Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

Right its a bit long winded, but bear with me while i try and explain whats happening...

The car was taken off the road a few weeks back as the head was knackered, so i got a new head, which ive had ported and polished,

Put the car back together, with the t4 on it also, and appeared to be running perfectly with NO knocks or taps.

The car has now done 100miles, i have mainly been cruising, no severe thrashing, though i did give it a bit in 1st, 2nd and 3rd, and yet again, was still fine, but about 10mins after giving it a bit, it developed a " slight knock ".

At first i thought it sounded like the bottom end, but when i parked it up and listened closely under bonnet, when you rev it it sounds like its coming from the top end, on the exhaust side of the head.

Mate came round with a stethoscope, and we pinpointed a noise to the back 2 tappets on the exhaust side, so we replaced them, and put it back together, still the same. Replaced the oil and filter, and still no joy.

Still sounds like a tap coming from the top end, but when your driving it, it sounds like a bottom end knock. ( i only drove it 8miles to see if it had improved, im not actually using the car )

The car drives fine, idles fine, and has no noticeable power loss, doesnt seem flat or anything.

I'm going to try a new cam tomorrow, but i really need to find the problem and pinpoint the noise before i decide what im gonna do

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Butch.

iTrader: (1)

sounds like to me you have done the bearings in the bottom end, as you have upgraded to a t4 with all new seals and gaskets on the new head up top its put the bottom end under a bit more strain and has now knocked the bearings out.........

Do you know how old the bottom end is?

pete mcrash

iTrader: (1)

worn cam ratteling..........................?????? that was my noise before the rebuild...............i changed the tappets.........wasnt them.......

Alvyn

iTrader: (1)

big ends knackered would be my call

JjCoDeX75

Gotta say, sounds very much like mine did when it threw a big end shell

Noise probably transmitted up the engine.

Sorry

JJ

plynchy

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

just been talking to someone at our RSOC meet and they said it could be little ends, as it was the same thing as his rsturbo, whats the possibility of it being little ends instead of big ends? and if it is little ends will i need to change the pistons?

JjCoDeX75

I would have to say I would be looking at the big ends first. If the small ends have gone, then it would probably be a good idea to use this as an excuse to replace the pistons (imho).

At the end of the day, the big end bearings take more of a pounding IIRC.

JJ

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

thats fair enough, but its a bit hard at the moment as i aint working at the mo, but yeah i know what you mean

think ill give that a go and see if it resolves the problem

thanks for your help

JjCoDeX75

Gutted for you chap - Drop the oil, and check for swarf - this will prob tell you if a bearing has gone

JJ

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

have already changed the oil and filter mate and wasnt anything noticeable in it.

JjCoDeX75

I guess that this is promising.

Its just wierd that it isnt affecting the running of the car - if the timing was off, or the valves were hitting the pistons, it wouldnt take long to be noticeable.

Its a bugger that it is not easy to get the sump off, as this would be my first reaction.

JJ

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

as said mate it doesnt have any noticeable power loss and runs and drives fine ill try a new cam tomorrow and see what it like. could the cam journals be worn in the head ive put on? but if they were surely it would of made the noise instantly

JjCoDeX75

It is always possible, but cams tend to tolerate an awful lot. (Lets not forget that the cams turn at half engine speed, which means that the max rpm is about 3500prm.)

I bought a head recently that I now run that had some limited wear on one of the journals (oil starvation almost certainly). We corrected it as best as possible (by removing high areas etc), and used a different cam.

Even so, to make a noise, that to me would imply movement. Did you see any marks on the cam when you replaced the lifters?

JJ

GARETH T

have you fitted the exhaust manifold gasket right? no joke, they can sounds like a knock

ECU Monitor Enthusiast

iTrader: (1)

I am not expert on this but from my experience....

Some times, the tappets take time to "soak up" oil as they are oil filled.
This makes them very noisy for ages.
Particularly after a rebuild and the tappets have been removed.

This happens when the head tappet bores are slightly worn on older engines.

This is really noticable on engines when an oil is used thats too thin for an
engine with many miles on it.

I suggest consulting the "OILMAN" user on here for some advice on trying
a different grade of oil for the engine first before ripping it apart.

Hooligan

Indeed, tappets could be noisy when using the wrong grade oil for wear and leaking exhaustgastket can make it sound like a rattling bag of nails!

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

rite ive replaced all the tappets today with a set i know were fine just to eliminate this and guess what still the same lol the cam lobes are fine the only wear on the cams are from the cam caps.

could worn valve guides cause it to knock/tap etc just when i got the head back after being rebuilt and ported etc you could see grease around the guides has this been put on to quieten it or just to help fitment?

just dont want to rebuild bottom end to find its the head again lol

here is a pic of when i got it back

Butch.

iTrader: (1)

no way valve guides could make it knock, looks like it the bottom end mate

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

cheers butch all i want to know is what to rebuild lol so looks like engine out tomorrow

L33 BYT

I always believed bottom end is always a very distinctive type of noise - like a rumble!

I know of another 2wd Saff with the exact same issue as yours this has been diagnosed with little end bearing issues.

JjCoDeX75

Only way to be sure imho is to rip out the block and look. If the big end bearings are fine, then dont forget to check the mains as well as the small end. If it is presenting with noise, you will prob be able to id the fault pretty quickly.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

JJ

Butch.

iTrader: (1)

well if its knackered mate

https://passionford.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=262698

or if you aint got the money i'll do you a good build

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

defo aint got that sorta money....

anything free would be ideal

cheers for the offer though but workin on a tightttt budget atm

radiant red

at least its a 2wd so sump off aint a massive task

i think

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

engine out

radiant red

fucking bummer mate

its a bitch when they are this way out,touch wood mines been reliable for ages now

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

i said that last week, now fuckin look at me

Alps Pacino

I'll give you 1k for the car this week

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

you can have the turbo and injectors and chip for that

Alps Pacino

And what would i do with that lot i'm in the 21st century so dont have a use for a shonky t4

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

be to much power for the mk1

Alps Pacino

Its been to much power for your taxi to thats why its knocking its cunt out

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

soooooooooooooooooooo

puddy

To tell if its bottom end knock,try disconnecting an injector or ht lead

on each cyl in turn to see if the noise goes away.

If the noise disappears,its a very good chance its bottom end.

Who timed the cams for you,valve not clipping a piston?

Is the head gasket fitted dead square?

puddy

Ps. my mate has just had problems with rattling tappets ,replaced them

and still the same,turned out to be a loose oil pump pickup drawing air

and giving low oil pressure

Escy

That'd be my suggestion, I had an exhaust manifold gasket blow on my CA18DET and it sounded just like a knocking bottom end.

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

just fitted oil pressure gauge to see and its only just over 40psi on start up from cold so looks like engine will be coming out tomorrow

Alps Pacino

Thats nice mine is abuot 4 bar i think on start up

Dicko&Vacant

iTrader: (3)

just done that mate and it stops knocking when you remove the plug lead for number 4 cylinder

so atleast i know now lol

Alvyn

iTrader: (1)

when you take the sump off DONT forget to have the con-rod checked or replaced m8!