Noisy Tappets

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Mon 5 Nov 2001 17:32
Noisy Tappets - Rob Fleming
Hi all

One, maybe two of the hydraulic tappets on my VW are very noisy for a very long time when starting from cold. The noise disappears when the temperature needle is at 12 o'clock, but it seems to take far too long to quieten down.

The car is a 1.3 Polo that has had 5000 mile/6 month semi-synth oil changes for the last 50k.

I don't mind living with it if it's harmless, but will a persistently noisy tappet do any damage?

Rob Fleming
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Mon 5 Nov 2001 19:33
Re: Noisy Tappets - Richard Hall
I shouldn't think it will do the cam lobes any good at all. Tappets are cheap enough from German & Swedish. I would change them if I were you. They only seem to last about 100K regardless of oil change intervals. And don't do what I did on my Golf and try just changing a couple, as it is very hard to isolate which tappet is actually faulty.

Having said which, I have a slightly 'lazy' tappet on my Coupe 20V which I am ignoring (it settles down within a couple of minutes). That twin-cam motor is scarily complex and I haven't yet mustered the courage to tackle a tappet change. Also there are 20 tappets - not a cheap job.
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Mon 5 Nov 2001 22:43
Re: Noisy Tappets - Honest John
A reminder that this could be due to a pattern oil filter that lacks the non return valve in a VAG spec filter that helps to keep oil in the top of the engine.

HJ
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Tue 6 Nov 2001 10:08
Re: Noisy Tappets - Rob Fleming
Thanks Richard and HJ. I've always used genuine VAG oil filters - they're no more expensive, and the local VW specialist puts a new copper washer for the sump plug in every box!

If anyone's interested, I'll report on taking the rocker cover off and measuring the cam lobes with a vernier caliper against spec. I had considered replacing the tappets, but the car runs like a sewing machine when warmed up, and I'm very reluctant to meddle with it for the sake of a noisy, but perhaps harmless startup.

Rob
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Fri 9 Nov 2001 06:36
Re: Noisy Tappets - Andy Moorey (Tune-Up Ltd)
Sorry Rob, didn't mean to step on your toes re the comp testing thread, I dived in before I had read your reply. The sort of occasions I get involved with comp testing is with difficult/no-start situations. Re the tappet problem, try a professional mix motor flush at the next oil change (Forte or Texaco) to see if it improves, otherwise replace the tappets as a set.
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Fri 9 Nov 2001 13:42
Re: Noisy Tappets - Rob Fleming
Andy,

No toes stepped on! Thanks for the response, I'll try an engine flush.

Rob
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Fri 9 Nov 2001 15:25
Re: Noisy Tappets - Colin J
Rob,

I had this problem on my 1987 Scirocco which had covered 94K miles.

Since I was doing a head gasket change I took all the lifters out and using a small syringe, I filled them with Carb Cleaner and left them overnight (each one in its own jam jar to limit the solvent evaporation and to keep them in numbered order).

No problems now with noisy tappets at start-up, although it's only covered 2k miles since this was done.

Colin
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