Duratec tappet noise?
Discussion
Having finally got my car out for a run since getting it home I've noticed it seems a little tappety for my liking.
Factory supposedly serviced it before I got it but I'm not convinced the oil was changed having looked at it (will check with the salesman) as I need some paperwork from him still anyway.
Car has done 10k and tappets seem really noisy.
Drawn a blank with Google but wondering if it could just be valve clearances needing checked/set? Is that common?
Other than that, the exhaust knocking all the time and crap steering lock when parking the car is great! Miss the throttle body noise and the 6 speed box of my caterham but think this car is going to be fantastic once o sort out the niggles.
Cheers,
Dave
Edit to add... my other though my was injectors are noisy as more apparent from that side of engine but def seemed like tappet noise to me.
Factory supposedly serviced it before I got it but I'm not convinced the oil was changed having looked at it (will check with the salesman) as I need some paperwork from him still anyway.
Car has done 10k and tappets seem really noisy.
Drawn a blank with Google but wondering if it could just be valve clearances needing checked/set? Is that common?
Other than that, the exhaust knocking all the time and crap steering lock when parking the car is great! Miss the throttle body noise and the 6 speed box of my caterham but think this car is going to be fantastic once o sort out the niggles.
Cheers,
Dave
Edit to add... my other though my was injectors are noisy as more apparent from that side of engine but def seemed like tappet noise to me.
Edited by D7PNY on Sunday 28th January 14:44
My 2ltr duratec engine in my old focus made a noise that sounded like top end clatter from
new. It used to bug me, I was told it was normal and it went on to do 120k miles before I sold it.
The exhaust is a s*it design basically. It has a pipe that runs down behind the sill and clatters on the side chassis rail as there is not enough space for it to move with the engine. The problem is compounded by a v clamp between the manifold and down pipe that doesn’t really work and allows the two to move and makes the problem worse.
I had mine all in pieces over Christmas, replaced the v joint and reset the pipe down the side sill. It was a PITA as there is no room to get in to mess around with it.
If it has worked I will be surprised, it is the second time it has all been off to try and cure the rattle. I suspect it will be back, at which point the angle grinder will be coming out to cut it up, use the useful bits and a maybe put a flexi somewhere after the cat and mount the side pipe more firmly.
The cat heat shield is also a poor design - on my car it was wrapped to the cat (touching) but then rivetted to the bodywork which was never going to work. It rattled like hell and then broke as it needs to be attached to either or, not both. Again I have removed it, made it completely free of the cat now with air around it and hopefully that will help.
If all else fails, it will go for a proper custom exaust to fix it once and for all.
Other than that I really love it
new. It used to bug me, I was told it was normal and it went on to do 120k miles before I sold it.
The exhaust is a s*it design basically. It has a pipe that runs down behind the sill and clatters on the side chassis rail as there is not enough space for it to move with the engine. The problem is compounded by a v clamp between the manifold and down pipe that doesn’t really work and allows the two to move and makes the problem worse.
I had mine all in pieces over Christmas, replaced the v joint and reset the pipe down the side sill. It was a PITA as there is no room to get in to mess around with it.
If it has worked I will be surprised, it is the second time it has all been off to try and cure the rattle. I suspect it will be back, at which point the angle grinder will be coming out to cut it up, use the useful bits and a maybe put a flexi somewhere after the cat and mount the side pipe more firmly.
The cat heat shield is also a poor design - on my car it was wrapped to the cat (touching) but then rivetted to the bodywork which was never going to work. It rattled like hell and then broke as it needs to be attached to either or, not both. Again I have removed it, made it completely free of the cat now with air around it and hopefully that will help.
If all else fails, it will go for a proper custom exaust to fix it once and for all.
Other than that I really love it
Mine was perfectly fine, apart from some washers rattling on the silencer mounts which I sorted out pronto. Since then it has been cut & shut to match the 2.5 litre engine and probably needs some further adjustment.. Make sure the clamp bolts are oriented to one side or the other which gives the better clearance.
Ref the tappets, the cam followers are available in a range of sizes to be selected when the engine is assembled to give the correct clearances. There are no shims or adjusters. With bucket type followers, normally the clearances tend to close up over time with valve/seat wear, rather than open up due to cam/follower wear. From what I have been told, the Duratec clearances rarely need any attention once they have been set in the original build.
Ref the tappets, the cam followers are available in a range of sizes to be selected when the engine is assembled to give the correct clearances. There are no shims or adjusters. With bucket type followers, normally the clearances tend to close up over time with valve/seat wear, rather than open up due to cam/follower wear. From what I have been told, the Duratec clearances rarely need any attention once they have been set in the original build.
Edited by jwoffshore on Sunday 28th January 20:48
Thanks for the comments guys.
I had read about the exhaust prior to buying so I was expecting it to be fair.
'Tappet' noise is the only thing of immediate concern really. My K series caterham had noisy injectors but this just doesn't sound right to me. Maybe its just me.
I do miss the noise of my Roller barrel throttle bodies though!
My full beam doesn't appear to be working but looking at the lights they look pretty corroded so I will try cleaning them up but may need new units. Guess they get all the crap off the road into the back of them.
Mine is running the michelin pilot sport 3 tyres. What pressures does everyone run? Will give these tyres a good chance before I go for anything stickier as they certainly feel ok on the road.
Cheers,
Dave
I had read about the exhaust prior to buying so I was expecting it to be fair.
'Tappet' noise is the only thing of immediate concern really. My K series caterham had noisy injectors but this just doesn't sound right to me. Maybe its just me.
I do miss the noise of my Roller barrel throttle bodies though!
