Engine Noise & Valve Adjustment - Hydraulic Tappets

[trymes]

All, I haven't properly introduced myself yet, but I am located in New Hampshire, and recently purchased Robin Fairservice's Javelin, E0PBL10010D. It's a LHD car that spent its entire life in British Columbia until this summer!

Anyhow, it is currently running engine number E0PCL11308, with E0PBL10010 also rebuilt on a dolly in the garage. Both engines, to my knowledge, have hydraulic lifters. When its running, the engine has a rapping sound, above and beyond what seems like what I would expect a normally tappety engine to sound like. I'm familiar with the phrase "a noisy engine is a happy engine", but this seems excessive, almost like someone tapping a hammer.

Before I get overly nervous, I figured I would adjust the valves, but just as I was comfortable with the process for solid lifters, I realized that I have hydraulic lifters. Can anyone point me to a good explanation of the process? I am comfortable with rotating the engine to 360° past the point where the valve is fully compressed, and from there the rocker is on the valve stem with no gap, but I can push it back into the block. Here's a quick video I posted before showing what I'm seeing. Apologies for poor videography and I think this was before I realized I had hydraulic tappets.

Tom

https://youtu.be/gmw-Ela5jko

This is also a video of the car from before I bought it. You can hear it run, but it's hard to hear the rapping I'm concerned about, except when the car revs up, and when it's away from the camera. https://youtu.be/Tf5ykePopjE

[Keith Clements]

Hi Tom ,
Welcome to the club and your recently acquired Javelin.
I think you should find something useful in this early manual in Section 22 Page 14 and Section 90 page 30
viewtopic.php?t=6092
Yes there is far too much play there and may suggest a dry tappet.

[Keith Clements]

Scott, Neil and I visited Robin on our way up to the Arctic Cicle from Los Angeles in Scott's Javelin.
Good to see it has another caring owner.

[trymes]

Many, many thanks, Keith! I think I now have more questions than when I started!

For a start, how does the ball hold against the seat if gravity is pulling it the other direction? A spring, I suppose, but I didn’t see that. I suppose that the flow of oil could force it out, but it seems quite imprecise to my uninformed eye.

0ACACD7A-684B-4487-B11A-423CF9880514.jpeg

Beyond that, the instructions are to set the clearance to 0.06”-0.09” when dry, but once the engine has been started and oil reaches the tappets, how long does it take for them tappets to drain? Or do they drain at all? Some of mine seem springy like in the video, while others seem rigid.

I have a sinking feeling I’m going to need to take this thing at least partially apart..

[trymes]

I should add: I have a spare engine, how difficult is it to get at the tappets to get a feel for how they work, etc? There’s a metal cover that comes off and provides decent access, especially when out of the car, no?

[Forumadmin]

Tom.
I have no experience with the hydraulic tappet unfortunately. Hopefully the few that have will respond. You and I can also use the search archive facility as I am sure this must have been answered before. https://jowett.net/searchserver.php
The tappet covers with the two dozen set screws allow access to the tappets.
I would try turning the engine over with the starting handle and follow my procedure here. viewtopic.php?p=43335#p43335
This may show if the springy ones turn to rigid as they rise on the cam and conversely.
My guess is the oil should not drain off within an hour.

[Keith Clements]

Search Archive with 'hydraulic tappet' search provided 230 results:
viewtopic.php?f=161&p=38536

Section 11 Page 9 and 13 /10
viewtopic.php?p=29877#p29877

Page 5
download/file.php?id=23908

Page 4 JowettJive-19.pdf
download/file.php?id=23703

Page 63
download/file.php?id=3621&mode=view

Note to find the topic from the Search Archive copy the number after P= into an URL that looks like this. Replace the 43184 in both these places.

Code: Select all

https://jowett.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=43184#p43184

To find the actual pdf you may need to use the file name and then download it. e.g. JowettJive-19.pdf
The URL link can be copied from the topic using Right Click on the picture or icon in the topic so that it looks something like this.

Code: Select all

https://jowett.net/forum/download/file.php?id=23703

In the following you can simply go to the Jowetteer forum viewforum.php?f=77 and find the relevant year and then document.
Page 7. P=44112_Jowetteer1963-02.pdf
Page 8. P=24942_Jowetteer1968-08.pdf
Page 2. P=24951_Jowetteer1990-06.pdf
Page 7. P=44113_Jowetteer1962-06.pdf

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