Thread: Noisy tappets after 3.5 rebuild, oil flow?

Originally Posted by rovercare

The point to the screwdriver is, that if you have no oil pressure, main, big-end and cam bearings will be running dry, so you prime the oil system before spinning bearings

Hmmm, makes sense to me .
Thank you, rovercare.

Just so Im on the ball with this....



1. Did you prime the lifters before installing them? If not did you at least fully compress them and then coat them in oil?

2. did you prime the lube system Prior to cranking it around
(screwdriver down the dizzy drive thing)

3. Are you actually getting oil pressure?

4. Exactly what oil are you usuing?



IF you didnt prime the lifters they have a bit of air in them and whats happening is that air is compressing making them tap OR they are staying closed and your hearing them tap into the pushrods or pushing the rods into the rockers.

it wont spray oil everywhere but the oil will be noticable leaking from the rockers If your in doubt theres nothing wrong with pulling the dizzy grabbing a cordless drill and using that to drive the oil pump instead of running the engine for as long as it takes to get the oil to flow If you REALLY REALLY want to make sure the pump is working unscrew the oil filter a couple of turns and see if it dumps oil out when you manually turn the pump (it will also assist in priming if it hasnt done that already)

if oil is in the rockers its just a case of waiting for it to reprime the lifters the auto trans oil trick will help with this as it significantly lowers the viscosity of the engine oil your not going to be doing any harm if this is the case as the lube system will have all the other parts lubed correctly..... But I wouldnt go giving it the alabama rev tune till it stops tapping.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

Just so Im on the ball with this....



1. Did you prime the lifters before installing them? If not did you at least fully compress them and then coat them in oil?

2. did you prime the lube system Prior to cranking it around
(screwdriver down the dizzy drive thing)

3. Are you actually getting oil pressure?

4. Exactly what oil are you usuing?



IF you didnt prime the lifters they have a bit of air in them and whats happening is that air is compressing making them tap OR they are staying closed and your hearing them tap into the pushrods or pushing the rods into the rockers.

it wont spray oil everywhere but the oil will be noticable leaking from the rockers

if oil is in the rockers its just a case of waiting for it to reprime the lifters the auto trans oil trick will help with this as it significantly lowers the viscosity of the engine oil your not going to be doing any harm if this is the case as the lube system will have all the other parts lubed correctly..... But I wouldnt go giving it the alabama rev tune till it stops tapping.

Mmmm all been said befor

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

1. Did you prime the lifters before installing them? If not did you at least fully compress them and then coat them in oil?

2. did you prime the lube system Prior to cranking it around
(screwdriver down the dizzy drive thing)

3. Are you actually getting oil pressure?

4. Exactly what oil are you usuing?

1. I didn't prime the lifters as the manual didn't mention it (afaik). I coated them in oil. Also coated the cam and push rods.
2. I didn't prime the system (screwdriver down the dizzy) as the manual didn't mention it (afaik). I cranked it over with no plugs in it first.
3. The oil light comes on before starting and goes out after a few seconds. That tells me the oil pressure switch is working. Before i primed the pump with vasaline, the light stayed on. Now it goes off. Other than that, i don't know how to prove i have oil pressure.
4. 20W/50. Valvoline i think.

The manual says on initial startup, the tappets will be noisey etc and to run the engine at a fast idle til it stops. Nothing about compressing them.

Errr... til the noise stops, not the engine. Ha Ha.

Originally Posted by rangieman

Mmmm all been said befor

yeah but now its all in one place at once and it got the answers I was after. see below.

Originally Posted by Bulldog

1. I didn't prime the lifters as the manual didn't mention it (afaik). I coated them in oil. Also coated the cam and push rods.
2. I didn't prime the system (screwdriver down the dizzy) as the manual didn't mention it (afaik). I cranked it over with no plugs in it first.
3. The oil light comes on before starting and goes out after a few seconds. That tells me the oil pressure switch is working. Before i primed the pump with vasaline, the light stayed on. Now it goes off. Other than that, i don't know how to prove i have oil pressure.
4. 20W/50. Valvoline i think.

The manual says on initial startup, the tappets will be noisey etc and to run the engine at a fast idle til it stops. Nothing about compressing them.

Errr... til the noise stops, not the engine. Ha Ha.

ok given that youve more or less primed it properly (the screwdriver down the dizzy is an experience thing) by doing the vaso in the pump and cranking it without plugs and you have the oil pressure light coming on we'll assume that the lube oil system is working. (if it wasnt your bottom end would be knocking like a jehovas witness with parkensens and youd know it if you heard it)

Im surprised that priming the lifters isnt in the manual but they will self prime eventually.

All thats left is to thin the oil out a bit and keep the lifters lubed to prevent damage... at idle there isnt a lot of oil flow to the rockers but so long as theres some your ok.

if your running at low idle you may not be getting enough flow from the pump for everything to prime up so run it 1-200 rpm above idle and see what happens, listen for the metal on metal clanging that is bearings eating themselves.

Pete why dont u unbolt the rockers remove the dizzy and use the drill screwdriver method until u see the oil flow from the oil holes on the head?
If u see no oil then u know its blocked and then u need to poke some wire down the oil holes and see if u can unblock it.
Your initial question of how much oil should u see from the rockers is that u should see it flow out around the rockers and drip onto the pushrods it does not splatter but flow.
On all the rover v8 that I have rebuilt I use the drill and screwdriver method to get the oil pressure up before I start the engine, without putting on the rocker covers first, at least this way I know I have oil pressure that I can see.
All the other advice you have been given is also excellent and relevant.
Brad

Im over it

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

yeah but now its all in one place at once and it got the answers I was after. see below.




ok given that youve more or less primed it properly (the screwdriver down the dizzy is an experience thing) by doing the vaso in the pump and cranking it without plugs and you have the oil pressure light coming on we'll assume that the lube oil system is working. (if it wasnt your bottom end would be knocking like a jehovas witness with parkensens and youd know it if you heard it)

Im surprised that priming the lifters isnt in the manual but they will self prime eventually.

All thats left is to thin the oil out a bit and keep the lifters lubed to prevent damage... at idle there isnt a lot of oil flow to the rockers but so long as theres some your ok.

if your running at low idle you may not be getting enough flow from the pump for everything to prime up so run it 1-200 rpm above idle and see what happens, listen for the metal on metal clanging that is bearings eating themselves.

Ok. So i run it with the rocker covers off, add to the push rods (in this order) some engine oil, then ATF, then kero. Increase the idle and as long as i keep adding one of the above, nothing will dry out, so i can keep my eye on the oil flow to the rockers, and my ear on the tappets. Done (or, will do). Thank you all very much for your time and help, and we may speak again during the week if required. It's been a long day. I'm going to bed.