My full beam doesn't appear to be working but looking at the lights they look pretty corroded so I will try cleaning them up but may need new units. Guess they get all the crap off the road into the back of them.
Mine is running the michelin pilot sport 3 tyres. What pressures does everyone run? Will give these tyres a good chance before I go for anything stickier as they certainly feel ok on the road.
Cheers,
Dave
Am I right that you have bought it from the factory?
Surprised they let it go out of the door without everything working and a banging exhaust? I would be sending it back - all car sales by a trader / manufacturer have to be supplied with a warranty of some form....
In any case, my main beam doesn’t work either. I have yet to investigate but it appears that I don’t have power at the lights so I am going to have to do a bit more digging around. The lights do seem to be in the firing line for water and mud etc so not quite sure how they survive - mine don’t seem to have a cover in the back but once fixed I will for some heat shrink to seal them I think.
Surprised they let it go out of the door without everything working and a banging exhaust? I would be sending it back - all car sales by a trader / manufacturer have to be supplied with a warranty of some form....
In any case, my main beam doesn’t work either. I have yet to investigate but it appears that I don’t have power at the lights so I am going to have to do a bit more digging around. The lights do seem to be in the firing line for water and mud etc so not quite sure how they survive - mine don’t seem to have a cover in the back but once fixed I will for some heat shrink to seal them I think.
I’ve never had any issues with exhaust rattling on anything. Also don’t think my duratec is particularly tappety. You hear a lot of the engine noise I think due to the enclosed cabin. I can hear mechanical engine sounds far more clearly than in my old Westfield which had a similar lack of sound deadening and close proximity of engine.
When stationery I can give the exhaust a shake and it will not recreate the knock so not even sure where it's coming from.
I presumed more engine noise from enclosed cabin which is just glassfibre over a spaceframe but it definetly seems tappety to me as it's not a nice sound if you hold higher revs for example.
Makes me cringe for example as all I can hear is the tappets but maybe that is just me homing in on the noise as you do once you have heard something.
Going to pop past the garage I use when I get chance to get their opinion on it.
I presumed more engine noise from enclosed cabin which is just glassfibre over a spaceframe but it definetly seems tappety to me as it's not a nice sound if you hold higher revs for example.
Makes me cringe for example as all I can hear is the tappets but maybe that is just me homing in on the noise as you do once you have heard something.
Going to pop past the garage I use when I get chance to get their opinion on it.
Thought I would update this...
I finally managed to get in past my garage with the car for them to have a look/listen.
They have concluded that yes its noisy but that it's within the levels (albeit near the top) they would expect. Slightly annoying given I don't like the noise but at least I know it's not about to go pop and I can stop homing in on the noise!
Finally gave it some stick on the way home from the garage (now that I had the confidence I was worried about nothing with the noise) and it goes pretty well. Fairly got to work the revs to get it moving but goes well up the rev range. Gearing is LOOOONG compared to my caterham though so will take a bit of getting used to. As will the brakes! Really stiff compared to my caterham. Seem to bite ok with a heavy foot but quite wooden feel to them.
Waiting to hear back on some replacement headlights as on closer inspection I think that is why my full beam doesn't work and one side light disintegrated in its holder. The units for the main beam/sidelights are in a sorry state.
New units and tidy up the wiring then a trip to scrappy to find some suitably sized rubbers to try and protect them will hopefully sort the issue.
Dave
I finally managed to get in past my garage with the car for them to have a look/listen.
They have concluded that yes its noisy but that it's within the levels (albeit near the top) they would expect. Slightly annoying given I don't like the noise but at least I know it's not about to go pop and I can stop homing in on the noise!
Finally gave it some stick on the way home from the garage (now that I had the confidence I was worried about nothing with the noise) and it goes pretty well. Fairly got to work the revs to get it moving but goes well up the rev range. Gearing is LOOOONG compared to my caterham though so will take a bit of getting used to. As will the brakes! Really stiff compared to my caterham. Seem to bite ok with a heavy foot but quite wooden feel to them.
Waiting to hear back on some replacement headlights as on closer inspection I think that is why my full beam doesn't work and one side light disintegrated in its holder. The units for the main beam/sidelights are in a sorry state.
New units and tidy up the wiring then a trip to scrappy to find some suitably sized rubbers to try and protect them will hopefully sort the issue.
Dave
Dave,
Have just received a full set of lights to replace mine. I now know the hella part numbers if you want them....
I need to come up with some idea for the rear of the main beams - they get covered in crap and water. Am wondering about some giant heat shrink shaped to fit, but if there is something off a production car that would fit I would live to hear.
I am then embarking on trying to install door check straps.
Have just received a full set of lights to replace mine. I now know the hella part numbers if you want them....
I need to come up with some idea for the rear of the main beams - they get covered in crap and water. Am wondering about some giant heat shrink shaped to fit, but if there is something off a production car that would fit I would live to hear.
I am then embarking on trying to install door check straps.
jamesG20V6 said:
Dave,
Have just received a full set of lights to replace mine. I now know the hella part numbers if you want them....
I need to come up with some idea for the rear of the main beams - they get covered in crap and water. Am wondering about some giant heat shrink shaped to fit, but if there is something off a production car that would fit I would live to hear.
I am then embarking on trying to install door check straps.
Cheers,Have just received a full set of lights to replace mine. I now know the hella part numbers if you want them....
I need to come up with some idea for the rear of the main beams - they get covered in crap and water. Am wondering about some giant heat shrink shaped to fit, but if there is something off a production car that would fit I would live to hear.
I am then embarking on trying to install door check straps.
I'm hoping to get some sent from ginetta as the car came from there like this with fresh mot with 3 lights not working because of it.
Just need to chase them up again for them and for my service history docs etc.
Cheers,
Dave
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