Help me decide - noisy tappet

[JNW]

Hello

I have a noisy hydraulic lifter - sounds like just one. The noise quietens after a long run, but comes back quite quickly. There's about 88k miles on the van, but its a rebuilt engine with about 6k miles on it. My guess is the tappets are the original ones.

Here are my choices:

1. Pour in a tin of Wynn's tappet cleaner.
2. Remove the tappets from the two left cylinders and sort them out.
3. Remove all 8 the tappets and sort them out.
4. Replace all 8 tappets with new (copy) ones.
5. Get the garage to do it.

I'm moderately competent. I have a torque wrench.

Julian, Bristol

[itchyfeet]

I'm guessing you have a dg or dj wbx, you don't say
Have you checked and reset preload?
it's possible it just wasn't done properly.
If not when you do, check what it was by counting turns when unscrewing, It's always possible they are solid lifters in which case you need to set a gap.

setting preload is described in haynes but lots of people use 1.5 turns rather than 2 as described in Ratwell guide.

read this....

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/HydraulicLifters.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

if this doesn't work it's easy enough to change a tappet but you need a telescopic pushrod tube to put it back so I'd just do the noisy ones.
http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/t ... so-ct.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Ralf85]

Have you gone back into the archive above? The noisy tappet problem is a constant discussion. Even the Haynes manual covers this topic. What oil have you been using? That can make a difference.

[JNW]

I've done lots of reading, hence the choices. Wondered what experiences people had had, and what they would recommend.

It is indeed the 2.1 DJ. The Grief-giver.

Just re done the main earth to remedy the last problem.

[itchyfeet]

Yes good call on the oil forgot that one
Semi synth can cause noisy tappets, if you don't know what you have drain and put 15w40 mineral in.

[kevtherev]

Here are my choices:

1. Pour in a tin of Wynn's tappet cleaner.
2. Remove the tappets from the two left cylinders and sort them out.
3. Remove all 8 the tappets and sort them out.
4. Replace all 8 tappets with new (copy) ones.
5. Get the garage to do it.

I'm moderately competent. I have a torque wrench.

Julian, Bristol

6. Adjust the noisy tappet.

[JNW]

Well I put half a bottle Of Wynn's Hydraulic Lifter treatment this afternoon and it's got a lot quieter already. Now I can hear the leaking exhaust joints.
Bought 5l of oil from Asda for 11 quid which I'm planning to use as a cleaning stage when I put in new oil.

Where's the oil strainer on the 2.1?

[kevtherev]

it's a spin on filter

[JNW]

Ok. No drainer then? The 719/12 filter does it?

[JNW]

Update.
Just done a 150 mile run and the engine is purring now. Just hoping there's no long term damage caused by thinning the oil with Wynn's.