Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 97 1.3. Tapping noise from the engine. | Technical matters | Back Room Forum

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 10:43

97 1.3. Tapping noise from the engine. - wob

My 1997 (P) 1.3 (old style rotary engine) Fiesta has a loud tapping noise coming from the engine.

I had the tappets adjusted which fixed the problem for about a week, but is has now come back with a vengance. I was told that the adjusting 'screw' for the tappets was very loose.

Could it besomething else? Does anyone know of a way to fix it?

Help.... Feels like my engine is about to tap its way out of the bonnet!!!

Cheers,

Rob Smith.

Dredged up from the distant past this one, so the subject line was edited to bring it into line with current classification policy.

Edited by Pugugly {P} on 26/11/2007 at 21:48

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 12:31

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - dave18

1.3
:(
Sorry.

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 14:28

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Mark (RLBS)

If the adjustment screw was loose, I suspect that the locking nut is stripped or worn.

I wouldn´t have thought that was a difficult job to replace.

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 15:07

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - wob

Cheers, I shall investigate that over the weekend.

Much appreciated.

Rob S.

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 16:20

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Richard Hall

Is that the old pushrod (HCS) engine? All the pushrod Fords I have seen had self locking tappet adjustment screws, with no locking nut. In which case, the only way I can think that the adjusting screw could work loose is if either the screw or the rocker arm is damaged. However, I haven't had my hands on one this age, and the design may well have changed.

Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 16:52

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - John S

Richard

You're right. These engines don't use locking nuts, but rely on interference fit threads for valve clearance adjustment screws.

Wob, these adjusting screws should be very, and I mean very, tight to adjust. If the tapping valve is easy to adjust you need a new adjusting screw or perhaps both rocker and screw. If it's not tight it will quickly shake loose. If the adjusting screw is OK, but after adjustment the gap opens up again, then the problem is something like failed case hardening on that cam follower or something, but I'd check the adjuster screw first.

Make sure you get the valve clearance adjustment sequence right. The engine in your car had some significant design changes and I think the porting on your car will be an IEIEIEIE arrangement, rather than the 'classic' EIIEEIIE arrangement. It should be fairly clear which yours is by looking at the manifolds where they join the head.

Regards

John S

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 17:16

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Dizzy {P}

If it is a loose adjusting screw, I wonder how it got like this on a 6-year-old car? I can only think that the screw or the rocker lever was made incorrectly. Hopefully it is only one adjuster that is at fault as replacing eight rocker levers and screws could be a bit expensive.

I used to maintain a couple of Granadas with this type of adjuster and they were always very tight. That was back in the 70's so the system has been well proven.

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 18:36

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Richard Hall

My first thought was a casting flaw, allowing a crack to develop between the tapped hole and the outside of the rocker. I've never heard of it before on these engines, but it would certainly allow the hole to open up so the adjuster worked loose.

Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com

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Thu 9 Jan 2003 18:40

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - madf

Poor oil changes, dirty oil = failed case hardening = noise (if not tappet clearance ) on this engine.

Or could be failed exhaust gasket (rare but possible)
madf

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Fri 10 Jan 2003 05:50

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Andrew Moorey (Tune-Up)

Noisy tappets are a feature of these engines, usually caused by inadequate servicing. It will be suffering with either worn rocker/shaft or cam and or follower. I have had a few instances where the bolts holding the rocker pedestals have come loose and gradually unwind increasing tappet noise. Incidentally John S was back to front with the valve sequence layout from Valencia to HCS engines: Valencia is IEIEIE, HCS EIEIIEIE.
Andrew

Happiness is a T70 at full chat!

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Fri 10 Jan 2003 05:52

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - Andrew Moorey (Tune-Up)

Sorry that is NOT a 3 cylinder Valencia....IE!

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Fri 10 Jan 2003 09:55

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - John S

Andrew

Many thanks. As soon as I posted that I thought 'have I got that right', but the next thought was 'if I haven't, Andrew will correct it' Just goes to show how careful you've got to be with these engines!

Regards

John S

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Fri 10 Jan 2003 10:26

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - pmh

A few years ago I had one of these older 1.3 pushrod engines with a persistent noisy tappety/top end noise which suddenley became worse. Adjustment of tappet was inefective and close examination revealed a broken rocker shaft. From memory the underlying cause was a broken stud into the head allowing rocker shaft to flex, hence breakage!

I was lucky, there was a spare car in the cupboard, so a quick no cost fix was possible.

pmh (was peter)

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Fri 10 Jan 2003 10:53

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - M.M

Guys,

Mostly covered above but I would add that we are relying on Rob repeating what the mechanic told him about the "screw being loose". Perhaps he meant that the clearence under the screw was loose. Can't think he would have left it if the screw was really loose!!

Must just add that I've found these old Ford engines are the most likely of any engine in any make of car to suffer terrible valve train noise if they are abused on the oil change schedule.

They are often short run cars and get a yearly service if that, sometimes more like 18mths or more between oil changes.

The only ones I know that have been kept sweet have been in for six monthly (6K max) oil changes. The six month interval is even more important for those that only do 4K a year to the shop/bingo and back.

One the other day had only 36K on it in 8yrs, been serviced just four times in its life. Sounded like a bag of nails and you could have supplied Hellmans factory for a month from the rocker box.

MM

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Mon 26 Nov 2007 21:34

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - barto

have you tried to fix the valve clearance?

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 27/11/2007 at 00:29

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Thu 15 Jul 2010 21:19

Tapping sound on a Fiesta? - AJP

I have a mk1 fiesta with a 1.1 valencia in it, it was virtually silent apart from a clattering noise coming from the timing chain end which i naturally thought was the timing chain, anyway, i recently changed my head gasket, whilst it was off i took the rocker shaft apart and cleaned it,it tells you to do this in the manual too so thats what i did, i kept everything in the order it came off, put it all back together and did the valve clearances, once i put it back together it was as tappety as hell, the clearances did need adjusting too so i assume the gaps are now tighter than they were so why is it this tappety, funnily enough the clattering noise has gone,so i am thinking maybe the first rocker clearance was so bit it was clattering rather than tapping.

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