So I have a prettty noisy lifter tick. Or what I think is a lifter tick, it comes from the valve cover and can't be described any other way.

I have been running 10-40 Penzoil/Castrol since I got the car. The tick dosen't seem to be getting much worse, and I read that ticks in these cars were common.

Some say try Syn oil before you dive into fixing the tick.

I know adjusting lifters is quite the job so should I try different oil? Is it worth it to try and fix the tick? Should I use heavier oil?

Thanks

 

My satin beige 90 vdp has the same tick. I tried all the chemical additives, and I'm running straight 50w. It won't go away. Mine can not be adjusted. Although I have read here something about shimming. I have accepted the fact that my car will tick.

 

The lifters a "solid" not hydraulic style, and tappet clearence is by way of shims, and generally dont move out of adjustment.

Rectifying the 'tick" is major sort of, and quite time consuming, but if the car were mine, I would seriously consider doing it. They are not designed to be noisy.

There is NO magic snake oil that can be poured into the engine to shut it up, it is a mechanical error, and human intervention is the only way.

 

As Grant says, but maybe try replacing the top timing chain tensioner if it has not already been done and fill with 20/50 oil. (reasonably painless and you would do it anyway if you were going to shim the tappets).

This really quietened things down on my 92.

 

Had a second thought, I do that a lot, it is an age thing, bad luck.

Are you SURE it is a tappet tick and not a noisy injector or 2 or 3????.

I say that coz today I had to move the "old girl", Pre HE V12 (420000kms), and I forgot how noisy those injectors are, and have always been, and at that kms who cares, it still runs, BUT, many a Jag listener has commented " a bit tappety there mate", yeh whatever is my usual response.

Just a downunder thought tas all.

That top chain tensioner replacement is a solid suggestion, just did it on my X300, and what a difference a new part makes, damn.

 

My '89 VDP has it also. I am fairly new to this car but as I understand it the valve/lifter adjustment is done by shims, actually small discs.
I would think as these discs wear the adjustment gets a little wider as time goes on.
Changing these is a Major job but I thought I had read somewhere that you could turn the shims 180 degrees and that would give a somewhat new surface fot the lifter to land bringing the adjustment closer to normal?
I do not know how to do this though. I could be wrong too.
Mike

 

Thanks for the tips, I have never heard an injector so not sure what it sounds like. Maybe I will try and get a sound clip of my engine and post it here.

I will look into replacing the tensioner as well, it was leaking last year and I replaced the gasket.

If I do take the plunge into shimming it it will need to be a summer job when I can have the car out of commission for a week.

Like mentioned, no amount of snake oil will fix this. My boss has a 350 in his boat that had a tick that went away after 2 oil changes, he was lucky. I will start to use a heavier oil now though, since that seems to be what most here are running.

 

So I had a pretty big write up on what was involved to even acces the shims at all then the forum logged me out and lost it.

In short: Turns out you need 3 sets of Jaguar tools wich run about 260 bucks. So add that to the high accuracy measuring equipment, new tensioner, gaskets, shims, bolts, etc you are not getting this job done for under 300-350 if your lucky.

If you find a bad valve or camshaft you get to replace that camshaft and all the valves that go with it so boost the cost 400-1000 bucks depending on intake/exhaust side or both.

So is it worth it spending 300 on tools to adjust shims? Not on the car I have now (unless I do it as a hobby type thing) and definately not worth it to replace camshafts and valves. A different engine can be had for 300-700 if you love your baby that much.

Don't get me wrong, if I had the tools for free/cheap I would do the job the next chance I got because I think it would be kind of fun. It's something not many DIY guys will dive into and I like that element of risk and experience.

 

I know just how you feel Gunnerman, sometimes a complete replacement is way cheaper than an in depth repair, especially when it is something that could grow and grow.

Why not have a closer listen with a steel bar as a stethoscope or even a proper stethoscope if you can get your hands on one.

It might help you isolate things without opening her up.

As regards losing long replies, it happens I got into the practice of copying my text to the clipboard from time to time.

Oh BTW injectors can give a fast---tick-tick-tick.

 

"I have never heard an injector so not sure what it sounds like."

You have to have a really quite engine to hear them. And they sound sweet to me.

 

Agreed.

Normally they are quiet in the big scheme of things, but when 1 or more "go bad" the are very clacky, just like a tappet tick/clack.

My AJ16 is quiet, cannot hear them at all.
The V12 HE is just audible, and as said SWEET sounding.
The PreHE V12 is a "clacker" and as I said always has been.
The S3 4.2 is on the noisy side, with one more so than the other 5, one day, mmm.
The BMW V8 is intermittant clacky, and I will leave it, its not a Jag, so not worried. Now that is a hydraulic tappet engine, but it is 2 injectors on the LH bank that are noisy, and after 120kms who cares, it is a mongrel to get them out.

 

Had nice loud clicks on my 1991 XJ6 here is the deal per my mechanic: Common problem with those late 80s early 90s xj6. This was due to the fact that the shims they used were made of a "weak" metal and thus lost their tolerances. Had mine redone, had to replace one exhaust valve in the process. By the way my mechanic is an old time JAGUAR CERTIFIED MASTER MECHANIC. He knew all my small problems on my car and the causes and repairs.

 

As I had posted earlier, my 90 beige vdp ticked very loudly. I changed the oil 3 times since September, each time upgrading to a different weight. Last oil change was straight 30w. I also used seafoam each time. Low and behold the lifter tick has gone away. Benn gone a week now and its noticeably gone. Probably wasn't all that though that did it. Its because I told her last week I'm junking it, due to buying another.

 

Ha, guess she knows how good she's got it..
Good idea with the Sea Foam. Did you add to just the fuel or some to the oil also?
Thanks
Mike

 

Both. Gas and Oil. I only used 1 pint in the fuel tank, 3 with the 3 oil changes. The stuff is truly amazing.

On another note, not to overdue its credit. My new Sovereign I just bought had intermittent misses, slightly but I could hear and feel it. It also took 7 seconds to start. I changed the plugs, wires, rotor and cap. It still took between 6-7 seconds to start. I attributed that to the previous owner putting 87 octane gas in it, it needs 93 or above. I put 13 gallons of 93 in it and 1 pint of seafoam. Now she is cranking over within 3-4 seconds, surely to work itself out to that instant start I have with my others.

 

I will be going out to get some asap, hopefully my local parts store will have a sale on it.
I use it on all my small equipment engines, mower, snowblower,ect and it has made many poor running conditions disappear. It's the only true "snake oil" product that actually works.
I also use it in my older MG's as routine maintainence and have had no problems.
So will see what happens when the '89 VDP gets some.
Mike

 

I agree Seafoam works, only because I have used it as a solvent when cleaning my throttle body and I have seen what it does to dirt and carbon. It is similar to carb cleaner in the undiluted form except it dosent evap.

 

My turn on the lifter tap. I had just posted pictures of the exhaust manifold gasket job. I had thought the ticking/tacking was a bad gasket. I put it all together today, and it still has the tapping. Its in the area of 5 and 6. Here we go.