cam followers help

hi again,my 300tdi 97 auto with electrickery,has still got this very annoying tapping,knocking? had loads of peeps listen yep that's the vacuam pump so changed it ,nope still the same,well the lift pump then, nope but did not change just took it out ,still the same,some one says cam followers so iv tryed to listen with long screw driver but don't here any thing that i shouldn't also checked tappets all ok but if cam followers wouldn't one be loose?
**** maybe a small end do they sound similar?
wots it like to do ie drop sump or eng out?
ps it do's get a little quieter when eng warm
o and cold start is crap take an age but starts easy when warm:blabla:

Hummm....is the sound to me as if it is a gasket leak of some kind. Possible inlet, but maybe head gasket. Can you take it somewhere for a compression test?

hi andy, i will try and find somone todo comp test dont want to use local stelers ,there not very helpful at all
and being a bit thick wot will comp test tell me?
thanks pj

pete@her said:

and being a bit thick wot will comp test tell me?

Click to expand...

You are looking for compression pressure values within about 10% of each other.

If one cylinder is low then it is possible you have a head gasket problem (there are other causes, but they are not relavent with your symtoms). The 200Tdi is known to blow the head gasket at the back of piston 4 and the early signs are a ticking noise. Not sure if the 300 has the same problem or not.

def not ticking noise ,loud tapping or knocking.
and cant really hear if top end or bottom,
not burning any oil
same for water,
and still go's ok for an auto.don't miss fire,
???????????

OK, then. Is the tapping engine speed or road speed related?

hum, start eng tapping rev and tappig get faster back off and tapping slows with revs ,
when on road can't here so good
tis a bit better when warm.
sorry about the time this takes andy tinternet is crap here.

Right check for inlet and exhaust manifold leaks. It may also be a bent flex plate but I can't think why that would get better when it gets warm.

When you say it is better when warm do you mean it goes away completely? Is it a metallic tapping sound or more of a ticking? Is the engine lumpy at all when it starts from cold?

deff metallic just been out between rain can't hear any thing from gaskets i used a bit of hose pipe for that,
its like something's not getting oil,
i was up your way at warring Forrest caravan site a wile ago pity didn't have me laptop then(met up had a pint then hit you with wot do you think this noise is then)

pete@her said:

deff metallic just been out between rain can't hear any thing from gaskets i used a bit of hose pipe for that,
its like something's not getting oil,
i was up your way at warring Forrest caravan site a wile ago pity didn't have me laptop then(met up had a pint then hit you with wot do you think this noise is then)

Click to expand...

blimey pete,hitting andy wont help will it.:behindsofa:

i new that would come out wrong
any way i dont hit i run

Not sure if you have checked the tappet 'gap' but that would be worth looking at too. Might also be worth running the engine with the rocket cover removed to see what you can see (or hear) you never know. Will make a bit of a mess tho' so be careful how close you get

Other than that I don't think it is possible to give an definative answer without actually hearing the noise.

pete@her said:

i new that would come out wrong
any way i dont hit i run

Click to expand...

:hysterically_laughi

got one just the same someone said bottom end changed that made no difference shells looked good and crank sounds to high pitch anyway, changed vac pump still the same cheeked rocker clearances all fine its been tapping for 3 years drives me mad I thought it might be a to tight head gasket so when I had one blow replaced it with the thickest one even though there was no impact marking on the cylinders, a machanic told me to have the diesel pump timed and said it runs to well to be major but the noise sounds to metalic to me, another bloke i no said rocker shaft ware is common and to take the rocker cover off with it runing press a block of wood against the rockers centres forceing them down on the shaft and see if noise goes havent tried it yet but next on my list If i find the source I will let you know, let me know if you get there first
best of luck Re Alistair

Shot in the dark. Possible faulty injector. Easy check crack them off one at a time see if knock lessens. This will not only determine if it,s an injector but will also locate which pot the noise is coming from if any. If you get the above result then you then need to swap injector over with another pot and see if the knock moves If it deosn,t then it,s an internal fault. Only going off wat you said about it,s not as bad when warm. Used to work on the trucks had exactly the same fault. was a head scratcher at the time. worth a trie costs nothing

mastermac said:

Shot in the dark. Possible faulty injector. Easy check crack them off one at a time see if knock lessens. This will not only determine if it,s an injector but will also locate which pot the noise is coming from if any. If you get the above result then you then need to swap injector over with another pot and see if the knock moves If it deosn,t then it,s an internal fault. Only going off wat you said about it,s not as bad when warm. Used to work on the trucks had exactly the same fault. was a head scratcher at the time. worth a trie costs nothing

Click to expand...

I agree entirely!!, also give the engine short sharp jabs and see if it makes it more severe, small ends, big ends and piston slap should get worse during this. Tappets dont really change other than if the cam and followers were knackered then you would be needing to adjust the tappets fairly regularly.

I take it the crankshaft pulley is tight.

Run it with the belt off?

But to be honest if you get a length of hose and stick it in your ear it works great tracing these faults, I have proper stethafscopey phing but the hose works aswel.

thanks every one for replies.
have try ed all suggestion's but no change yet,going out now to try the pipe thing,
one other thing if mine is edc model y haven't i got a wire to a injector?

just been out,(fecking cold ) try to hear with pipe again but still no joy placing the sound,but i did find a wire to injector next to b/head.
some one said you can ajust inj pump by taking front cover off, so just had a look and there's 3 small nuts and 1 big one in middle so wot do you do ?