Hi guys,

Long time not post. Sorry, but you know how it is with family and working overtime for xmas etc...

Anyway, finally got round to changing my timing chain, checked the tappet clearances, started her up but she STILL sounds like a tractor.

It acts just as it did before I changed the chain. It's pretty quiet for about a minute and then slowly gets louder until it sounds like most other Felicia's with a loose timing chain.

The old chain was definitely loose and the new one was nice and tight, just as it should be. I'm now at a loss. Any ideas anybody?

Cheers.

Right... the felicia engine is still going to be noisy no matter what you do due to its design (OHV) as all the valves are at the top of the engine and driven by rods so theres a load of moving parts, but changing the timing chain for me did make a VERY noticeable difference but only eliminated the timing chain noise, the rest of the engine is still noisy! lol

But to be honest i don't think its too bad at all.

Ive got used to it now and i feel much better when i here some few year old corsa or fiesta with a noisier engine than mine! hehe

You sure you don't have any leaks anywhere? Exhaust? Stick your head under the bonnet and listen out for anyting that might be noisier than everything else.

Hi,

No, it's definitely coming from the rocker box. I used my listening stick (jack handle ).

As I said, from cold, it starts off pretty silent and slowly gets louder to a point where it stays at one level. I can live with it, but I'm just gutted. I remember when I did my old Favorit and that thing purred silently until about 4000miles when I had to just tweak the tappets again.

Do you reckon the CAM could be worn? I did also think oil starvation to the top, maybe a slightly bunged up feed or something, but everything's always coated nicely when I remove the cover.......

does the car run smooth (apart from noise) at idle and rev smoothly?

Is there a sucking noise?

I changed my timing chain and it mad a notible difference, however the inlet manifold started to go and it was a noisy chugging little bugger!!

If it is not this then i would suggest that you have another check of the tappets as i accidently had a clearence too close that added to noise. Other than this the only other thing i could suggest is that during the timing chain change the oil pick up pipe from the sump is blocked and is not feeding the engine correctly.

Yep, it runs smoothly and pulls like a train. Haven't noticed any sucking noises and the revs at idle are spot on. It doesn't seem to fluctuate like it did before I changed the chain.

When I took the pick-up pipe off during the change, oil flooded out, so I'm presuming it's doing it's job OK. All I did then was place it on a cloth and then inspected the mesh part before putting it back.

I checked the tappets twice before re-assembling just to be safe. The measure twice and cut once theory.

I wonder if a slight increase on the tappet clearance could be worthwhile? maybe 0.05mm increase?! You say it gets noisier when it warms up, this is when everything in the engine expands a little which is what the clearance is there for.

But I agree with others, these engines were never and will never be as quiet as a brand new toyota one.

Hi guys,

Long time not post. Sorry, but you know how it is with family and working overtime for xmas etc...

Anyway, finally got round to changing my timing chain, checked the tappet clearances, started her up but she STILL sounds like a tractor.

It acts just as it did before I changed the chain. It's pretty quiet for about a minute and then slowly gets louder until it sounds like most other Felicia's with a loose timing chain.

The old chain was definitely loose and the new one was nice and tight, just as it should be. I'm now at a loss. Any ideas anybody?

Cheers.

A long time ago I replaced the chain and gears on my old Rapid [same set up] and the end result was the same as yours....in fact I'd made it noisier than it was to start with! It turned out that there are 2 different thicknesses of camshaft sprockets, and the new one I'd fitted was the narrower type. Basically, even though I'd tightened and tabbed the camshaft sprocket bolt correctly the sprocket was sliding on the camshaft! I felt a bit silly, and obviously had to do the job again, but afterwards it was as quiet as a petrol powered mouse.

My camshaft sprocket is fine.

I know this as I had trouble with the 1st chain kit I bought. She is a P-reg with an MPi engine, July '97. Turns out they changed the chain kit for the MPi in Aug '97 and used a smaller crankshaft pulley (the hole anyway). Also the chain is very slightly longer. DOH!! It wasn't until I gave my engine no. to the main dealer that all the head scratching stopped.

Hopefully this info will help somebody else.....

I may re-check the tappets again at the weekend. When I measure them the feeler gauge is gripped a little. Is this too much? Should it ONLY just be very slightly gripped?

