Cleaning tappets guide

[silverback]

Hi,
Im taking the tappets out to clean them, having trouble getting some out.
Can someone tell me how to turn the engine round a bit with an auto box?
Cheers

[colm_mcm]

I'm assuming you'll need to turn one of the cam wheels with a spanner.

[steelroe]

Do not turn the cam pulleys as you could jmp the timing. Turn the engine at the crank pulley only

[colm_mcm]

my bad

[escu_calin]

Or you can put the car in "2" mode and push the car really hard
i did that with my manual (used 4'th gear) since i didn't had tool to turn the pulley. might seem weird but is safe and efficient !

[escu_calin]

I have a fresh and bold approach on Non mivec tappets problem:

It circulates a misconception that tappets seize somehow or if they sound bad enough and oil does not solve they must be changed
WELL NOT TRUE

For any lad who still owns a non Mivec 2l 24V FTO and the engine sounds like a diesel at start:
The good oil is not a cure; but a prolonging of life after this procedure:

As any owner i've been driven mad by the engine noise produced by the lifters ! So in 1 year i had the car i did all i could to solve the problem, and i like to think i did after i studied all about the theory of the lash adjuster.. tappet and after i dissected one !

-I changed both banks with new , aftermarket ones from camskill !(Do not do the same.. believe me .. they are way inferior to the original ones)
-But after cleaning i reused the old ones.. 7 months of silence!

-After the change i took one of the lashers, dissembled it and washed every little part of it with hot water and al kinds of detergent... The component are made from RUL steel .. the one bearings are made of... so they do not rust while washed: see here:
the assembly order:

all the sub components.. notice the tiny spring , ball and their room, which must be clean to work correctly.

After i learned my lesson, and actually saw what a lasher is all about ; And i decided to clean them like this:

Requirements:
1)10L bowl with large surface bottom(mine is 40 cm by 50 cm)
2)12L mineral water(low calcium)
3)detergent 150 grams..
4)1,5 mm steel wire 30-40 cm so it can form a handle and a 10 cm tip that sinks in to the tappet

5)5L Ionized water.. pure water with no salts(Na/Ca)
6)1L metallic bowl for the cleaned tapps
7)2-3 pairs of surgery gloves.. very thin so u can feel what u are doing



0)Fill it half way(6 L) with (2)mineral water; Put gloves(7) and replace them if on the steps below gets damaged since detergent and oil damages skin!Add 1L of HOT water and 100 grams of detergent; then throw all tapps in there.
1) Take them one by one on another side of the bowl ,
2) Clean the exterior with a plastic thick brush;
3) Take the steel wire 1,5mm thick(important) create a easy to push device and inserted it in the head of the tapp [believe me when i say.. your tapps are not seized: they do not press by hand because they are filled with oil, which is normal.. there is no seized tapp, just dirty ones].
4) Insert the wire in the tappet head .. til reaches the bottom, and there the wire presses a small ball which releases the oil inside the tappet body(the spring room) where usually a large quantity of sediments gather, fixes against the walls and disturbs easy transit of the piston like part. at this point.. in the water saturated with detergent, you must press the tappet with the wire(do not cover the head hole, and remember, use 1,5 mm wire, so the liquid can circulate) 10-15 times until the chamber is full of detergent water and almost clean:) So u are sure it works you must see the jet of oil at first then water that exists the spring chamber.If unsure do 3 pressing summerged and 2-3 outside the water.. you must see the water gathered at first pushing rush out thrum the head.
see here how the pressing must proceed under the water and in any places of this tutorial. Is mandatory to not feel any major resistance from the tappet piston. (Don't press like the eager beaver because you gonna pop the bottom of the piston... just in and out smooooth)

