Club 80-90 Forums

I am pleased except it took me 3 hours today to remove the elbow and make a new one. I used the old oil pump plate as metal for the flange and after cutting the centre hole I welded a piece of 90 degree 3/4 coolant pipe from my old LDV van into it. I welded a lip on the other end and then painted it!!! It is now in position and hopefully there will be no more leak!!! Took the van on a 20 mile trek today all the tappets have now pumped up however I did get a strange noise every now and then a bit like a woodpecker with attitude under acceleration. (or pinking from hell). On return I found that the vacuum line to the air filter case from the carb had come disconnected . Not sure if this would have caused the issue. I've not tried it since. I've checked the ignition timing. Its showing 7 btdc with the vacuum disconnected and plugged. This is what I set it at on lpg although I'm on petrol for running in. oil pressure is 60psi cold at tickover and 40 psi once warm. At 2500 rpm it is between 50-60psi which seems quite healthy.

So now after a few more miles a couple of queries. After reconnecting the vacuum line that had come loose she seemed very well behaved for 20 miles, tappets quietened down etc. However since I had used old gaskets on the rocker covers I decided to check the tappet adjustments and fit new gaskets . This I did all set to 1.5 turns. Off I went on another journey I drove downhill into Redditch on a dual carriageway and turned left onto a tight loop down onto another highway at 90 degrees (the famous cloverleaf junction) as this is down hill I used only a small amount of throttle and then mainly brake. As I put my foot back on the throttle to accelerate onto the next highway the angry woodpecker was back. It sounded like a very stuck tappet more pronounced under acceleration aND VERY LOUD, after 100 yrds it was gone as quick as it came. No sign of it on the return journey. Was this an oil issue due to the G force of the loop all the oil sloshing up the tappet bore? Or what? Help anyone had this? All tappets stayed pumped up overnight nothing appears untoward?
Any help would be appreciated.

Just drained the oil after 120 miles, just a few very tiny bits of swarf in the pan so looks good. New filter and 15/40 mineral oil and I'll drain again in around 400 miles. Tappets are still not right I think I might loosen them all off to give 0.06 of play and run it for a quick spin round the block then try and set them to contact plus 1/1/4 turns and see what we have then. (they sound ok but when hot one is definately a bit tappy) At least they don't drain down as easily anymore. I've just fitted and oil pressure gauge and a tacho on the dash. This gauge reads pretty much the same as the draper one I used to check the pressure originally. Here are the figures.
On a cold start I have 80 PSI at Tickover, Once warm I have approx 25-30 PSI at tickover, at 2000rpm I have 40-45 PSI and at and above 3000rpm I have 65-70 PSI, The engine had a crank polish and new shells, new big ends and a new cam shaft and shells so hopefully these figures will remain this way for a good while.