Ok this valve tap is driving me nuts. My 1st head had one so when my timing belt went a month ago I put another spare head on (which I looked over). I have almost the same tap with this new head. I set my valves to spec and it didn't help. Then I tightened them up a bit more and it was a bit quieter but I got a Check Engine light for a misfire so I loosened it back up a bit and I've left it alone since then. What's wrong with these two heads? What can I do to solve this problem? Anyone I've met with in the past month or so can also contest to how horrible this thing sounds.

 

What kind of oil are you running (Brand/weight/Synthetic/Nonsynthetic)?
Also how many miles are on your motor?

 

I'm currently running Castrol GTX 10w 40 (I've been running that the whole time I've owened this thing). I rebuilt the motor a yr. ago and then just swapped heads with a timing belt change a month ago. The old head was also tapping. Overall I'd say 10,000 on the bottom end and 1,000 on the new head I threw on.

 

Hmm.. i (personally) wouldnt run any form of castrol but GTX is i had to so good on that. From what i have heard Castrol isnt the best thing on the market. How many total miles are on the motor? Also, do you think it is possible you adjusted the valves wrong?

 

My odometer reads 76,000 but that's not true (rebuild). I did them to spec. problem is that it still taps. When I tighten them to the next size feeler gauge its a bit quieter but then I get a check engine light for a misfire.

 

Hmm....wow im pretty much stuck never heard of it continuing to tap..... possibly a stuck what-cha-ma-call-it ehh lifter haha

 

I'm not sure. Anyone have any suggestions?

 

Did you clay the motor before you put the head on to see if the valves are touching the piston? Or just to see how much clearance you have? If you are doing the v-adjustment right then there should be no tapping. I also never heard of the ck light coming on because you went up one size on the feeler. For a B18B you should be at .003-.005 intake and .006-.008 on the exhaust side. You may want to ck your timing and maybe adv it some. Let me know if any of this helps.

 

Does it really sound like a valve, Or maybe a Hallow Chatter? towards the Intake cam side of the motor?

I had a very simular problem with my Ls, Turned out to be a bad timing belt adjuster spring.
The belt wasn't getting tight enough because the spring had to much stretch/play in it.

When the timing belt was being adjusted, It got tight. But when I would start the car......Slack would evolve between the two cam gears and it would throw off the timing just enough to show the CEL.
It also created a chatter sound because the Intake cam was off time.

To fix it...I had Dave (AKA 99B16Si) tenson down the timing belt adjuster pulley while I hooked a metal hanger on the spring and pulled up...Adding tension to the pulley that the spring was unable to do.

Or you could replace the spring......But that's a job in itself....

Just something else for you to go by...............


-Jeff

 

I hope its not that Jeff. The tapping is on both cams not just the one but there's a little more comming from the exhaust end. I know my timing is off a little so we're adjusting that tommorrow but it was tapping way before my belt broke. Its been tapping for a yr. now.