5) Repeat this process with every tappet until all done.
6) Clean the water which now is dirty like hell , replace the water with same type clean water and put half of first dosage of detergent and repeat steps 2,4,5.
7) Put the cleaned tappets on a paper towel .. they must be squicky clean on the outside now almost like new.
8) Clean the 10L bowl remove any trace of detergent , dry it with paper towels , and refill it with the ionized water.
9) Drop again all the tappets inside and repeat step 1,2,4 until the water that exits from chamber is clear water. Is important at step 4 to do as many successful pressings as possible since the interior of the tappet can never be clean enough. After you clean a tappet , pres its head in the open air and with the hole oriented down so u can empty the spring chamber of water and put it in to the metallic bowl which must be clean as you can eat from it :D
10) After u empty all tappets carefully you can test them pressing them with bare hand and see how smooth they respond:
not pressed(mine misses the head seal.. yours must stay in)

pressed (remember you can press only when is filled with air)


If you are pleased with the result and the result is new clean tappets , cleaned from detergent and only a bit wet; then is time to dry them very quick. And since the last step used low salts water; ionized, then the amount of residues in chamber must be close to 0
11) Put all the tappets in the oven for 40 minutes at maximum temperature setting .. like mom puts brownies.
They will pop at some point like pop corn since the water inside the chamber will transform to vapor. But ignore them and let them dry one hour at most.
12) Let them cool at room temperature
13) Put them on a paper towel and fill the metallic bowl with 1L of oil.
14) Insert the tappet in engine oil(remember to wear the gloves) and press with the wire so it fills with oil.. you will know is full when no air bubbles will come out when u press!
15) Repeat for all tappets , store them for inserting in engine.. and you have a NEW set of tappets in your hands...

All operation lasted ~3 hours with long breaks:) since hands get tired quick.

If you do not insert them same day... then keep them immersed in oil. And remember ; before putting them on storage or in the engine ; is MANDATORY that the steps 14 and 15 are executed so no air must remain in tappet. At this point when you will try to press it will be stuck.. but is a normal type of "stuck".
That's how i keep a set of cleaned ones... my pickle jar..

Now my car is running silent with the original tappets which are WAY superior in materials and construction.
Keep in mind.. this solution must keep your car silent for at least 5 years IF, and that's a big if , you use semi synthetic oil from the like of MOTUL/MOBIL1 and change it at intervals of 3 or if u lazy 4000 km and filter at 10000 (3 oil changes)
The engine is not a regular one .. so don't do the oil once a year! or at 7-8000Km.

If u need a tutorial on changing the oil or more info on the above procedure, pm-me ;)
If u can send this message in the past so i don't spend a fortune on the crappy tappets .. please do at escu_calin@yahoo.com!

[eamop]

sounds like a good guide its a pity you dont have any pictures to go with it but well done

[escu_calin]

sounds like a good guide its a pity you dont have any pictures to go with it but well done

pictures are impossible to take since both hands are dirty and busy at all times.
but entered deep in detail so anyone can do it... even my wife.. who did the rear bank:))

[eamop]

someone else could take the pics but good post

[escu_calin]

enjoy some pics.. )

[StewyD32]

Very good write up and pics .
I actually put a bottle of redex in with the fuel to clean the inside of the engine and my tappet noise is dramaticlly reduced. Very strange as I thought i wouldn't work for the tappet noise.
Did anyone ever use lefter free. Its an addidive you add to the oil that is supposed to help reduce the tappet noise???.

[escu_calin]

Very good write up and pics .
I actually put a bottle of redex in with the fuel to clean the inside of the engine and my tappet noise is dramaticlly reduced. Very strange as I thought i wouldn't work for the tappet noise.
Did anyone ever use lefter free. Its an addidive you add to the oil that is supposed to help reduce the tappet noise???.

don't put additives!
you only modify the oil structure.. and never in the good way!
the only way to silence the lash adjusters/tappets is cleaning them!
And after cleaning procedure use only CLEAN and high quality oil.. no any crap the fuel stations put in your car!

edit* - and watch the oil change interval.. no more than 4000 Km or 6 months ; and you will never have to mind the engine again ... Regular fluid maintenance will keep this beautiful engine alive to see 1 000 000 km;)

Mobil 1 semi synthetic 10w40 or MOTUL full synthetic 10w40 4Liters

[CJ]

Good guide escu, moved to KB.

CJ

[CJ]

dude is not finished

Well finish it man! Once complete, let me know, moved back to tech...

CJ