Am I just over doing them?

i just have mine slightly gripping on the feeler gauge.

(if this wasn't a skoda forum what could the above mean fnarr fnarr)

i just have mine slightly gripping on the feeler gauge.

(if this wasn't a skoda forum what could the above mean fnarr fnarr)

Yeah- I set the tappets with an "interference fit"- sould need SLIGHT effort to remove the blade(s)

Not meaning to be cheeky- but did you do the right valves at right gaps? you know how the valves dont go intake exhaust, intake exhaust etc...

Yeah- I set the tappets with an "interference fit"- sould need SLIGHT effort to remove the blade(s)

Not meaning to be cheeky- but did you do the right valves at right gaps? you know how the valves dont go intake exhaust, intake exhaust etc...

No problem. I normally follow the exhaust and inlet manifolds for guidance. Then use the rule of 9 (no. 8 down adjust 1 etc...).

Am I doing OK so far?

Yeah- I set the tappets with an "interference fit"- sould need SLIGHT effort to remove the blade(s)

Not meaning to be cheeky- but did you do the right valves at right gaps? you know how the valves dont go intake exhaust, intake exhaust etc...

i use the rule of 9 but check for inlet/exhaust valve whilst doing it

an odd idea but i wonder if your oil is too thin and after it starts to heat up it isn't enough weight to lubricate the tappets?

very random i know, about one in 3,458 chance really...

an odd idea but i wonder if your oil is too thin and after it starts to heat up it isn't enough weight to lubricate the tappets?

very random i know, about one in 3,458 chance really...

I did wonder about this myself. I'm using 10/40. Both times I've been given this after they have looked up my car via it's registration. Is this oil OK?

I was also speaking to an old engine builder friend of mine who said it may be a possibility that the push-rods had got pointed. He suggested whipping them out and filing a very Small flat back onto them if this is the case. Literally no more than a millimetre. Anyone heard of this?

Cheers.

10/40 should be fine, but if the engine's got a say near 100k miles, 15/40 might help quieten it a little.

Only just gone past 60k...

I did wonder about this myself. I'm using 10/40. Both times I've been given this after they have looked up my car via it's registration. Is this oil OK?

I was also speaking to an old engine builder friend of mine who said it may be a possibility that the push-rods had got pointed. He suggested whipping them out and filing a very Small flat back onto them if this is the case. Literally no more than a millimetre. Anyone heard of this?

Cheers.

I have never heard of doing this with a pushrod. Apart from anything else, any pushrods I've seen have had a shallow cup shape (like a wine glass base) on the ends!

I have never heard of doing this with a pushrod. Apart from anything else, any pushrods I've seen have had a shallow cup shape (like a wine glass base) on the ends!

Woodies 1.3mpi i had apart before christmas had cups in the ends of the pushrods that connect to the rockers, as you suggest!

Think my mate was on about the bottom end of the push rod, not the top with the cup.

I'm going out there tomorrow to have a good look around. It really does sound awful at the moment.

Sod the noise , buy a flat cap and a massey furgi badge

Sod the noise , buy a flat cap and a massey furgi badge

Might just do that after today. Haa haa haa.

Well I took all the rocker gear off....

As you can see all looks good in there. I did notice that I have 2 types of pushrod. 4 of each. Is this the norm?

So I puts it all back together, I starts her up and all sounded good for a while and then it happened.... the tractor returned.

I give up. I can only assume the valve gear is worn. I'm just gonna live with it.

Not sure off-hand.

I recollect a story from years back, about John Haugland spinning an Estelle on the RAC, and calling the service barge, to be told to look for a scrappie since they'd no spare pushrods.

the pushrods are different types

one for inlet valves, and one for exhaust.

Haynes manual lists which is which (alloy and steel iirc)

as for the tractor noise returning...

the pushrods will have fallen back into their grooves on the camshaft lobes now, meaning your tappets are way out

trust me-this was the cause of all the consternation with woodie and poor starting.

Best of British:thumbup:

If they're that worn, it might be worth re-finishing the flats on the tappets, not on the pushrods.

sounding like a tractor aint to bad cars will hear us first an slow down just think of it as a saftey feature