Tappet noise when cold.

[fladavid]

Hi. 

I have a 61 plate Focus 1.6 petrol Titanium and lately I've been getting tappet noise when starting from cold, the engine is pretty quiet once warm. 

Are they hydraulic on this car or can you adjust them? Someone also mentioned Wynns Hydraulic Valve lifter treatment, is this any good? The car has been looked after by Ford all its life but it has done 123,000 miles. 

 

[JW1982]

This engine has solid tappets. The valve lash needs to be adjusted (if necessary) by replacing the complete tappets.

Since the camshafts need to be removed to change the tappets the valve lash adjustment should be checked at the same interval as the timing belt replacement interval.

[F0CUE]

They all do it when cold. My old 1.6 was exactly the same until warm. There is no sound dampening on the injectors you will find they make the most noise. As long as you keep up with oil changes it will last for a long time 

[fladavid]

Oh thanks at least that's reassuring. I was thinking at this mileage I had trouble on the horizon, although the car has a full Ford history. 

[ScaniaPBman]

Yes, David, no need for concern.

I have experienced this on several of my 1.6 petrol focus cars. It is piston slap, have a search with your favourite search engine.

It disappears after a  a few miles when the engine warms up.

When a combustion occurs in the cold engine the cold piston moves rapidly sideways as well as moving down the bore in a controlled way as you would expect. The rapid sideways movement is what you hear from each cold piston as it contacts the bore. When the whole thing warms up the pistons expand and fit perfectly in the bore with no possibility of sideways movement.

Try this experiment. From cold drive off on a light throttle and the knocking can be heard. Lift off the throttle so that the engine is on overrun with no combustion events happening above the cold pistons. Does the knock go away? That's a good confirmation test for piston slap.

My 60 Plate car at 80,000 miles has quite noticeable knocking (piston slap) where as my other one at 140,000 miles has hardly any. Both have not changed over the years of my ownership and will probably by like that when they are scrapped.

ScaniaPBman.