Intake and exhaust tappets?

[Rob Furniss]

Glad it's sorted mate.
I've adjusted tappets a few times and never really made them much better lol
I'm going to give them a go on my new FTO soon.

You had the feeler in the narrow cam only yes?
I've read somewhere that you are supposed to undo both nuts, adjust left - don't lock it, adjust right - lock it, go back to the left and back it off then tight again but so you can only just move the feeler then lock it.
Re your feeler gauge - shouldn't make much difference - if anything they should be a tad too tight which should mean quieter (super tight and you may burn a valve out but you would have to be way out on your gauge I think).

Could also be that you are missing the plastic lash adjusters that sit underneath the screw, they sometimes become brittle and fall apart and drop into the sump.
http://www.camskill.co.uk/m3b0s9p7650/_ ... odels_ONLY

[mosti]

Cheers for the info mate. My adjusters were 0.127mm and 0.102mm

So exhaust is under my 0.002mm and intake is over by 0.002mm haha.

Hmm, i never really looked out for those to see if they were damaged :s.

Might also be that the tappets are just worn and need to be replaced? (car only done 148,XXXkm).

Gona do a minor service tomorrow aswell if I get the chance...it's only been roughly 4,500km since the last but I'm going to try putting in some of that magic tapid fluid lol, see how I go with that.

[Astron_Boy]

Could just be a bit low on oil also perhaps.
Fresh oil makes a difference.

[mosti]

I topped up the oil last week
Oil was pretty full. Doesn't look too dirty either but seeing as I service it every 5k km's i may aswell do it now anyway.

I'm interested to see how much of a difference the tappet oil might make.

Might also pull her apart again next week and try a different way of adjusting (if fresh oil doesn't soften it). I'm a bit scared I may ware out the gasket though? :/

[Rob Furniss]

The intake plenum gasket? Nah I had mine off loads of times, just try not to damage it.
Also what thickness oil you got in at the moment?

[mosti]

I think I have a 10w 40

Anyways I found a little something while searching on tappet tuning techniques...

"for the intake cam the lobes should be facing 11 o' clock (towards the windshield) and you measure from the backside to get your clearances.

For the exhaust cam, it's the complete opposite. The lobes point to 2 o' clock (towards you, or front of car) and you check your clearances from the back of the cam."

I was tuning the tappets for both intake and exhaust while the lobe was facing directly upwards.

Do the intake lobes need to be facing up relative to the engine? (in that case roughly 10-11 o'clock)
And Is it true the exhaust cams need to face 2 o'clock? (both front and rear banks).

That just doesn't sound right to me.


Anyway, I've decided im taking it apart and doing it again tomorrow. Tappets are noisy as f**k (worse then before). I can now hear them over the exhaust even around 5k rpm on a warm engine (ofcourse).

Maybe the collets or watever they're called are damaged

[Rob Furniss]

10W40 should be ok.

I think if they are pointing relative to the angle of the engine that should be fine, I don't think that has to be spot on.
Make sure the adjuster to feeler gauge is tight, you should feel resistance when moving the feeler about but should be able to remove it of course, it really is something you get used to feel wise aparantly.

[mosti]

To be honest I think I got a 0w 40 lol. I srsly can't remember, worst memory.

Okay so the exhaust and intake lobes on the rear bank should both be facing toward the windshield. On the front bank, both exhaust and intake should be facing again, upwards relative to the engine.

Also, when tightening the lock nut, how tight does it have to be exactly? Just a nip up or a bit more force then that.

[Rob Furniss]

I think just a nip, thing is when you do up the lock nut the adjuster screw can also move unless you are also holding the screw driver on the adjuster at the same time and make sure it's not moving. It's easier with two people, also check the feeler gauge while you're tightening up the lock nut just to make sure it's how you want it.
A 5W40 or 10W40 oil may be better, i've just bought a 5W50, thicker oil isn't really an excuse for not adjusting tappets though so I have to do mine soon.

[mosti]

I found an easier way (for me anyway). I'd loosen the locknut, and adjust the screw until i was almost just at the right clearance. I'd then tighten both locknut's as tightly as I could with my fingers whilst holding the screw with the screw driver. I'd then use the socket to finish off. Out of all 24tappets, I only had maybe 3 adjuster screws move enough to throw out the clearance whilst using the socket. In that case I'd just re loosen one of the locknut's, adjust the screw and proceed with the above.

