Hydraulic Tappets after Head Removal

[geodon]

I'm about to kick over a 186 after a head off/on.

The "rockers" are held on with nyloc nuts.

I only removed two, the ones on no.6, to check the valves. As I suspected, the exhaust was a bit pitted so I ground it in. I replaced the rockers them & tightened until they were just nipped up.

I'm assuming I now start up & adjust as necessary?

i.e. Too tight = misfire, back off. Too loose = tappet noise, tighten up.

As the head gasket was new, I intend to start up then back off each rocker in turn till they rattle then tighten till they go quiet.

Hav I got it right?

[landy]

Back off til it rattles, tighten to zero lash (that's when it just shuts up) then give it half a turn. That's it.

Nino.

[bee utey]

The way I used to adjust 186 rockers was, start with just loose rockers, warm up engine, let idle with the cover off, turn down each rocker about 1/2 turn past quiet, wait for the lifter to readjust itself and go to the next one. They will self adjust after a few seconds on idle with warm oil.

[Series3 GT]

The only problem with that is oil will spray everywhere with the rocker cover off

[bee utey]

The only problem with that is oil will spray everywhere with the rocker cover off
Warm it up first, take the lid off and idle it slowly. It's not that bad.

[geodon]

BeeUtey is quite right!

I've hade decades of adjusting BMC engine tappets while running.

Why, when the factory recommends cold engine adjustments?

I found that as engines age, the wear at the tappets means that stationary gaps have no bearing on the running situation.

I use to warm up, remove the rocker cover at idle then listen to each tappet with a sophisticated stethoscope i.e. a length of garden hose stuck in my earhole.

Oil only sprays when you rev it up.

[drifter]

...
I use to warm up, remove the rocker cover at idle then listen to each tappet with a sophisticated stethoscope i.e. a length of garden hose stuck in my earhole.

Oil only sprays when you rev it up.

I use a long-shafted screwdriver for the same purpose - but put it on the 'journal', not the moving rocker (so I don't pound the handle of the screwdriver into my skull). You get to hear a lot of what's going on...

[Series3 GT]

Ok, It's just that when we started our Disco 2 with the rocker cover off it sprayed anything and everything

[geodon]

Wow! What's the oil pressure on those Rover V8's??

Holdens are, from memory, very low esp at idle.

I use the Scredriver Stethoscope more for diagnosis of bearing noise etc where the noise is "amplified" by travelling thru a solid medium and not thru air. I use the Hose Stethoscope to locate a noise eg one tappet among 8 or 12, front of generator vs rear, niggling exhaust leaks etc etc.

[drifter]

On my 2.25 I used my thumb to determine which tappet was chattering :)

Just let the engine idle with the rocker cover off and run my thumb down the line of rockers, applying a little bit of downward pressure. The noisy one will stop when your thumb is on it.

I also adjusted it (gently) while running with a ring spanner and screwdriver.

When they were all (relatively) quiet I stopped the engine and checked them all again with a feeler gauge.

Some were slightly tighter than others but it's all good.

[mick88]

It's not uncommon for the oil pressure light to flicker at idle on a Holden red motor. Even the workshop states this is normal.

Cheers, Mick.

[Series3 GT]

It isn't a V8 it's a TD5

[Series3 GT]

[QUOTE=geodon;1686258]Wow! What's the oil pressure on those Rover V8's??

It isn't a V8 it's a TD5

Sorry posted that twice

[geodon]

A diesel!? Well that explains it then! From memory that's a common rail motor? So it needs heaps of pressure to open your injectors.

[geodon]

It started 2nd hit!

Now, are the pushrods meant to rotate?

There are 4-5 that do not.

Important?

[lewy]

just thinking are nylock nuts right to run in a hot oil bath were they will be,never heard of them being used there before.

[geodon]

These are dished on top. I surmise that these are meant to have oil in them delivered via the pushrod that then flows onto the top of the valve stems to lubricate & cushion the valve actuation?

The reason I ask is that 3 are dry after 15mins idling so I'm guessing these pushrods have to come out & get cleaned?

[geodon]

just thinking are nylock nuts right to run in a hot oil bath were they will be,never heard of them being used there before.


Errrm! I use the term generically! That's what they LOOK like but it's probably a soft metal locking ring. Aluminium??

[Series3 GT]

A diesel!? Well that explains it then! From memory that's a common rail motor? So it needs heaps of pressure to open your injectors.
Yes that's correct I didn't think of that. You do need high oil pressure for them.

[geodon]

OK! All done!

I found it more decisive to tighten them up till I got a slight misfire then back off till smooth plus half a turn more.

Would I not arrive at the same place??

I got the pushrods all turning (albeit at different speeds) once adjusted but two still are not getting oil. I intend to run it ~ 100km then take off the rocker cover & check thay are getting oil. The motor hasn't run for at least 5 yrs so I will do an oil change then as well. If not I will have to go deeper via the inspection chambers on the side of the block- cam followers?

[bee utey]

Side plate gaskets often leak like a sieve, pull them off and you'll see how easy the lifters are to remove, replace gaskets and you're away. Alloy side plates look cool too :cool: and leak less often.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Holden-6cyl-EH-VK-Finned-Alloy-Side-Plates-Black-KC171B-/251052498562?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a73e51e82