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Rover 214 mpi dohc - noisey engine ticking

I've had an N reg Rover 214 SLi since Jan this year, done 34,500 then, now on 44,000.

Today after a 45 minute run at 4000 rpm on the motorway I noticed a loud ticking had started from under the bonnet. I tried a few things to work out what it was, and it's coming from the engine, not the gearbox or driveshaft. The ticking slows down and speeds up with the revs.

It's quite loud, as I noticed it while tanking up the M1! When I got back I had a rummage around under the bonnet and it's seems like it's coming from the left hand side of the engine (driver's side, near the power steering pump and alternator belt).

I let it cool down (half a day) then started it again and drove off. The ticking started as the engine warmed up about 4-5 mins later. Started it about an hour later and it was still ticking from start up.

I'm worried it's something to do with the timing belt or that it means I've got an engine explosion on my hands soon!

Anyone have any suggestions for what it might be, or what else I can do to find out what's causing it?

(I have always noticed a quiet ticking, but presumed that to be the injectors, this is something different)

Reply to
Meza
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it sounds like it could be a hydraulic tappet, try using a forte engine flush then change the oil and filter and make sure that you use the correct grade of oil, hopefully this helps...

Reply to
coistie

Provided the oil has been change regularly it is very unlikely to be a hydraulic tappet on your car the K16 tappets were modified before your car was built. --- Your noise could be due to qite a lot of things the trouble is while some of them are easy to some are potentially very very expensive unless investigated properly and fixed, personaly I would recommend you take it to somebody who knows Rover K16 engines in depth.

Likely candidates range from simple things like a loose alternator mounting or pulley which can on this engine sound very like a valve gear problem through to a bent valve or big end, big end noise is generally a distinct knock at half engine speed. My first move would be to check the valve timinng and cambelt tension and that the pulley and sprokets aren't floating around on the cams and crank (a common K series problem). If I found nothing I would take the cam cover off and check the oil feeds and do a careful visual inspection of the tappets as far as possible for damage and checking that each valve was closing properly.

Reply to
AWM

Thanks for the advice. I've not changed the oil since I've had it, and I don't know when it was changed previously... so I'm sure it could do with doing about now.

I've been having another listen, and the noise certainly could be coming from the injectors. They are still making their quiet ticking noise that they always have done, but I was wondering if one of them had buggered itself perhaps and was making a lot of extra noise.

I tried to get to the electrical cables to one by one eliminate them, but the air manifold is in the way.

Othewise the sound could be coming from the cams/valves/tappets on the left hand side of the engine.... oeer.

Not really sure what else I can do now appart from take it into a garage :/ Is that my best bet or can I do any other basic(ish) eliminations? I've got a socket set but that's about it.

Thanks,

Meirion

Reply to
Meza

Left as in cambelt end or left as in nearside ?

If cam belt end i could be belt slap or the alternator bracket and pulley sprokets any of these sound like they come from the top end.

Reply to
awm

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