle by idling for a short period of time. It´s either there or not. As M. Beake outlines it is crucial to cold start the car when trying to judge or measure the issue.
Good to know. If there was no possibility of it being inlet there could be an option of a simple 2k deduction being offered.
It's not as though the rest of the car was unicorn level. It was just nice. There will be others.
Am inevitably going to pay that close attention to my own car at some point. Not looking forward to that. Wish I'd not gone along!
It's not as though the rest of the car was unicorn level. It was just nice. There will be others.
Am inevitably going to pay that close attention to my own car at some point. Not looking forward to that. Wish I'd not gone along!
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