Type 4 2.0l..... I replaced one of the inner push rod seals at the weekend and have ended up with a horrible clackety sound having put the valve chain back together. I suspect that when I've reinstalled the rockers one (if not more) of the rods has settled on the bottom of the push rod tube, resting on the high face of the lifter and is lose when running but settles on the bottom of the tube when i stop. I wnet back to it last night to correct, but haven't got it right! I just wonder if anyone has any tips or techniques for getting the rods seated properly before setting the rockers? At the moment, the sound of a knocking engine in the middle of camping season is an unwelcome de ja vu!!
I would imagine that you've not centred the push rod in the lifter correctly.... Did you find that you had to back the tappet off a lot??
A bit, maybe half to a full turn on one... although I must admit I'm still perfecting my tappet technique too! Would it be a case of loosening off the tappet a few turns, wiggling the exposed end of the rod (so to speak) to get it centred and then resetting the tappet again? Or does the rocker assembly need to come off?
You'll need to loosen the rocker assembly, then poke a flat bladed screw driver under the push rod, slightly down the push rod tube and lift the push rod up... If it isn't centred, then it'll snap into place
Just been out and had a crack.... loosened the adjusters right off and poked around, felt up the ends of the rods, datidfied myself they are in the right place, tightened it all back up and still sounds like a bag of nails! Going to have to check the other side another night, although all i did to that side originally was adjust the tappets, not remove the rockers. some where between the above, changing the fan belt and the oil i've manage to royally balls this up!
Rocker assemblies need loosening, not the tappets... unless the pushrods go proper slack when you loosen the tappets off, then it's not the pushrods
Yeah, I took one half assembly off fully then shuffled the exposed pushrods about to get a feel for them slotting into place properly. I then experimented with slotting the assembly back on the studs, winding the tappets right out and similarly got a feel for getting the pushrods back in and out place.... I found with the tappets wound right out i could engage and disengage the rod from the lifter, get it in place and hold it the rocker still while taking all the slack back out of the tappet. I'll try loosening of the assemblies again on this side before I recheck the good side... @davidoft it should drive, but i'm trying to keep it stone cold as the good books state! I'd almost have enough momentum to get to you if I pushed it off the driveway I'll get myself into a zen like state on thursday night and nail it... or ask for more help.
Glad you asked this - I've been doing pushrod tube seals this evening. Got to put the rods and rockers back in tomorrow.
So it took 5 mins to fix this morning!!! Went back to it in methodical, zen mood and resolved to check every valve / rocker starting at no. 1 and working my way round... And obviously I put my hand on no. 1 intake and its flapping around in the breeze like a whores undies!! I'm still perplexed as it was 3 + 4 that I removed to fix the push rod oil leak, hence my focus on then in the past few days. I can only guess that either I've been driving with a pushrod stuck on the lifter rim for a year or I left the adjuster loose when I adjusted them last week... Still all's well that ends well!! With an impeding camping trip I've decided that routine maintenance can wait until I come back to avoid the possibility of me breaking the van again
I did whip No. 1 rocker off to check the rods are straight and undamaged before adjusting proper like. Also rechecked all the valves before putting my feeler gauges into winter hibernation!
No! take the feeler gauges with the essentials toolkit with you and check it again while camping. If you go on a trip with any missing maintenance jobs left out then that should always remain a concern while on holiday. Do them now..Check fuel hose Especially if fuel hoses are still fabric covered crap. A couple of metres of Halfords 5.5mm injector hose will do. Or one metre in the engine bay. And make sure you have spare rocker gaskets for when that decides to drip because you touched it. and spare clutch and throttle cables along with points and condenser especially if you have a Pertronix or Accuspark.
Hi Mike... All tongue in cheek mate!! Hoses are all replaced, although I preferred southsea motor factors... Way less £££ than halfords and you can buy the quantity you need Rocker gaskets are on the shopping list, I'm going to give it a week or too, make sure that everything's behaving and then swap them... Besides, JK had run out when I bought my service bits. Petronix is a timely reminder... I was going to put mine back in after sorting the oil leak but figured I was on a roll breaking stuff so decided to postpone that for another month
