slight tapping/knocking on startup

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J

JCS1991

New Member
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185
Location
New Zealand
for the first 2 seconds or so, then it smooths out.

2.25 petrol

I am planning to do a full oil change, I think it has the wrong type of oil in it currently. but im worried about the tapping

also after a long drive (enough to get the oil nice and hot) the oil warning light comes on when idling with the choke right in. the oil is up at the dipstick though.

when I bought the landy someone had been running it with very low oil. (ie they hadn't topped it up ever) and I think the wrong type.

so whats the worst case scenario, and what are the problems I am likely to have right now?



I am thinking that the oil gets hot after a long drive, and then the pressure drops due to it thinning (im in a fairly warm climate, and we barely get freezing temperature in mid winter)
but the tapping at startup does that mean something is already damaged?
 
Sounds like a worn set of big ends if you have low oil pressure at idle.
Doesnt mean to say its knacked, probably go on for ages yet just keep checking the oil.
The tapping noise sounds like the guess what... tappets, check the clearance to make sure they are ok, sometimes on high mileage engines you cant set them with feelers you have to do it by ear, this is because the valve tends to wear a dimple in the rocker making it impossible to measure the gap.
The tapping might also be affected by the oil pressure to an extent.
Might be a good idea to check the oil pressure if you can borrow a guage.
 
dr pepper said:
Sounds like a worn set of big ends if you have low oil pressure at idle.
Doesnt mean to say its knacked, probably go on for ages yet just keep checking the oil.
The tapping noise sounds like the guess what... tappets, check the clearance to make sure they are ok, sometimes on high mileage engines you cant set them with feelers you have to do it by ear, this is because the valve tends to wear a dimple in the rocker making it impossible to measure the gap.
The tapping might also be affected by the oil pressure to an extent.
Might be a good idea to check the oil pressure if you can borrow a guage.
Click to expand...

it only taps if its been sitting for about 10 hours plus

if I drive it, and then leave it for 6 hours and start it again, its fine.

the oil it currently has in it is an unknown age, very dirty and is 15w40

the low oil pressure at idle is only after at least 30 minutes of driving at 50mph+

also if you even tweak the throttle up a few rpm's it goes away.

oh and she doesn't blow any smoke. even on startup
 
I can't believe you are still driving this without changing the oil and filters for a start..you know the oil is shot, you can hear the engine is not performing, the oil pressure is low...yet you continue to thrash it at over 50mph....


:doh::doh::doh:
 
storm99 said:
I can't believe you are still driving this without changing the oil and filters for a start..you know the oil is shot, you can hear the engine is not performing, the oil pressure is low...yet you continue to thrash it at over 50mph....


:doh::doh::doh:
Click to expand...

actually im not driving it lol anymore and im getting oil tomorrow when the shops open. :D

the engine runs smoothly, and I only found out about the oil pressure problem AFTER i had driven it for a while.
 
Last edited:
Yes, tappet oil feed could be the problem - The feed is via an external pipe at the rear of the block and mine blocked up so it's worth checking to see if the flow is a bit restricted. It went very noisy as the top end ran dry and it's still a bit tappety to this day 'cos of the play in the rockers. Nasty old oil won't help the situation.
 
I had a funny knock in the really cold weather we have just had. The knock has gone now though as its no longer minus 15....

It would knock when you were accelerating in 3rd and 4th gear and only when the engine was cold. I thought that it could be the big ends or the tappets. I know that the tappets make a tapping noise not a knocking noise, so I thought big ends.

I adjusted the tappets any way but they have always been darn quiet.

My oil pressure shoots up like a new engine and it doesn't drop lower that the manual says it should at idle. So this made me think again about the big ends.

The engine had a professional re-con 3 years ago so big ends going in that time was unlikely unless I had had no oil or sucked some water in...

I was adamant that the noise was coming from the engine, however, I got my friend to take the wheel whilst I clambered about on the floor with my ear to the bulk head and transmission tunnel.

The noise was coming from the gear box...

