Hi guys. Previous owner have had problem with a hydraulic lifter that doesnt operate properly. Only when warm it makes the classic tappet ticking noise. Not when cold. It has been so for years and about 40 000km. Tappets was replaced and revealed abnormal surface wear on 1 tappet. After replacing all tappets the problem persisted. So problem must be in the head is my theory. After I flushed the engine and put new oil rhe sound did indeed go away. I figured I had fixed it, but after som hours it came back. Did anyone experience similar scenarios? Oil pressure good. Power good. No error codes etc. Just the annoying sound. Especially after hard acceleration.
I suspect oil pressure not up to spec. How is the oil pressure good? By looking at the gauge? The gauge or the oil pressure sensor could be off. I would double-check by using a professional oil pressure reader and setup.
Ferrari adds a special lubricant to the 612 and 599 to quiet noisy lifters. You might give their snake oil a try. Cheaper than anything else even if it is just a band-aid.
Hehe. I have tried the Omega snake oil. No result. The immediate cure after the flush is kind of interesting. It would be bery interesting to inspect the head and check oil supply to the lifter.. hmmm
That presupposes the offender is in the same position. Do you have any proof to support that idea? Ferrari uses cheap hydraulic lifters. After about 70 years of use you would think everyone would know how to do it by now but Ferrari has proven otherwise. I am far more comfortable believing that out of 32 lifters it had 1 bad one and now out of 32 lifters it has another bad one. The odds are much better. Or that it is really something else.
Lifter issues are generally down to lack of use, lack of regular optimum operating temp, but usually always the wrong oil. Don't add any crap to the oil because generally modern oils and fuels are fantastic. If the problem persists then my first port of call would be the cam lobes, just to check.
Thanks for the input guys. All the lifters on left bank was replaced by new ones and still the sound persisted. Onoe of the lifters had noticable wear, however the cam supposedly looked good. A cam lobe that would result in a sound like that would need to be severly damaged and so much so that anyone woul dbe able to tell. Supposedly it was looking very nice and similar to the other lobes. The sound is exactly the sound of a tappet that does not manage to keep contact with the cam lobe. A lobe that has been deformed just a tad would still stay in contact with a hydraulic lifter and hence would not make such a hammering mechanical sound. I am not confident about any theory other that something with the lifter.. M
Hi - did you manage to find out the source of the issue? I have a similar problem - tappet noise around 2000-2500 rpm when the engine warms up. Interesting to hear about your finds... Thank you!
What actually distributes the oil to them, is it just the oil pool in the head or is it supplied to each lifter. I have no idea by the way as never worked on engine with these lifters
Hi, No problem is consistent and stable, but I have concluded that at some point I must pull the head and get to the bottom of it. Mike32 - the oil pressure is the force that keeps the tappet in touch with the cam so there is no lash clearance. A nice system when it works.. On this paricualr tappet - when the oil is warm it does not longer maintain this constant tappet contact , hence the noise everytime the cam lobe comes around and close that clearance. Funny thing is that when oil is replaced, and system flushed it goes away for some time, perhaps a week. then it comes back again..
To address a comment made by an earlier poster, Ferrari has not always used hydraulic tappets. If I recall correctly, the first use was on the 355. Prior cars had mechanically adjustable tappets both in the SOHC and DOHC engines. While this may not be helpful, at times an exhaust leak may make a ticking sound.
I still haven't discounted an exhaust problem - either leak or mounts. We'll attach a Vehicle Noise Detector with 4 channels. This will enable us to attach the claps to various parts of the engine, exhaust etc and listen to noises while moving. It looks like this: https://www.industrial-needs.com/technical-data/engine-noise-detector-add3500.htm
I watched an episode of Wheeler Dealers yesterday about a Mutsubishi 3000 V6 with hydraulic tappets, same problem you have and appears they are known for hydraulic tappet knocking. Originals only had 1 mm dia holes for the oil supply and they carboned up and knocking. Mod was new design with 3 mm holes . So either the holes are constricted or the oil supply to the set is not enough. ??
In the olden days, we would clean Chevrolet hydraulic lifters with lacquer thinner to get all the build up out of the lifter body. In this case, it is only one out of 32 lifters causing a problem, which sounds more like a problem in the lifter bore or oil passage since new lifters did not cure it. You might talk to Daniel at Bradan since they pull the lifters for cleaning on every cambelt change and see if he has any ideas.
Apologies for the late update. While doing the annual service, I turned out that it was indeed an exhaust issue. The Agency Power aftermarket exhaust manifolds/headers had a crack on one of the pipes on the right bank. A hairline crack separated the pile from the plate that attaches to the block. Warranty claim from AP should cover this as they have lifetime warranty.. Image Unavailable, Please Login
That's a great outcome. It's always amazed me how a header crack can sound just like a mechanical tappet noise. Even aftermarket headers can fail it seems. Quick question, do you still have the lower rear exhaust brackets fitted?
Yes, everything else is standard on the exhaust. I did have the Capristo brackets with the Mk2 OEM manifolds, but swapped them for stock when I installed the AP’s thinking it wouldn’t be an issue anymore..
Obviously it was. Whip those lower rear brackets off and leave them off. They are the problem. Often the brackets crack/break and people weld em up good and strong making the problem even worse.
