VX 16v - tappet noise question

[alan c]

I have a VX16 V running on Mobil 15/50 as it's been doing for some time. Oil, filter, foam baffle were all changed a few weeks ago and car has been running fine. But a few days ago it developed a fairly lound but intermittent ticking noise.

It has Jenvey TB's and there has always been a faint ticking noise that I assume is from the injectors but this noise is louder when it appears. It's not present when idling .

I have been watching the oil pressure and it seems to be normal, close to 60 lb/ft when running, dropping to 40 as I slow down and can go as low as 20 at idle. Gauge is mechanical so I don't think its a sensor problem.

Apart from the noise the car is running well.

Any thoughts as to what I should be looking for?  Cannot see anything obvious, could it be an issue with the hydraulic tappets and if so is there a better grade oil to use?

alan

[Paul Deslandes]

Alan

the most likely cause is a tappet, the other possibilty being a small end bearing but I don't think I've ever heard of anyone with the latter problem.  Piston/ring another thought - is it blowing any blue smoke out of the exhaust?

There was lots of stuff in the archives years ago on this topic about oil grades and so on.  I seem to remember Mobil 1 being the oil of choice although if the problem has only just arisen then I doubt a change of oil type would do much if a tappet has gone.

Bit of a pain to change as you have to get at the cambelt to remove the cam shafts.  Otherwise pretty straight forward.  Probably worth changing the belt at the same time if you're in there.

Paul

[Mavic82]

Silly suggestion but having changed the oil is the level OK, with a wet sump they are very suseptable to variation in level and 4 mm on the dipstick can make all the difference, may be worth adding a bit more to check? Especially as there were a batch where they did not remark the dipstick when they were shortened. Is it up to the old level or just up to max?

As for the noise, a few more ideas to think about, to me tappet noise unless just one bad tappet tends to be more of a rattle than a tick. But ticking can be caused by a failing exhaust manifold gasket.......

[alan c]

Hi

thanks for the comments.

Oil consumption has not increased so far as I can see and no blue smoke so fairly sure it's not a piston ring issue.

I will have another look at the exhaust manifold but couldn't see anything when I looked over the weekend.

I think the oil level is correct and as I had it before but I will add some more and see if that makes any difference. Worst that can happen is that any excess goes out via the breather pipe.

I will let you know how I get on.

Alan

[andy_h]

I had a 'ticking'. Turned out to be a missing bottom alternator bolt.