Engine tick
- Thread starter SKYSAW
- Start date
mrtask
Well-Known Member
Some of 'em do that! Turn the stereo up.
Sorry, just being flippant, I'll get my coat.
The hydraulic lifters can tap. My V8 does it, being tired and old now. The annoying tickety-tick comes and goes. More noticeable at start-up on a cold day, quietens down after it has warmed up.
Is the car new to you? Maybe give it the proverbial 'Italian tune-up' – lots of welly! Can't really imagine a red 3500 hasn't been driven at pace, but perhaps, eh?
Sorry, just being flippant, I'll get my coat.
The hydraulic lifters can tap. My V8 does it, being tired and old now. The annoying tickety-tick comes and goes. More noticeable at start-up on a cold day, quietens down after it has warmed up.
Is the car new to you? Maybe give it the proverbial 'Italian tune-up' – lots of welly! Can't really imagine a red 3500 hasn't been driven at pace, but perhaps, eh?
keynsham1
Active Member
I have been told this can be worn rocker shafts, and often the replacements will wear quickly too and do it. Mine has a very slight tap on one side (but I am a bit hyper-critical of my own car so it may be pretty normal!) and always has ever since I rebuilt it with new parts 12 years ago! It has never got worse.
jp928
Well-Known Member
Mine had badly worn rocker shafts and rockers when I got it. Replaced with after market shafts and rockers from Island 4x4, quiet. I can just hear maybe one lifter ticking while under the bonnet, but nothing audible from inside. If you do the rockers, probe the oil supply hole at the front of each head to ensure its clear.
What distance has your engine covered? Has it ever been rebuilt, and if so, what was done?
Ron
jp928
Well-Known Member
Easy thing is pull one rocker assembly off (bit of a juggle to get the cover off under the carbs!) and check the state of the shaft - pull rockers sideways against the springs to look for wear as in pic above. Unless you are going to do VERY large mileage after market shafts and rockers will outlast you.
SKYSAW
New Member
Thanks! Is that a big job? I know nothing about fixing shit on cars lolMine had badly worn rocker shafts and rockers when I got it. Replaced with after market shafts and rockers from Island 4x4, quiet. I can just hear maybe one lifter ticking while under the bonnet, but nothing audible from inside. If you do the rockers, probe the oil supply hole at the front of each head to ensure its clear.
SKYSAW
New Member
Well. It was owned for MANY years by an elderly gentleman, who sadly died. No service history was recovered by the family, unfortunately. What we do know, is that he obtained MOT's for every year, even though, of course, not needed. Apart from the noisy engine, the oil guage is not working and its a bitch to start in the morning!.. Genuine 77000 miles.
keynsham1
Active Member
I have seen comments about shims under the rocker shafts before but I have never seen any in any of the Rover V8 engines I have had, and they are not in the parts catalogue. As the hydraulic lifters ensure no gaps and have a range for this then I can't see the need for shims unless the engine has been tuned in some way such as solid lifters etc?
If it has covered only 77,000 since new, then maybe the oil changes were less than ideal. Tapping sometimes occurs when one or more lifters no longer rotate. Now the camshaft lobe strikes them, causing the tapping sound, rather then the correct way of operating by rotating and following the lobe continuously.
Check the colour inside the rocker cover by removing the oil filler cap. What colour do you see, black?
Ron
SKYSAW
New Member
If it had no oil pressure, it wouldnt get further than the next street..
Looks clean but dry, Ron
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That is an interesting photo. To me, it looks like your rocker shafts have been changed fairly recently. Look closely at the valve spring, are they single or double? When the heads were removed, if composite gaskets were installed rather than tin gaskets, an increase in tapping is likely, unless the heads were decked to compensate.
Ron
Ron
cobraboy
Well-Known Member
The rust forming on the rocker shaft may indicate an oil supply issue. Maybe pull the rocker covers and ensure oil is getting to the rockers when running.
StefanVXR8
Member
My engine was the same when I bought the car. It had been stood around for a while and after I changed the oil to 20W-60 (there was also just over 6.5L in there!), and have done a few runs in it the tick has gone away thankfully.
mikecoombs
Active Member
If your oil pressure guage reads zero the pump has probably lost its prime (ie. no oil in the pump for it to pump) which will feed through to noisy lifters as they empty out. Surprisingly you can get quite some distance with no oil pumping through. The oiling is provided at extreme pressure via a wedge of oil forming between components, not the pump pressure; it just requires some oil to be present to form the wedge.
Unfortunately priming the pump on a P6 is a rather painful exercise due to its location.
Unfortunately priming the pump on a P6 is a rather painful exercise due to its location.