Engine Rattle

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:07 pm

Just re-fitted the standard head back into Mandy's car. The head has been sitting in it's box for about 4 years now so before fitting to the car I bathed the camshafts in oil and turned them over by hand a few times with the head on the bench.

Head's now fitted and the car is running but it's hellish noisey. I expected it to go once the oil got in and around the followers but it still has a loud mechanical rattle even when the stack started to show temps (circa 78-80c) - I increased the rev's a little at this point and the noisy got louder as it increased in frequency (as you would imagine) - came off the throttle and the car cut out.

Attempts at re-starting haven't be sucessful - it fire does a cycle or two at 1000rpm and then dies again.

I'm leaving it to cool again having just done a compression test. No.1 showed 11, whilst 2,3&4 showed between 12 & 13.

Does this sound like a sticky tappet or do I have a bent valve (again)

Mac

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:16 pm

Hopefully just a tappet stuck a bit.

If you had a bent valve the comp test would show f/a. Check the oil level too, the tappets will suck up a bit if they have been dry for a while. The tappets expand over time and will take a while to settle down again.

I wasn't happy when I reassembled my ported head to find none of the valves would close! It took them about 2 days to close properly!

Was the head stored complete? cams in et al?

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:20 pm

Rich

Head was stored complete - just the way it left the engine (head off and into box)

I'm hoping that all it is....

I checked the oil level but will check again now it's for a bit.

Mac

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed May 30, 2007 3:29 pm

Might be a bit of rust jamming a tappet. Rough love may sort it.

Has it restarted? When I did the head swap at Johns it took until around 3.5 k revs to quieten the tappets down. Idle and there abouts the oil pressure is relatively low, 3k+rpm it should be nice and high....

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:47 pm

Let it cool and restarted - still noisey but not as much.

I think it's started to quieten down now - either that or I'm going DEAF

Mac

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Wed May 30, 2007 4:51 pm

sorry?

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:00 pm

What?

Post by **Shug** » Wed May 30, 2007 5:16 pm

7000 rpm.

That'll sort it one way or the other....

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Wed May 30, 2007 6:54 pm

Shug wrote:7000 rpm.

That'll sort it one way or the other....

*BANG*

woody · Post by **woody** » Wed May 30, 2007 7:19 pm

new cams? Did you molycote them first?

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed May 30, 2007 8:05 pm

Err, if it's been left with the cams in it for 4 years then like as not one of the valves is stuck open; that makes a rattle when it hits the piston

Either that or a seized tappet - that would sort itself out eventually.

Compression test would be my first move I think.

Cheers,
Robin

robin · Post by **robin** » Wed May 30, 2007 9:58 pm

Just re-read your post and saw a compression test been done - even enough so probably not a stuck valve ; phew.

It probably just is a seized tappet - try some of that engine oil flush for hydraulic tappet engines - MMC use it I think and it always makes the cars sound great for 1000 miles or so ...

Cheers,
Robin

mac · Post by **mac** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:14 am

Been off-line for a bit with PC problems.

Car has now quietend down considerablly - I just let it get up to temp then cool, back up to temp then cool a few times and it got quieter each time.

It's barely audiable now and once we get the exhaust back from Janspeed you'll never be able to hear it.

Thanks for all the advice (except Shug's)

Mac

Post by **simon** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:31 am

Why are you putting the standard head back in?

Post by **Shug** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 11:37 am

simon wrote:Why are you putting the standard head back in?

Reading between the lines, 'cos he bent a valve on the PTP one?