Noisey Tappets

[palliep]

Hi

As you can probably see I am new to the site so before I start hello!

For the last few years I have owned a 94, 2.5 D21 pick up which has never let me down. So when we needed to replace our Astra for a bigger more practical car we decided to plump for a Nissan. We were lucky enough to get a nice 98, Terrano II, 2.7TDi which has been owned by a friend of mine since new. It’s great, ticks all the boxes, and drives really well. We can get all the kids, dogs and accompanying paraphernalia in, no problem.

There is only one niggle, I have recently noticed (we haven't had it long) that I can hear the tappets when it is cold. The noise is only apparent first thing in the morning and not during the day (even when it has been left for few hours). I can hear the tappets for approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute before they become quiet.

I had the oil and filter changed last week; and the tappets were adjusted at the same time. Unfortunately the noise is still there, albeit quieter. My mechanic explained that this may just be the way these engines are.

However it’s still bugging me; so I thought that I would pose a couple of questions to you guys -

Do 2.7TDi’s have noisy tappets first thing in the morning? , and/or, am I just being Paranoid?

Any help would be very much appreciated

Thanks in anticipation

P

 

[clivvy]

I would look at the oil, and perhaps add a treatment for the tappets, if they have been adjusted, perhaps they just need a little while to quieten down.

I cant hear the tappets on no matter what the time of day or temperature, so my suggestion is that it isnt normal, but also its not necessarily bad either.

What oil did you have put in?

 

[palliep]

Hi

Thanks for getting back to me so promptly.

I can't be sure, but he did say he was going to check correct oil before he did the change, as he wanted to eliminate wrong oil from any persistent noise.

He also suggested, as you have, that they may quieten down with time (I will have to wait and see).

Something else he suggested if it carried on or got worse, was an oil pump problem. He said about sliders get stuck.

Does this ring any bells?

P

 

[clivvy]

not sure about noisy tappets being a symptom of oil pump, never heard that before. tappets become noisy due to wear, oil isnt creating the cusion it should do over the tappets (hence why they get adjusted) so what you need to do is give it a couple of months maybe, then do another oil change OR add Wynns Tappet treatment, that might even fix the problem (Have used in my V6 Mazda MX6 plus an oil change, sorted). Often just using the correct vicosity of oil will sort it.

in my mind, all you need is a very good quality oil, that coats the engine from cold, and give it a good few hundred miles to have an affect.

 

[geoffdown]

not sure about noisy tappets being a symptom of oil pump, never heard that before. tappets become noisy due to wear, oil isnt creating the cusion it should do over the tappets (hence why they get adjusted) so what you need to do is give it a couple of months maybe, then do another oil change OR add Wynns Tappet treatment, that might even fix the problem (Have used in my V6 Mazda MX6 plus an oil change, sorted). Often just using the correct vicosity of oil will sort it.

in my mind, all you need is a very good quality oil, that coats the engine from cold, and give it a good few hundred miles to have an affect.

hi this Wynns Tappet treatment i think is for hydrolic tappets which uses engine oil pressure to adjust the tappets so wont work in the 2,7 as its old fashion ohv engine and not ohc hope this helps

 

[solarman216]

if your guy adjusted the tappets with a feeler gauge, then you probably will still have excess gaps what happens on these engines is the valve stem wears a hole in the rocker, so the only way to check the clearance is with a clock gauge, but if you can find an unworn rocker, set it with feelers and note the amount of turn on the adjusting screw, I think it is half a turn but cant be sure, once this is ascertained then it is easy, just back each one off (half?) a turn and the job is done, there is no other noise producer on this setup, I think re the "sliders" it is to do with the petrol version that suffers from timing chain tensioner break up and it is hydraulic assisted, so will rattle till the oil gets there, but to be honest if yours rattles for only 60 seconds it sounds much more like the big ends are about shagged, it will not be tappets cos they will remain noisy, nothing in the first 60 seconds can affect them, Rick

 

[rustic]

Molyslip 2000E for engines, leaves a coating on the components, thus reducing wear on start up and protects the engine for a while waiting for the oil to get through..

It also allows the engine to turn over more easily on start up, due to reduced friction.

It may give the big ends assistance and help to reduce further wear.

I would have thought if it was the big ends then they would be noisy during hard work, ie using full power, or trying to go up a hill in too high a gear.

I am no expert, but seems logical to me.:nenau


Does your oil light go out say within 2-3 seconds of start up, if not it could be that the oil filter is allowing oil to drain back.