I have now figured that the EP90 was so cold and thick that it wasn't lubricating as it should when setting off in the sub zero temperatures. It hasn't been changed in a while that also wouldn't help the situation as i expect there is quite alot of water in it.

Maybe this is your problem?

My gearbox has since rustled up some new noises that I don't like and I think its gunna die soon.

Lucky I have another one that is currently in bits awaiting new parts.
 
Yannis said:
I had a funny knock in the really cold weather we have just had. The knock has gone now though as its no longer minus 15....

It would knock when you were accelerating in 3rd and 4th gear and only when the engine was cold. I thought that it could be the big ends or the tappets. I know that the tappets make a tapping noise not a knocking noise, so I thought big ends.

I adjusted the tappets any way but they have always been darn quiet.

My oil pressure shoots up like a new engine and it doesn't drop lower that the manual says it should at idle. So this made me think again about the big ends.

The engine had a professional re-con 3 years ago so big ends going in that time was unlikely unless I had had no oil or sucked some water in...

I was adamant that the noise was coming from the engine, however, I got my friend to take the wheel whilst I clambered about on the floor with my ear to the bulk head and transmission tunnel.

The noise was coming from the gear box...

I have now figured that the EP90 was so cold and thick that it wasn't lubricating as it should when setting off in the sub zero temperatures. It hasn't been changed in a while that also wouldn't help the situation as i expect there is quite alot of water in it.

Maybe this is your problem?

My gearbox has since rustled up some new noises that I don't like and I think its gunna die soon.

Lucky I have another one that is currently in bits awaiting new parts.
Click to expand...

I doubt that this is the problem. we are having a minimum of +17 degrees at the moment and thats at night. also the tapping is only for about 2 seconds after the engine starts. during normal driving the engine sounds perfect.
 
clatter knocking noise? or door knocking noise?

clattery knocking noise make me think big ends.

If its only there for about 2 seconds, this is because the oil has not had a chance to get round where it should, this will also explain your low oil pressure when hot as this is a sign that the big ends are going or your oil pump is ropey.

Big Ends are apparently a easy change and you can do it with the engine in situe. Its best to do them before to long as it can score the crank if its left and then it will need much more work than just a bearing change.

However, before you go and take your engine to bits, put some new oil in it, maybe a grade higher 20w50 or some thing like that. Its cheap £30 for 18L I can get.
 
Yannis said:
clatter knocking noise? or door knocking noise?

clattery knocking noise make me think big ends.

If its only there for about 2 seconds, this is because the oil has not had a chance to get round where it should, this will also explain your low oil pressure when hot as this is a sign that the big ends are going or your oil pump is ropey.

Big Ends are apparently a easy change and you can do it with the engine in situe. Its best to do them before to long as it can score the crank if its left and then it will need much more work than just a bearing change.

However, before you go and take your engine to bits, put some new oil in it, maybe a grade higher 20w50 or some thing like that. Its cheap for 18L I can get.
Click to expand...

yea, im buying 8 litres of 20w50 tomorrow as its on special so a cheap deal. over here that means about £30 for 8 litres, normally 50% more than that :eek:
and yea I shopped around too.

anyway im pretty sure the oil is trashed, so with any luck that will fix the problem.

its like a clattering noise, tappity tappity tappity type sound and doesn't do it if the engine has been running in the last 6 hours or so.

so im starting at the easiest thing first. new oil

if that doesn't work then I will start on the next thing
 
JCS1991 said:
actually im not driving it lol anymore and im getting oil tomorrow when the shops open. :D

the engine runs smoothly, and I only found out about the oil pressure problem AFTER i had driven it for a while.
Click to expand...

put 20/50 watt oil in it when you do the change ( sounds to me like 15/40 is just a little thin fer doing high mileage high speed and is thinning out a little too much :cool::cool::cool:
 
Hi, good news. I refilled the motor with 20w50, the first time I started it after that it did the tapping thing. took it for a drive and it hasn't done it since. even after sitting for a while.

now I just need to start fixing all the leaking seals. otherwise its going to cost me a fortune in oil (mostly the front diff is leaking)
 
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