Club 80-90 Forums

very true, ive seen many a garden ornament sit around for years. the horror scenario always hits you first. if you end up needing spares ive a few bits and pieces waiting to go on ebay. hopefully it wont come to that. our old van on its most rattly moments needed a good 1/2 hor drive, usually after it had been sat for a while

daz

Hello,

Oil pressure check, cranking voltage check, compression check......

A gummed up hydraulic tappet will take ages to unstick... did my son's van un run for 5 years, started in 10 mins ... sounded like a tractor.

Rebuild, a bit worried with the 'clacking ' took 3 runs , say 120 km to go away, now runs well.

Who set your tappets .... contact + 1 turn...cold.

Big end failure is

1 rare

2 heavy regular thump under load, loss of oil pressure, often smoke, very wheezy crankcase breather...

Think, look twice, before crossing road and spending hard earned....

Cordialement,

Hey I'm still holding out hope - I agree that big end is rare and tappets certainly much less so.... However has anyone here had the tappets only make noise under load? It just doesn't make sense to me but very happy to listen to an explanation as have family trip to Isle of Weight next weekend and no transport /place to sleep

Also the noise sounds more tappet like than big end (seems a clack more than a thud)

Stoo (crossing fingers)

I'll pull the oil guage out of my mini and have a test. Where's the best takeoff to put it in and what figures are normal?

Hi Stoo, Well from what these guys have said a tappet could still be the explanation ?
Big ends don't tend to last very long once they start making a racket.
Have you done a compression test yet ?
Is there an oil warning switch on the oil filter housing ? Remove this and plug your pressure gauge in ??
I'd like to blat over and have a look, but the Syncro is minus a window and paint ATM, so aint moving for a few days.
Cheers
Rich

So some results from Saturday morning's diagnosis.

1)compression tests looking in the boot from outside starting top left going clockwise
160psi - 170 - 145 - 170
2)Spark plug on the 145psi cyclinder was cacked up with loads of grey 'cack'

3)Got her to operating temperature and popped off the rocker covers - The 145psi cylinder (valve nearest the crank pulley) the rocker had loads of squishy slack.
The one opposite it on the other cylinder bank also had a lot of squishy slack but not quite so bad.

Thoughts - I definately have a hydraulic lifter problem. But do I have a cam lobe issue as well?

I'm tempted to buy a couple of lifters to replace the dodgy ones as they're cheap enough. Just Kampers has them for £17 each. Anyone else cheaper for same/better and with stock? If it all goes quiet then Bingo!

I'm going to pursue this line before doing anything else - Hopefully it's a cheap fix.

PS 170 psi seems rather higher than most stated here. Wonder if the head's have been skimmed?
Stoo

Hi,

I have a very similar problem with my 2.0 Aircooled. I get a clack `sometimes`. Has been getting more frequent as of late..so have purchased New hydraulic lifters from VEE WEE. I stripped them out today and found one of my old lifters missing a circlip to hold it together
Amazingly the old gal got us too Newquay..driving around..and back to Stourport without missing a beat..

I am putting it back together tomorrow so will let u know how it sounds. I do have one more problem though..
My inlet valve on number 3..is stretched or the valve seat has a bad recess..because the valve is sitting higher than the other 7..Im not happy cos I reckon its a head pull and I aint got the cash to sort this as my carbs are flubbered too. So im in a pickle at the mo..And to top it all im booked to go to Scotland in July/August.

Thanks
Glenn.

Hi Tug

What's the compression like on that cylinder? If it's same/very similar to the rest I'd leave it be until you have another excuse to pull the head.

Hello,

One of the more common problems with hydraulic lifters is the little circlip falling out, and so the valve does not work.

You should be able to get the lifter out with either a magnet on a stick, or gripping it with a pair of straight external opening circlip pliers.

I include this video for you, sorry about the sound, but the first part is all about how to overhaul lifters:

https://vimeo.com/user5795061/videos" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can inspect the cam lobes at the same time, but unless there is major damage, usually caused by someone fitting solid lifters, there is little to be done.

Have you done an oil pressure check yet, (both at warmed tickover, and under load)

Cordialement,

Alas all my oil pressure gauges for my
Mini don't fit. Going to order some with the collapsing push rod tubes on Monday

Well got some telescopic pushrod tubes. How the hell do you get the pushrods out without disconnecting the near-side water pipe and needing yet another gasket?
Lol it's just one thing after another
The tapped I removed from the offsite was well and truly broken. can't even see the ball bearing through the hole - Will strip tonight and have a proper look.

Well done Stoo, hope its just the tappets.
Cheers
Rich

If you've not already started stripping the engine it's worth trying some wynns hydraulic valve lifter treatment, it really does what it says on the tin
I had a very sticky lifter that 3 oil changes with engine flush used each time didn't clear stuck some of the wynns in and within 10mins the noise had stopped and 5 years later it's still silent

hi Mike

bit late now as new tappets sitting in a glass on kitchen window but if others play up I'll give it a go.
should be together on Sunday so I'll know if tappets were the problem.

Stoo

Remember to prime them mate..
Otherwise it will sound like a AK47 when you start it...

yeah I used a medicine sryinge to force oil in the side. they're rock hard now so hope that's enough

will find out soon enough