Top End Noise - What do you reckon?

[willg54]

Right, just started the engine up to get her warm and bleed the coolant through but it's developed a noisy top end by the sounds of it.

heres a vid if its any use

http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa163/willg54/?action=view&current=VIDEO0001.mp4

I found it hard to pinpoint where its coming from but it sounds more towards the back of the head, around cyl4-5

Before i started ripping bits out in frustration, i thought it would be best to get some advice. Could it just be a noisy tappet? what should i look at first?

During the rebuild all i did with the engine was put a new(er) exhaust cam and tappets but this noise sounds like its from the intake side which wasn't taken apart.

:corey:

[prj]

Lifter ticking by the sounds of it, although normally the sound is deeper, I think whatever you are recording with is slightly altering the sound.
What kind of oil are you using? Does it go away if you rev it a couple of times?

[Error404]

Sounds like a dry lifter. I find they sometimes take a while to pressurise properly, there are also some aftermarket lifters that never seem to work properly IIRC AndyP had some issues with them. Did you bleed them before you fitted them Have you had it properly up to temperature yet?

[willg54]

Lifter ticking by the sounds of it, although normally the sound is deeper, I think whatever you are recording with is slightly altering the sound.
What kind of oil are you using? Does it go away if you rev it a couple of times?

Firstly, thanks to you both for the replies. Apologies for the duff recording...its from my phone

My first thoughts were lifter. Currently its got 10-40 in (what it ran on before) and no, the noise stays if you rev it.

The exhaust side lifters were some very good 2nd hand ones from Will at VRS. The inlet side i didnt touch or remove, so most likely over the last 13 months would have drained of oil.

I got it pretty hot, sat idling for about 10 minutes.

I would say did you like the exhaust note but all you can hear is that damn knocking...

[prj]

I'd use 5w40 for winter.
10w40 will be proper goo when the temps drop low.
Though if it's warmed up already, it shouldn't keep ticking.

[Billman]

it is the first start after the rebuild? Do you have oil pressure?

Remove the hall sensor cable and try to crank the car with the turbo oil supply line removed to see if oil comes up during cranking.

Did you used APR main studs? Did you changed the check valve? Maybe the oil supply to the head is reduced.

[willg54]

Nope, the engine hasnt been apart.

Oil pressure is looking lovely! I went through all the process of getting pressure before cranking the first time.

PRJ...what you said about oil thickness made me think...now the oils had chance to properly heat soak, will it be different? Guess what...its a million times quieter!!! There is definitely a noisy tappet in there still but you can actually hear the engine over it tapping away. Think i might give it a drive before i start taking it to bits again and give it a chance to bleed through

[AndyP]

Sounds a lot like mine did when I first started it, I'd run it for a bit longer, they can take a suprisingly long time to settle down if they are new or not been run for a while. Run it for long enough for the oil to get up to temp, not just the coolant.

[DJones]

Yes i would say that's a follower, they can be a pain in the ****, especially in this cold weather.

The best way to find which one it is is to switch it off whilst its doing it, take the cam cover off and push the follows down with a piece of wood etc, you will soon find which one compresses easily..

Hope it helps..

Darren.

[JP]

Is the noise there from start or just as it starts to get warm.

If it gets worse the warmer the engine gets check that water is returning to the header tank to make sure there is no airtraps in the water system. If there is an airpocket in the head the aluminium expands and pinches the lifters causing them to knock against the cam lobes on valve closure making a similar sounds to lifter issues too.

[mcandmar]

Sounds normal to me for dry lifters after being apart, you can let it idle all day long and it wont go away, you need to drive it ~3000rpms for a while.

[TimE-J]

I'd have to agree with most on here, when my engine lost its oil and I managed to get it to run again its took about 10-15 minutes on a fast idle of about 2k for the noise to quieten down.

[will20v]

just red line it and if somethings wrong you will find out and if not the lifter will fill up noise will go away

[willg54]

just red line it and if somethings wrong you will find out and if not the lifter will fill up noise will go away

haha rev it out...always a good philosophy!

[audinut]

just red line it and if somethings wrong you will find out and if not the lifter will fill up noise will go away

sorry to go off topic but will20v do you have any pics on here of your car ? is it a factory colour?