TDI 300 Valve stem caps

[101 Ron]

Whats the story with the valve stem caps that fit over the end of the valve stems.
My first set were replaced at 80,000 km on my 1994 Defender 130 after the vehicle limped home with a broken rocker arm.
Now at 140,000 km during a weekend away I noticed a very noisey tappet.
I checked it out tonight and screwed back the tappets and found all the stem caps OK except for one which the centre of it was completely missing.
I narrowly missed being stranded again with tappet/ valve stem cap problems.
I am getting very unimpressed with the defenders as the list of things to sort out or repair just grows ......the factory should have sorted all this stuff.
Is there any fixes or mods to prevent this happening again.
Ron

[rick130]

<snip>
Is there any fixes or mods to prevent this happening again.
Ron

short answer. no.

IMO replace every 80,000km or so to prevent problems.

I'm guessing poor metallurgy/heat treatment.

[camel_landy]

I am getting very unimpressed with the defenders as the list of things to sort out or repair just grows ......the factory should have sorted all this stuff.

Are you sure it's just us POMs that like a whinge??? :angel:

Let's face it, it's not the biggest of jobs to change them all as part of a service.

M

[Olfella]

My TDI clicked over 722,000 km this morning. Only normal service items replaced so far. Adjust tappets every belt change but hardly any adj. has ever been required.
Chris.

[mcrover]

310000 kms and counting, you probably haver the tappet adj too tight, thats all.

Not all engines are the same, when you replace them this time, open the slearences up a smidge and wee how you go.

Your head gasket would be the older type, not the steel shim, this may cause some minor slight compression maybe, possibly, Im grabbing at straws.......

[LOVEMYRANGIE]

Whats the story with the valve stem caps that fit over the end of the valve stems.
My first set were replaced at 80,000 km on my 1994 Defender 130 after the vehicle limped home with a broken rocker arm.
Now at 140,000 km during a weekend away I noticed a very noisey tappet.
I checked it out tonight and screwed back the tappets and found all the stem caps OK except for one which the centre of it was completely missing.
I narrowly missed being stranded again with tappet/ valve stem cap problems.
I am getting very unimpressed with the defenders as the list of things to sort out or repair just grows ......the factory should have sorted all this stuff.
Is there any fixes or mods to prevent this happening again.
Ron

Was going to respond but decided to pull my head in!!!! :eek::o

[justinc]

What the? are you having a larf:o

The only ones I ever replace are the ones that have never been adjusted and hammer the caps to death. Try regular servicing:o; A tappet set every 10k, and then they should see at least 100k.

JC

[abaddonxi]

My TDI clicked over 722,000 km this morning. Only normal service items replaced so far. Adjust tappets every belt change but hardly any adj. has ever been required.
Chris.

Wow, I think you might just get the gold star Chris, that's about the highest K's for a Tdi that I can remember.

Cheers
Simon