just noticed today car is making a tapping noise from the top of the engine , now when its idling its not tapping and when you rev it it taps, now its also not running as smooth as it was either, i had done headgasket a week ago and i only done oil change today as i though the oil would be a bit thin so i have done that and its still tapping a bit and idles a bit rough for a second then smooth then rought again. i took off rocker cover and it all looks and feels tight , what could it be??
anyone else had something similar

 

Sounds like the big ends to me mate, often mistaken for top end tapping.
Doesnt do it on idle, only when you rev but it will idle lumpy.
Sump off time!

 

no its defo something to do with the head. it does run rough on idle a bit put you can hear the tapping loud from the rockercover , i think its a sticking tappet , as when its idling and it runs rouch for a split second you can hear the tap as if its gone back to position if that makes sense!
i just give it and oil change and put in some oil treatment so hopefully it might dissapear if its a sticky tappet

 

Fair play mate!

 

Sounds like a worn cam or tappet. Take the rocckers off and pull out the followeres. If they are hard to get out then more than likley the cam lobe is worn on that valve. They should be flat and if they are dished they need replacing along with a new cam. Dont put a old tappet on a old cam because they wont be matched and will wear again. Also with the tappets out press the button on top hard to see if there is and movement. They all should be quite hard. If you get a springy one then the tappet is not filling up with oil correctly and is no good.

The followers were desined to turn in the head and if they dont turn then the wear in one spot. Get a friend to help you and Disconect the coil lead and crank the car over. (with the rocker cover off and rockers done up ) While your mate is turning the car over look at the tappets and see if they turn. If they don't turn then that is a dodgy tappet.

 

i take it you have to take off the rocker arm to get at the followeres, do they come out easy.
this might be a silly question but are followeres and tappets the same thing just 2 different words used,

 

Yeah you need to take the rocker arms off to get at the followers. Followers are the same thing as tappets.

 

right checked my tappets all came out ok except one and its safe to safe its fcuked



have just put a new one in but as i went to torque the nut it snapped so am waiting for a new stud now , should be done by tonight hopefully

 

Thats deffo fucked the bore must be scored to fuck too

 

Yeah that happened to me. I have put two kent cams in my engine and they both went. I replaced it with a standared camshaft with new followers and i have had no problems. Get a bit of wet and dry sand paper with some oil on it and give the bore where the tappet goes a little snading. not too much tho. Are you changing your camshaft? Ifyour followers are like that then the lobe will be nakered aswell.

 

Jesus, I've just put a cam in the bin that had a lifter which didn't look as bad as that.

 

ill give it less than 100 miles and the noise will re appear
new cam/tappets and id do an oil change

 

the bore wasnt to bad , just give it a bit of a wipe with the wet and dry paper ,
the cam didnt look to bad , but if it re appears then i will have to change it

 

Im surprised the bore wasnt scored to fuck ive never seen a tappet that bad before ive seen a few that have been very badly worn and had a few "tiny" little nicks out them but never big fucking chunks like that Id have to agree with JamboRST i wouldnt be surprised if the noise re-appeared.

 

how much am i looking at for a standard cam ?

 

just under Ł100 with new lifters from a motorfactors. Remeber to run it in for 20 mins on 2500rpm

 

right, i will see if the tapping comes back if it does then thats what i am going to have to do,

 

Order your cam and follower kit now then....

You'll have it ready when it reappears in about 400 miles.

I hope you changed your oil and filter to get rid of all that swarf floating around your engine....

 

new cam and lifters for sure, if you just replace the lifters the old cam will rip them out in no time!

 

yeh i did a oil change , will have to get saving for a new cam then , might aswell get a uprated cam then what do you think?

 

Allways worth it...