Advice needed on tappet problem - new engine?

[mjpg]

Hello

New to these forums, would appreciate some advice about our engine.

We've got a H-reg 1.9l petrol T25 (autosleeper) with about 75,000 miles on the clock. Was running pretty well.

Last weekend on a drive back from the coast, we started to get intermittant loss of power. Eventually, after about 30 miles, it was stalling, so we had to be towed home.

Our garage had a local VW garage look at it and they've diagnosed a faulty lifter (tappet). Their proposed fix is a new engine for which they are estimating £3,500 plus. It is still running, but stalling.

The high cost seems to follow the logic that it's it's very hard or impossible to replace the lifter, as the head might be stuck, or something might break, and also that there are lots of poor reconditioned engines out there, so they'd only trust a couple of suppliers.

Does anyone have any views on an alternative course of action and anyone near Bristol you would suggest to look at it.

Also, I've seen it suggested that tappets can be helped with an oil flush and oil change. Might that be worth trying?

Thanks

[Ralf85]

1) Where do you live and
2) What oil have you been using until now?

[ianboydsnr]

Hello

New to these forums, would appreciate some advice about our engine.

We've got a H-reg 1.9l petrol T25 (autosleeper) with about 75,000 miles on the clock. Was running pretty well.

Last weekend on a drive back from the coast, we started to get intermittant loss of power. Eventually, after about 30 miles, it was stalling, so we had to be towed home.

Our garage had a local VW garage look at it and they've diagnosed a faulty lifter (tappet). Their proposed fix is a new engine for which they are estimating £3,500 plus. It is still running, but stalling.

The high cost seems to follow the logic that it's it's very hard or impossible to replace the lifter, as the head might be stuck, or something might break, and also that there are lots of poor reconditioned engines out there, so they'd only trust a couple of suppliers.

Does anyone have any views on an alternative course of action and anyone near Bristol you would suggest to look at it.

Also, I've seen it suggested that tappets can be helped with an oil flush and oil change. Might that be worth trying?

Thanks

Pay them what you owe them, then take it to someone who knows what they are doing!
it could eventually be a reconditioned engine, but
how can you be confident in a garage that defaults to bend over for a new engine sir, without even trying to strip the engine!

[itchyfeet]

it easy to replace a hydraulic tappet without taking the head off,
you remove the rocker shaft, remove the push rod, cut the old tube out, remove and replace the tappet, then fit a telescopic push rod tube and replace the push rod and rocker shaft

http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/t ... so-ct.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

that's an I don't want the job price, quite common it seems, so you take it elsewhere, so do just that.

got to be worth changing the oil for 15w40 mineral if you have been using 10w40 semi synthetic it can give tappet problems

[kevtherev]

The high cost seems to follow the logic that it's it's very hard or impossible to replace the lifter,

tosh....

The lifter, if it is the problem.. can be replaced.. and you can do it without removing the engine or dismantling it.
take it somewhere else

Did you hear and rattling before it stalled?

[itchyfeet]

i'm thinking we need a register of these garages to avoid, name and shame

[mjpg]

Thanks very much for your replies. Answers to various below:

I don't know what oil we are running, but I've no reason to think it's the 10w40 semi synthetic.

Regarding noise before stalling, my neighbour who's had a few VW vans said he thought he'd noticed the tappets being a bit noisy recently. We did not hear anything particularly different. I don't think we heard rattling, problem is when the power is going and it's stalling on a busy road, you are concentrating in other things.

We live in central Bristol.

[kevtherev]

OK so does the engine run and tick over?
Is there a tack tack tack noise when it runs?
Did the oil light or has the oil light EVER flashed while driving?

[mjpg]

Thanks again.

The engine runs, but will not tick over without stalling. It needs reving to drive it.
The tappets have always been a bit ticky.
We've never had an oil light show. It also does not seem to use much oil.

[itchyfeet]

Have you got the van home or is it still at tge garage?
if its home we can suggest some basic tests
id start with checking compression, easy to do even for a novice it will indicate if a cylinder(s) is not operating propley or not

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DRAPER-37442- ... 2c5febc00b" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

next would be oil pressure switches, check they actually are connected and work and not disabled, does the oil light on the dash light up when you turn the key to position 1 but dont crank the engine?

[mjpg]

Still at garage. As it's not running well, I'm trying to minimise the driving it about.

If you've got some suggestions, it would be useful, and the garage where it's stored are not the ones who did the diagnosis, so they might be up for some simple checks.

Suggestions I've had so far from other garages have been:

* check the petrol filler to tank hose in case there's moisture and crud getting in the fuel
* oil flush and change
* fuel pump(it's not that as the pump and filters were changed last year)

Anyone know any engineer/garage suggestions near Bristol?

Thanks

[mjpg]

Kevtherev and itchyfeet mentioned oil warning - what's the concern?

[mike9009]

Hi mjpg,

I feel your pain! I have taken my van to some 'recommended' garages and I still have an intermittent running problem. I have had diagnosis varying from 'needs a new engine', 'needs new carbs', ' needs a tune-up', 'needs a new coil'. The fault diagnosis seems to be the trickiest issue, wild stabs in the dark - maybe because they cannot be plugged into a laptop to give the answer? These engines do seem to be a minefield for some reason.

Sorry I cannot offer any useful help.

Mike

[kevtherev]

Poor idle..

Clean out the carb.
Pay attention to the small filter in the carb itself ..see wiki.
Check no vacuum lines have come off
Check the choke pull down unit has not failed (suck test)
Check brake servo hose is not leaking air
Check the distributor vac advance is not leaking air
Compression test
wet gauge oil pressure test

20/50 mineral is my recommended oil.
up to you.

Low oil pressure due to the wrong grade oil will cause a lifter to drain and power loss will result because the valve timing has been compromised.

[R0B]

That would be one hell of a long list.

i'm thinking we need a register of these garages to avoid, name and shame