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[sjc]

Hi guys

The engine I'm about to drop into my MV6 is a belter but has one annoying characteristic - it has one, maybe two, noisy hydraulic tappets.

According to the previous owner, it was perfect before the heads were removed (by main dealer) for inspection after it was suspected the timing belt had jumped a few teeth.  When they'd put it back together it had the dredded "tap, tap, tap.." and apparently many different things were done to try to stop it - all except strip it down and replace the tappets.

So my question is: how do I fix it?

The engine is sitting on my garage floor so I can't run it to determine which one/pair/cylinder it is but I know which bank it is and the cam cover gaskets need doing anyway (so does the timing kit for that matter) so whipping the cams off is no big deal.

Can the tappets be re-furbed?  To buy new from VX they're about £30 each so I ain't going down that road.

Advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
SJC

[alank46]

Are you sure it was tappets.  I had what I thought was tappet noise, but turned out to be a leaking exhaust manifold gasket.  While the engine is out of the car you could take the manifolds off and look for signs of leakage.  Fitting new gaskets would be a wise precaution anyway before fitting the engine, its much easier than doing it with the engine in the car.

[sjc]

Are you sure it was tappets.  I had what I thought was tappet noise, but turned out to be a leaking exhaust manifold gasket.  While the engine is out of the car you could take the manifolds off and look for signs of leakage.  Fitting new gaskets would be a wise precaution anyway before fitting the engine, its much easier than doing it with the engine in the car.

Hi mate, cheers for the reply.  You could be right but I've heard that noise on one of my previous V6s and I'm pretty sure it's a tappet.

Exhaust manifolds are being replaced with 3.2 ones anyway so, after your suggestion, I'll be closely inspecting what comes off to see if anything's been going on there.

Cheers.

[feeutfo]

Difficult one as, presumably, we don't know exactly what was done to try and stop the noise?

Is it defo lifters? Exhaust related noie can sound very similar. Such as leaking manifold gaskets or egr pipe, although that's on the drivers bank. Manifold gasket might be worth doing while its out if the car? Perhaps?

But if your sure its the hydrolic lifters, fit another set. Although that's fairly easy with engine fitted. I'd fit the engine and run it personally. Then try wynns lifter treatment, and drive it gently for a while. It can take a while for the noise to subside if the oil has drained out of the lifter itself, apparently.
 How many miles since the rebuild?

[sjc]

Difficult one as, presumably, we don't know exactly what was done to try and stop the noise?

Is it defo lifters? Exhaust related noie can sound very similar. Such as leaking manifold gaskets or egr pipe, although that's on the drivers bank. Manifold gasket might be worth doing while its out if the car? Perhaps?

But if your sure its the hydrolic lifters, fit another set. Although that's fairly easy with engine fitted. I'd fit the engine and run it personally. Then try wynns lifter treatment, and drive it gently for a while. It can take a while for the noise to subside if the oil has drained out of the lifter itself, apparently.
 How many miles since the rebuild?

Hi mate.  It's done about 35k since rebuild and I understand they tried lifter treatment, lighter oil, heavier oil and engine flush (yuk!).  It is the driver's bank and I know what you're saying about the EGR pipe, have had that leak on another one.

Is it ok to use second hand lifters - any issues with them having worn into a different set of cams?

Can they be cleaned or re-furbed?

Cheers

[feeutfo]

Difficult one as, presumably, we don't know exactly what was done to try and stop the noise?

Is it defo lifters? Exhaust related noie can sound very similar. Such as leaking manifold gaskets or egr pipe, although that's on the drivers bank. Manifold gasket might be worth doing while its out if the car? Perhaps?

But if your sure its the hydrolic lifters, fit another set. Although that's fairly easy with engine fitted. I'd fit the engine and run it personally. Then try wynns lifter treatment, and drive it gently for a while. It can take a while for the noise to subside if the oil has drained out of the lifter itself, apparently.
 How many miles since the rebuild?

Hi mate.  It's done about 35k since rebuild and I understand they tried lifter treatment, lighter oil, heavier oil and engine flush (yuk!).  It is the driver's bank and I know what you're saying about the EGR pipe, have had that leak on another one.

Is it ok to use second hand lifters - any issues with them having worn into a different set of cams?

Can they be cleaned or re-furbed?

Cheers

Hmmm I am suspicious personally. Simply removing heads shouldn't cause a lifter to fail as such. Just drain the oil out of them. But 35k is loads so they should have recovered hydrolicly long before. I would have thought the likely causes of noise would be more related to the work done.
 But fitting new or used lifters is doable. Provided any used ones are known good, and aren't noisy themselves. There's the risk of introducing more faults, without being certain of the original problem.

See what Master says.

[sjc]

Yeah, that'd be my worry with using 2nd hand lifters, that it'd end up as bad, or worse!

I'll have a very close look at everything when the cam covers come off but I'm not really expecting the problem to be visible if you know what I mean.  You never know though - I've been shocked/surprised plenty times before! 

Cheers.

[car5car]

I have used ATF to get rid of lifter noise many times. Unfortunately it didn't work 100% for my Cadillac Catera. I still have lifter knock at idle, which disappears probably around 1000-1200 RPM.

[Kevin Wood]

As the engine is out of the car and the cam covers are coming off anyway, I'd remove all the lifters, check and clean them (sure there's a maintenance guide somewhere).

I'd probably change the exhaust manifold gaskets while you're at it, too.