I found it much easier doing it this way then holding both socket and screwdriver. I checked the clearances both before, during and after adjusting the tappets.

So tonight (when my brothers mates move their f**king cars) I'll move the car into the garage and try again. This time I will be paying extra attention to the angle of the lobe and make sure it's the straight (relative to the engine) before adjusting.

Also going to lookout for damaged collets.

But yeah, my tappets sound worse now then they did the day before yesterday lol. So I'm hoping I don't make it worse again! However if I do, I'll handball it off to a mechanic.....if I find one.

[mosti]

I dont think going from 0w 40 to 10w 40 would make any difference. They are both same weight on operating temperatures. I went 0 over 10 because of winter etc etc. But now that summer is coming along I'll most likely go for 10w 40, but im not really fussed unless there is a price differential haha.

I was thinking about going up to 50 and I'm sure it would quite the tappets down, how drastic? I'm not sure but idk, like you said it doesn't fix the problem and I'd rather have it fixed and run the car on a lower weight oil

[Bennoz]

Adjust your tappets correctly & use the correct oil (10W-40)

Changing the grade only masks and eventually makes the problem worse.

[mosti]

Okay ive done the front bank. This time ive made them much tighter. The feeler needs to be pulled out with a bit of force but loose enough that i can put it back in...again with force.

Gotta go watch the misses play netball ..... Then i can re do the rears.

Oh and this time ive made sure the lobes are EXACTLY top dead center!... Within 100th of a mm

[payaya]

How clean are your heads? Mine look like poo compared to yours.

[mosti]

Ah f**k car finally back together. Spent a good 2 f**king hours retrieving a stupid bolt which had fallen just underneath the intake manifold next to the timing belt. God was ready to put a spanner through the windscreen!

Anyway, tapping is completely gone but a more serious issue has now arisen...as always

Car has rough idle and spits a lot of smoke out the exhaust! Put the foot on the accellerator and pushed it down a tad and the car struggled to rev but it had absolutely no guts whatsoever. Was splattering and wheezing all over the place

Seeing as it's 2:43am i probs stuffed something up (usually in bed by 12!). What are some possible causes? I'm think intake manifold not properly sealed? Hopefully nothing serious. Surely it's not the tappets having too little clearance? (I made sure they were pretty tight and had to practically jam the feeler into the lobe and roller )

How clean are your heads? Mine look like poo compared to yours.

If you're refering to the pictures on the first page....they aren't my heads lol

[payaya]

Doubt its your manifold gasket? Sure you put your leads on properly? Sure you did not mix them up?

[bass_twitch]

Mate check all your vacuum hoses, easy to miss one and they have that effect when not in, is the car stalling also?

[mosti]

Okay all hoses are in. The car doesn't die so i dont think its a vacuum issue. Only thing i can think of is the tappets are now too tight and the valves arent opening/closing correctly.

Fml, i have to do it again!. But f**k the feelers fit in but i made them a lot tight this time that i had to forcefull pull it out.

Ive taken off the manifold that many times this week i think id now be able to do it with my eyes closed -.-

[Gholdwayne]

Mate check all your vacuum hoses, easy to miss one and they have that effect when not in, is the car stalling also?

This might work too... I helped my mate Ollie replace his rocker cover gaskets... we just missed one skinny little hose, and the car sounded like a rotary with black smoke coming out of the exhaust - super rich?

Then I saw that missing hose connection and everything just went back to normal

[mosti]

Yea Well now I've had a coffee and 100% awake i saw i was in fact missing a hose lmao. Stupid f**k. Was the one that attatches onto the back of the engine bay, just behind the accleration cable thing haha.

Anyway, tapping still there. (wasn't when the hose was missing -,- )

I'm super peed off. I've tensioned the tappets quite tight but it's still in spec (only just). I'm confused as to why the f**k my stupid tappets are still tapping. But all I can think of is my technique is off. There are two tappets to each lifter. There's gotta be a technique here but I just don't know what it is.

I'm not prepared to do it again.....for the 3rd time in 3days! I'm thinking about a 10 w50 to shut the c**t up

But hey if someone can give me an insight on the correct technique on these f**king fto's I might give it one last try!