Tappet noise on 2002 vts

[dazbot8]

Hi people, I have just purchased a completely original 2002 citroen saxo vts and it has sat for a few months prior to me collecting it. It all starts and pulls like a train how it should but it has a tapping noise from the top end. My thoughts a hydraulic lifter sticking due to old oil? Any ideas/Advice will be great

[luthor1]

It'll be the tappets

[dazbot8]

what about the tappets luthor1? it doesnt quieten down when hot but it doesnt affect the performance.

[greyjasper51]

get it warm engine flush it, good new oil, get it warm and give it a spanking that should put them up

[dazbot8]

Thank you greyjasper51 i will give it a try. ive also just read about an additive for hydraulic lifters? Worth ago?

[greyjasper51]

i think thats just oil thinner and not really what i would personally be doing

[dazbot8]

i thought that aswell but it seems highly recommended. I will change the oil tomorrow and come back with results thanks again

[luthor1]

take the tappets out, strip them down, and soak them in meths overnight, especially the one way valve. You can blow through this to clean it and suck to make sure it works properly, also check for broken tappet springs internally. Then clean the parts with brake cleaner and dry them, then rebuild the tappets. Then, using 1200grit wet and dry, rough up the contact face of each tappet by scribing a figure of 8 pattern on the sandpaper until the faces dull. Then replace the oil and filter with a fully synthetic 10/40 and new filter and refit the tappets. Startup and hold at 2250-2500rpm for 10 minutes then go for a normal long drive.

that's how to fix it. I wouldn't thrash it, use oil additives, or any other short cut. Once you see the inside of a tappet you'll realise these are not gonna do it!

[dazbot8]

Thanks for the advice people. The car had been sat for sometime so i dropped the oil put new oil in and it seems to have solved the problem! i now have a quiet vts thanks again