Audible tappets from within the car

andymin · 06-03-2002, 11:36 AM

I suspect I need to adjust my valves again, I last did them when the engine was out 2K miles ago

There is quite a load ticking sound, although sometimes it seems louder than others.

I have listened with a big screwdriver on the rocker covers and they all some equally as noisy.

Should these things be silent or is some tappet noise expected?

regards

Andrew

77 Carrera 3.0

ps. really dreading trying to adjust them with the engine still in the car!

HarryD · 06-03-2002, 08:28 PM

I have always been told that part of the Porsche motoring experience is the tappet sound. If it sounds like a singer sewing machine, the valves are too tight and you risk busting a valve.

Mine always click. It's music to my ears!

Adam · Adam's Garage

It's funny how you say "audible from within the car"...

In my 2.7CIS, usually they are louder from inside the cabin than when you're standing next to the car while it is idling. Some days it's louder than others, so I'm assuming that it's due for a valve-adjustment. It's been approx 8,000kms since it was last done...

davis911s · davis911s's Garage

My car has a ticking sound too. But only when the engine is cold. After the engine warms up the tcking goes away.

I just adjusted my valves 2 months ago, but I am an amateur so maybe they are too loose?

Shawn

DRV · 06-04-2002, 12:00 AM

Interesting how I read in magazines about how the valves should be quiet, I guess it depends what you call quiet or loud. When I bought my 2.7L I thought the valves were quite loud so I tried to adjust them but they sounded the same to me after adjustment. So I paid $200 for a well known shop to adjust them, they still sounded the same. I asked the mechanic that worked on them and he told me that "they run rattly". Even after rebuilding the engine with new valve guides it still sounds loud to me. I guess if you were to adjust your valves at .006" you would find out what noisy is. You can check the adjustment, maybe they need it? Maybe the valve guides are worn? You can spend thousands of dollars trying to fix something that doesn't need fixing. Or you can just drive it.
Good luck
Dennis Varney

jluetjen · jluetjen's Garage

It might help to clarify when you hear the "ticking" sound. If you hear it when you first pull the car out the garage in the morning and it's idling on the driveway, I'd be in the camp that says that it is most likely nothing. This is because the the whole valve train will be cold and so your engine will have the maximum clearences.

If you still hear them when the engine is fully warmed up, then that is something else again and it might be time to check them. At that point most of the clearance should be taken up and the valves should be pretty quiet.

AES · 06-04-2002, 05:32 AM

Noisey valves after proper adjustment can also indicate worn valve guides. Starting at least in the mid 70s Porsche has used a guide material that wears somewhat more easily than we might like.

andymin · 06-04-2002, 11:13 AM

I should have mentioned that the engine has been rebuilt and has new guides. I reckon its because I didn't do them properly when the engine was out last October, it seems noisier than before.

Won't hurt to check them and besides it will be so much more fun trying this with the engine still in the car!

Andrew

77 Carrera 3.0