ticking hydraulic tappets ?

[Guest bangerfan101]

swmbo has recently bought an 04 plate fiesta zetec after the clumsy bint drove into a parked car (clumsy bastard) .

 

the fiesta in question is 1.4 16v zetec  with 106k on the clock and from cold ticks really REALLY bad on the tappets . Has anybody had the same sort of issues with tapping tappets and know of any quick fixes with addatives or other associated bodging .

 

The lack of arsed to start fiddeling with camshafts and associated timing tomfoolery to change the buggers is ever so strong.

[gm]

one of my mazdas was bad for that, turned out that the 5w-40 oil was too thin, a quick change to 10w-40 and an Italian service and they settled down

[PiperCub]

^ Pretty much 'wot he said'  - usually it's wrong grade oil or really old, dirty oil that hasn't been changed in ages. Oil change, thorough warm up then a trash should sort it. With only 106K on the clock, I'd doubt very much it's anything serious unless the car's been utterly neglected which would reflect in the overall condition as well.

 

I've seen products that apparently quieten down noisy lifters (Wynn's for instance) but I've no experience of using them in anger so don't know how good/bad/indifferent they are. 

[scaryoldcortina]

Other way around with a zetec - anything other than 5w30 changed every 10k or so and they tap like fred astaire.

[Guest bangerfan101]

My first thought was bang some engine flush in and an oila an filter change with good quality oil .

 

Something other that the cheapest halfrauds home brand oil my ka gets treated to when it spits its guts up on the drive

[PhillipM]

one of my mazdas was bad for that, turned out that the 5w-40 oil was too thin, a quick change to 10w-40 and an Italian service and they settled down

That's only because of the fresh detergents in the new oil, you'll actually flush out tappets better with thinner oil than thicker. Plus 10w-40 isn't thicker when up to temp anyway, only when colder, when you want it as thin as possible.

 

Either do a couple of oil changes in quick succession and then stick it on something half decent, or run a thin flushing oil through it - I've done a few MX-5's that suffer from the same issue with tappets getting noisy just using Carlubes flushing oil - usually after someone sticks MagnaShite in them - the right fix is to strip and clear the tappets but obviously £££'s compared to a tenner of flushing oil.

[Asimo]

Clean oil and proper filter first, give it a good thrash, then both oil and filter again with the recommended oil grade. Some filters don't have a non-return valve which might delay the build up of oil pressure from cold.

 

That may or may not be all or part of the problem. If it persists, use a stethoscope or stick-in-the-ear to isolate which tappit.

 

Or look for the knackered lobe on the cam.........

[Royale80]

Afternoon all,

Had this with my Royale-put a can of Wynns Flush in warmed it up and drained the oil (looked very dirty).

New oil and filter and a can of Wyns valve lifter and alls a lot quieter!

 

Steve

[twosmoke300]

Is it deffo the tappets ? Had it got vvt/ vct or whatever ford call it ?

Had a focus 1.6 vct in with what sounded like rattly followers . Turned out to be a faulty camshaft variatior

[Guest bangerfan101]

A very good question . I've actually no idea if its actually the tappets or if its got vvt ???. my reasoning in thinking it was them ,was it seems to quieten down when its warmed up .

 

the oil looked quite new when I dipped it and kicked the tyre when she rolled up with it .

 

her dad seemed to think it was a good runner but I don't think he'd looked any further than the fresh tyre black and freshly valeted interior bullshit the seller had done to shift it .

 

now the aches in my balls to sort it

[Felly Magic]

Zetec powered Festers must have 5w30, they sound awful running on anything else, and odds on that fresh oil is just supermarket multigrade

[Bren]

^^ as stated.

 

IIRC don't the valve clearances need setting periodically on these?

 

Can't remember due to this bastard of a head cold.

[sierraman]

I'd check it's definitely the tappets, a leaking manifold gasket can sound ticking.