Technical MK1 75 ELX Engine repair only got worse

[rsrocha]

Hi guys!

My MK1 75 ELX just came today from the shop. I had a blown head gasket and the engine was repaired top to bottom. Gaskets, core plugs, thermostat and water pump, steel water pipe and so on...

The repair bill was around 400 pounds and i couldnt wait to get the car in my hands to test the "new" engine.

Well, i went to pick up the car, came home at dinner time and didnt had time to check if everything was ok. After dinner i went for a drive and as soon i turned the key and the engine started i heard some "teq teq teq" sound coming from the engine. The sound got faster as i pulled the revs up.

It seems that it comes from the valve cover or coil pack area. No, it isnt the injector rail noise. Could the machanic forgot something? Im sure that before the gasket went dead the engine was working without any strange noise. I think its getting worse and i only drove it for 5 miles...

Tomorrow im going to ring him just to check and by the end of the day i will take the car again to the shop just to see whats wrong.

Did anybody had this noise in the engine before?

 

[fingers99]

Tek tek tek sounds like tappets. Long screwdriver as stethescope might help pinpoint the noise. Wonder if he either put them back in the wrong order or re-set them to the wrong clearances? Head gasket on upside down? Check that there's oil in the cam box..........

 

[DaveMcT]

If Fingers is right driving the car will do lots of damage. If the oil is pumping around it could be one tappet that's sticking. If not stop the engine and chase the garage.

They are hydraulic so should automatically take up the slack between cam and valve

 

[fingers99]

75 is not hydraulic. (8 valve FIRE engine).

 

[rsrocha]

I took the car to the shop this afternoon.

The machanic said that, indeed, there is some tapping noise but this is more loud only few seconds after i start the engine. After the engine warms up the tapping sound gets lower but noticeable.

He said to do some miles so all the gaskets settle in and then, when readjusting the head bolts, he will see if the tapping continues there. He also said it can be one stuck valve... but the car runs fine.

 

[fingers99]

He is a real plonker, a complete know nothing. The head bolts do not need (and should not be) retorqued. A stuck valve is likely to either do damage to the follower/cam/valve guide or to the piston.

Completely unacceptable.

 

[DaveMcT]

Sorry I thought they had hydraulic tappets.

The head gasket will not settle. The mechanic's comment makes me wonder if he's torqued them properly. Those bolts should be pulled up really tight - no way anything can settle.

Get the car back to him and get him to do the tappets properly.

 

[rsrocha]

Here is a video of it. The video makes the sound seem worse than it is. But its there indeed...

 

[rsrocha]

Bump... for the fiver.

 

[rsrocha]

Here is the link:

 

[fingers99]

Tappets. Just possibly a loose baffle in the top of the cam cover, but that's unlikely. Chump has either re-fitted the valves in the wrong order or cut them in without re-setting the clearances, or muddled the shims up.

Either way it's unaceptable. Take it back.

If he bullsh*ts and you're a member, get the RAC or AA round, take it to trading standards.

The engine may run "OK" for a while, but can't run As FIAT intended (running with the wrong clearances changes the valve timing) and may die horribly.

What makes it worse is that these are verry, very, easy engines to work on.

How much did you pay, dare I ask?

 

[rsrocha]

Yep, next monday the car is going to the shop again. I dont care if he takes one week or one month, i just want the car back right as it should be. And even more i will not pay one cent more to the guy.

The repair cost was about 400 pounds (580 euros) mainly because of the high number of parts i wanted to be changed. The head had to be skimmed and refilled because it had some bits that were corroded.