HI, i have just purchase a 1990 xr2i with 38,000 miles on the clock and the mots and service history etc to prove it. the problem i have is that the engine seems to tap its little head off especialy when you get above around 3500rpm. Now i know cvh are always tappy but have never had one anything like this. Previous owner says he has fitted a piper cam kit could he have not correctly ajusted the tappets? any other ideas?

 

Did he stick some new tappets in? they can be quite loud till they wear in mate

 

unsure he did'nt mension that he had. How long would you say that it would ake for them to wear in and start to quieten down?

 

Cant remember mate, mine took a week or so, i say i average 200miles a week, just dont cane it too much, i took it easy and it was sweet after that. Hope this helps

 

If they are new they can take a few miles to quieten till they get fully pumped with oil, they should really have been new ones with a new cam, unless they are mechanical ones that need adjusting because it has a wild cam, though would not have thought so.
They can often have a tappet that takes 15/20 miles to quieten fully, it's nothing to do with wearing in as such just oil pumping into them.
If they were not changed it would be a good idea to anywaym as still 18 years old, time will take it's toll not just mileage, you could try a flush to get rid of the varnish from the inside of the engine that could be causing 1 or more to stick a touch and so be noisy.
tabetha

 

Sounds to me like an old case of the CVH cam hassle. I bet you any money if you take the lifters out they will be fucked along with the cam, this also dumps a load of metal swarf in the engine!

If a new cam and lifters are not broken in correctly straight away on start up they eat themselves. Did your man know what he was doing?

 

Unsure to be honest he seemed to know a bit but that dunt meen he is a mechanical wizz though. Well they should have worn in then as i drove the car nearly 100miles home and the tpping is still there. Looks like stripping the head is the answer then ?

 

Check the rocker arms as well.

 

Cheers thanx for the help. If part of the head has expired i have a 1600 16v siler top zetec lying around how hard would it be to fit that?