35 replies to this topic

[spiguy]

As I still have this noise, I just thought I would post up a video of it to see if anyone has any thoughts as to what it might be. I am hoping it is just worn rocker gear, I have a fair bit of play on a couple of them. You will hear the car start, (cold start so high idle) then after about 20 seconds the ticky noise starts. I shut the video off and then it stopped a couple of seconds after that, typical I had hoped to catch it 'going away' too, but thought the video was getting a bit long!

 

https://youtu.be/2OCIk8yYi6o

 

Cheers for looking!

Edited by carlukemini, 13 May 2015 - 04:32 PM.

[BritishRacingGreen]

might be worth removing the rocker arms and shaft and inspecting for bush wear. To remove them just remove the rocker cover, loosen the 1/2" nuts on the adjusters and wind them all the way out. use a good pair of pliers to undo the grub screw that stops the rocker shaft from rotating. Finally remove the split pins at the end of the shaft and from there is should be possible to tap the shaft though the posts with a drift and a soft hammer, catching the rockers, springs and shims as they become free.

 

It would be a good idea to number the rocker arms and keep track of where each shim and spring came from so you can put them back in the correct order.

 

Or just remove the 8 nuts holding the posts down and remove the rocker assembly in one go and dissemble on the bench. make sure the engine has been stood for a while and it might be worth draining the water out of the head so none leaks past the gasket. I've done rocker swaps like this and not had a head gasket fail.

[spiguy]

Thanks BRG. I had a look at your option one but I don't think I could get the shaft out past the master cylinder, or at the other end the radiator. So I think it would need to be a complete removal.

 

Do you think from the video that it is likely to be rocker gear then?

[sledgehammer]

the master cylinder is 2 nuts to remove (assuming fixed servo type 1989 on-wards ),

 

it can be gently moved over with the pipes still connected

 

just be gentle & try not to spill fluid

 

as above , with removing the rockers & posts - remove spark plugs

 

turn the engine so all the rockers are depressing the valves least , slacken all adjustment so valve train loose

 

drain coolant below the top of the block , keep fingers crossed , I've done a few this way , & haven't had a gasket go afterwards

 

must admit felt nervous while doing it that way , as it's not good practice to partially slacken the head ,

 

& probably puts an extra load the studs at the front

Edited by sledgehammer, 14 May 2015 - 07:39 PM.

[Dusky]

From your video, hold a screwdriver to your ear, put the other side on the Block to test where the sound is comming from.
Could be a faulty exhaust gasket or even worse :piston slap

[ChopperHarris]

I would start engine with rocker off, there will be some oil splatter, and hold a hammer handle against each rocker to valve head in turn ...quickly. If the noise is down to wear, it will stop when you press on the valve. The hammer will vibrate but be confident. Its a bare bones check, but it works.

[spiguy]

From your video, hold a screwdriver to your ear, put the other side on the Block to test where the sound is comming from.
Could be a faulty exhaust gasket or even worse :piston slap

piston slap   sounds bad... pretty sure it's rocker gear related in some way though, if I slug some oil in when its doing it, it goes quiet. This made me think it was lack of oil getting to the shaft / rockers, but there seems to be plenty there, if I run it with the cover off it is pooling around the base of the valve springs, everything looks wet with oil, and it starts to gradually flow onto the head spill over the edges after a minute or two.

 

 

I would start engine with rocker off, there will be some oil splatter, and hold a hammer handle against each rocker to valve head in turn ...quickly. If the noise is down to wear, it will stop when you press on the valve. The hammer will vibrate but be confident. Its a bare bones check, but it works.

I've tried it with the cover off and so far the damn thing won't do it when I have gone to the bother of removing the cover! it sometimes doesn't do it... I like your suggestion though, I will persevere with cover off testing.

[jime17]

Is the rocker cover touching one of the rockers?

[spiguy]

I had hoped that it was, but I can't see any signs of that, and I have had a good look at the rocker cover.

[firstforward]

Sounds like it is a worn cam follower, if it comes and goes that is normally the cam follower revolving where it is worse in one place than another. I have the same problem it rarely can be there on start up, sometimes comes and goes on idle after a long run. Sometimes it can not be heard for hundreds of miles. I was expecting it to give out soon at one time but I am 42K miles later just the same.

[sledgehammer]

less likely is a slightly bent push rod , they can sound weird , and also can move the rocker over a bit

 

giving a slight clicking sound then quiet repeated

 

think your best bet is to get the rocker cover off & as said above use a stethoscope bar to isolate the sound

[spiguy]

I did wonder about cam followers. The sound seems to me to be slightly lower in the engine than the rocker shaft / rockers. Just been out and did a cold start with the cover off, didn't do it (typical). What is involved in changing cam followers? I presume head off? is it an engine out job?

[spiguy]

Could it be a lack of oil getting to the camshaft? as in, it goes away once the oil feed to the rocker shaft 'spills' down the push rod holes and lubricates the cams. If so, would that be a blocked oil hole somewhere, and if it is then I can't think what I could do about that?

[Dusky]

On a 850,998,1100 its easy, a 1275 is engine out.

Piston slap wouldnt be that bad if it.goes away, know some guys running V8 engines for.years with the same problem

[spiguy]

Just to update this thread, I changed the rocker shaft at the weekend, and so far (4 cold starts) the noise seems to be gone. It pretty much did it every cold start before, so I am going to take it that this has fixed it.

 

I had planned to also fit 1.3 cooper s rockers, but there was something not right about the new rockers - pad didn't meet the valve stem flat, rather it was at a strange angle. As it turned out, the original rockers were in very good condition (making me think the car is 45000km's instead of 145000, I don't have any history as the car was a Jap import) so I was happy to reuse them. The shaft wasn't too bad either actually, but did have a bit of wear, mostly for rocker no 8 which had an edge you could feel between where the rocker runs and the unused shaft. I suspect this was the one which was noisy when cold, going quiet once a decent amount of oil got to it.

 

The way I changed the shaft was with the rad out (had it out anyway) and tapped the shaft out, only removing the 1st pedestal as there wasn't enough room to clear it before the shaft would have hit the inner wing. Hopefully won't have any gasket issues having only had one head nut off. Was a bit of a faff mind you. You need to tap the shaft to the left to clear the pedestal, remove the pedestal, then tap it all the way to the right until it's out. Not too bad though.

Edited by spiguy, 07 June 2015 - 09:02 PM.