I really am sorry to post this. I know that there is already a 'tapper' thread on the first page, and the subject has been asked loads of times before (I did search!), but...

I recently bought a GTi-6 powered 205. Local, Professionally converted, rebuilt bottom end, cheap and most importantly, it was black. Let's just say I got very excited. So excited in fact, that I didn't pay too much attention to the 'slight tapping from lifters' with in all fairness was mentioned in the ad. Apparently the tappets/lifters (what is the correct wording for them anyway?) were recently replaced, so at best they just needed 'bedding in' and at the absolute worse it was an 'old' engine and a bit of excess noise is to be expected.

For the 3 weeks I've had the car, it has been noticeable, but not to the point where it has annoyed me enough to even think about doing anything about it, anyway the Stereo and Fart can exhaust do a very successful job of drowning it out.

I signed up here the other night out of sheer interest, and then stumbled across one of the many 'tapper' threads, then I read the words 'bent valve' followed closely by 'It could snap off at any moment and wreck the entire engine' (paraphrasing)... Then I got ever so slightly worried

I'll be replacing the spark plugs (and checking that they are tight!) later on in the month when it's time for a service, but deep down, I have my doubts that it is something that simple. Although the noise can be described better as a tick, it does increase and decrease with engine speed, until about 3,000RPM when it seems to get slightly quieter, but I cannot hear much after that other than the exhaust drone!

Now I noticed something the other day. It doesn't tick until the car has warmed up slightly (5 minutes of driving). Oil thins as it heats up, so this has got me thinking that perhaps I the oil I'm running may be too thin? Could the Lifters/tappets maybe need to 'bed in' like I initially thought(although thinking about it, it is probably unlikely!)

If the worst comes to the worst and it is a bent valve, What is the likely hood of dropping a valve? Is it simply a matter of soldiering one and keeping the AA card close to hand at all times? Am I mad for considering doing some track days with the engine in it's current state?

A head rebuild isn't financially going to happen for at least a few months, and even then I'd like to have the money to go to town with the thing whilst it is in bits (flowed, ported, liary cams, TBs ). And it NEEDS to be used Mon - Friday

Any thoughts guys? Any advice is much appreciated

Thanks for the reply!

It's odd, I saw the videos the other day and I'm still convinced mine sounds more 'tinny' than yours did, but the guy who did the conversion has just come back to me saying that he thinks it's bent valves on the inlet side. Sort of shoots my hopes it was loose spark plugs out of the sky .

Correct my ignorance, but is there any reason I could not simply only replace the bent valves, rather than doing a rebuild (other than the obvious, you should do it whilst you're in the area)?

Bent valves tick straight away from cold ? You say dont start ticking to after 5 minutes etc !

My old 6 tapped. Was indeed bent valves. But it did do it from cold and got louder as the car got hotter. I had it fixed and after a few thousand miles the water pump failed and caused it to tapp much worse. Still, it was noisey from cold and worse when hot but it also missed a lot was down on power. If yours dont tap from cold i cant see it being bent valves. Maybe noisey injectors. Could a broken spark plug cause a tappy noise? As in, maybe they are tight but gas is still escaping? Dunno though, just mulling.

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See the sheer power and might of the lesser known burrowing owl.

Nah mate, 10/40 whats meant to be in it. I do think it may be worth pulling out the spark plugs and visually inspecting them for cracks maybe. All i will 100% commit myself too though is that true tappers tap from cold. Also, i used to have a powerflow exhaust with was excessivly loud, yet i could still hear mine (both times) up through the whole rev rang.

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See the sheer power and might of the lesser known burrowing owl.

It cant slip when its warmer and slip back when its colder. I guess it could be shit oil. When its warmer its thinner which may cause problems. Magnetec is okay though. Its what i used. That and GTX. Never caused me any any issues. Maybe its too old though. Or the wrong oil totally.

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See the sheer power and might of the lesser known burrowing owl.

What's the point? A good semi-synth like that you can leave in for at least 15k. With the newer filter design the recommended change interval is 20k.

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Rich

Interesting!

By all means it doesn't run for very long without tapping, buty for the first 3-5 I certainly get nothing. Well, nothing that I can hear from the cabin at least.

It has had a recent oil change, but I'll do it again to be 100% sure (as well as checking the plugs). Any ideas on oil? I've heard that 10w-50 stuff recommended. Could I maybe get away with Mobil S 10W-40, as I get that free at work (as well as Mobil 1 fully synthetic 0W-40, but I dare say that'll be far too thin?)

Would using her out on track be a terrible idea if worst being the worst and it is a bent valve?

So we all agree not bent valve then ?

You are wrong

At temperatures you will encounter in the UK they are exactly the same thickness. The only difference is that the 0W-40 remains pourable at a colder temperature than the 5W-40.

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Rich

It's not like the GTi-6 is a modern engine though. It can trace its roots back to the T16 and the design itself is now getting on for 15 years old. Even in the Porsche cirles, a few people have had perfectly good engines finished off by 0W40 when they were fine on 10W40 and 5W40. Ask on the Fiat Turbo forums and you'll see a similar pattern emerging.

I know the UK is cold, but I wouldn't have said it was 'That' cold.

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Ex Owner of 2000 Phase 3 306 GTi 6 China Blue - You shall be missed

1974 Triumph Stag
1989 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6
2003 Alfa Romeo 147 JTD Lusso
2005 Mondeo Ghia X 3.0 Estate LPG

For sc6 etc maybe 0w10 fully syn is best bet?

i no few use 10w40 semi synthetic on sc6's . ive gfot 0w40 fully in at moment ! so seems like theres a right mix bag