What make of filter is it?
I use Fram now and the oil light goes out in less than 2 seconds.

Hope this helps,
best regards, Rustic.

 

[Kamsin]

I think people have missed the point here.

It only happens in the morning and not during the day! If it was an engine problem it would happen no matter what the time was. The oil pump wont say "Its to eary, im not working yet, give me another hour in bed"

My sugestion is the time of day, What! you all say. Yes the time of day.

Near me is an ASDA and when i got past early morning or very late at night you can hear the aircon fans blowing, during the day, nothing. They are still working, you just dont hear them with the rest of the ambient noise.

You will hear the tappets as they need to get oil up to them, then they go quite, during the rest of the day, they make the same sound, you just dont hear it because of the ambient noise surounding you.

My opinion, leave them alone, if it aint broke, dont try to fix it! :clap

(PS, if you post in 2 weeks that your engine blew up, i reserve the right to remove this post):augie

 

[cleangreenm/c]

noise??

if its the tappets then the noise will be twice the speed of the engine ia a faster tapping than thesound of the sound of the engine roy

 

[solarman216]

I see what you are saying Kamsin, but early BE failure is characterized by early morning rattle, very often it does not happen during the day as the oil has not had long enough to completely drain back, we just taken the engine out of my off roader to do the clutch and Swifty said we had better put the sump as he heard said rattle, I never noticed it at all but he has younger ears, well cut a long story short the ends were shot, so bad I was surprised it did not rattle all the time, Oh and for the guy who said tappets go at twice the speed, er not so, they run at half engine speed and I doubt it is tappets anyway, Rick

 

[palliep]

Thanks for all your feedback it is much appreciated.

I'm no ace mechanic but I do know my way around an engine and, although solarman216 you do have a point about big end rattle, I am pretty sure it's tappets, it just has that charteritic top end tick (albeit only for a little while).

I tried something different this morning. I started it, bonnet up, and listened, no tappet noise. I left it on the drive ticking over for a few minutes then drove it round the block, still no noise. My wife has been driving it around all day and as usual she has had no noise (not sure she would notice anyway:doh).

As rustic mentions, if it was big ends wouldn't we hear the noise anytime of the day when ever the motor was under load?

I'll try something different tomorrow morning and report back.

Thanks again

P

 

[rustic]

If the noise is a "Chattering noise" it can sometimes be the fan belt on the power steering pump, to check this, while it's chattering, pour a cup full of water over the belt..... stand back though....

Mine does it now and again.

 

[solarman216]

well said Rustic, I had similar problems till changed the belts, and like you to identify it stuck the hose on it stopped straight away, and it did not matter how tight I made the belts, only answer was to change em, Rick

 

[rustic]

well said Rustic, I had similar problems till changed the belts, and like you to identify it stuck the hose on it stopped straight away, and it did not matter how tight I made the belts, only answer was to change em, Rick

Knowing what it is, is the most important thing. :thumbs

I changed my belts about 6 years ago, kept the originals in the Jack compartment, just in case. Occasionally I have sprayed them with WD40, some members frown at it, but it's not damaged my belts YET.

Mine are both the same, and when changing, they need to be changed as a pair as both belts share the same 2 pulleys, crank and water pump/fan.

Quite cheap from Milners.

 

[palliep]

Once again thanks for your replies.

The belt info is very interesting. I am up north with work this week but will check it out the weekend and report back.

Thanks again

P

 

[palliep]

HI

Although it doesn't seem to have got any worse it is still ticking when cold. Only seems to do it when under load i.e. when accelerating through the gears.

I have a new problem - my oil pressure light on the dash has stopped working. Does any one have any ideas?

Thanks

P

 

[Timbo_1975]

Never mind the tappets, you have a leaking exhaust manifold gasket.

 

[palliep]

Hi Timbo

Thanks for your reply!

Years ago i had an old XS 750 (triple if i recall); and now you come to mention it that had a leakey exhaust gasket - and it use to make a spit/tick untill it warmed up, then it would quite down.

Do you think I would need a new gasket or is it worth trying to nip it up?

Thanks again

P

 

[larson]

i once put a cheep chinky oilfilter on my trol and as silly as it sonts it didnt like it.. i thought i could here tapping noises but the filters since been changed and i never thought about it until today..

never mind your motor will be mint after you taken all are advice. but i had chattering from my belts. a quick squirt of wd40 and it stoped only to come back BUT i then new i needed to swap the fan belts and did all 4 at the same time

molyslip
oil filter
exhaust gasket
big end
belts