my car has developed an annoying 'tappety' noise during the last few thousand miles, and its really doing my head in now!

it can happen when hot or cold, and can occasionally disappear when just driving along, regardless of speed/revs/temp.

it is a legacy turbo and not an impreza, so has the infamous tappets that can go noisy. the only thing is, i want to make sure its not piston slap first. the bottom end is modded, but only done circa 6000miles, heads are original and now just turned 80K.

the engine is back to standard apart from the bottom end, which i will swap back if i ever get time

is there a test i could do to see if it is piston slap? i remember something mentioned about removing an injector plug etc, but cant remember the rest?

noise is on the drivers side btw. and an oil change doesnt help it either.

any suggestions appreciated
ian

 

Tappets are a lot louder than piston slap, and more likely to occur randomly. If was piston slap, then I suspect you would have heard it before, given your engine is quite new.

 

cheers stevie

yes, i heard a friends impreza with piston slap, and noticed it was quiet and only from cold.
mine is random, and VERY noisy and dry sounding, oil changed every 3000 too.

when i swap the bottom end over to a standard one to sell the car, i will have to sort the tappets....
...any recomendations on best way to deal with them, dont want to replace as i belive this is costly, and im selling it.

thanks
ian

 

a bit off topic, but whats been done to the bottom end?
Is it 'more power' ready?
WIll you be looking to sell it when you sell the car?

 

UK Legacy T There is an additive called Superoo [ geddit] from Aussie that is very good at quietening noisy hydraulics. In essence it is ATF !! So, we add about a pint of ATF to an oil change with a 'Standard' - non synthetic oil and run for 1000 miles and then change back to a good quality oil. No harm done and quiet tappets - hey presto!! try it - it works a treat

David API Engines

 

As you have hydraulic lifters make sure you are not using too thick an oil?

 

thanks for the replies

David, will try that for sure! best hope i think.

turbo steve, my pc is a messin around at the moment, and wont open secondary windows on net, ie. profiles, so cant get your email address....
mail me at defiantmitzy@aol.com and i will reply. bottom end is for sale shortly, will tell you what it is via email.

cheers for help guys
ian

 

Note could also be dirty injectors, they are very very noisey when dirty, and can sound like tappets or piston slap. Easiest way to check this is if you go under the car if you hardly hear the noise any more then injectors, but if you still hear it most likely to be tappets.

[Edited by submannz - 6/18/2003 2:43:58 AM]

 

if the noise comes and goes for no obvious reason
hot or cold and sounds like a machine gun(or an old knackered vauxhall) or hitting two hammers together its the tappets
would it be possible to strip the originals and put an insert in them to make the tappets solid?
richie
ps does anyone have a pic or manual diagram of a legacy top end
before its stripped down