Noisey Tapits

I have a V8 3.5 petrol that has a loud'ish tappit noise on the drivers side block, when the car is under load, ie, going up a hill the noise is very loud and sounds like the manifold is blowing.
There is no whites smoke or smoke at all from the exhaust, oil on the dip stick is normal no bubbles/water etc. exhaust fitters say it is not blowing from the boxes or manifold.
The cars performance does not seem to be effected, just annoying that it sounds like the baffles are missing, just dont want it to pop a valve or something v/expensive.
any ideas?

Wouldit help if I told you I had the same issues last week on a defender?

and what was the problem and cost?

A hairline crack in one of the exhaust manifolds can cause the noise you are talking about, you could look all day and might not find it untill it get worse and opens up a bit. The gasket at the manifold can also cause this noise.

Get a small drop of redex and gently poor some down the inlet manifold while engine is running, give it a couple of revs and often you will see a plume of white smoke come from the manifold/gasket.

You will have to be alert though as you, your engine, your car and half the street will disappear in the smoke.

Just out of curiosity it is not the engine 'pinking' under load is it?

regards

Dave

If it is tappets, then it will be tappets all the time, and it WILL NOT be affected by engine loading.

Therefore it is not tappets.

CharlesY

Nope the car is not pinking.
the cloud of smoke thing seems quite interesting.

the 3.9 has hydraulic tappets.. dunno about the 3.5.. but does sound like exhaust manifold.. mine does the same and when I took them off to do the head gasket I saw why.. but can't afford new ones this month so they are going back on and I will start hunting for a new pair..

My 110 was gradually getting noisier whilst working, not a peep when ticking over or reved. Turns out the prop was slowly making its way thro the sump!!! No performance issues, or showing any other signs of distress.....then suddenly the noise blasts your ears,and hey presto it all stops working..............for good!!!!!

Which prop went through the sump, front or back? surely this would be visible on inspection before it happens?

How easy is it to remove the manifold an put new gaskits in?
as it looks like is has not been off the vehicle and it is a 1992 model. do the bolts break easy, easy to replace them etc?
Why have an easy life when you can have a landy.

one of the easist jobs I did as part of the head gasket change was the manifolds.. if your just putting new gaskets in probably don't even need to undo them from the eggsauce..

but that was mine.. yours might all be seized...

and if you do undo them from the eggsauce get a pair of eye goggles.. the crud falls on you guaranteed..