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HOT TAPPET SETTINGS TR4


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Hi Everyone,

                         Where they can't be done cold, what is the most appropriate tappet settings for exhaust and inlet on a hot engine?

Thanks in anticipation           Willie

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Depends upon cam used Willie. Just do what a racer does. 
Set the tappets cold go on a nice run to get the engine nice and hot ( at least 20-30 miles). Then check the tappet settings whilst it is stinging hot and average the set of inlet tappets and the set of exhaust tappets ( some camshafts demand different settings) and make a note for when you need to do them hot.

Mick Richards

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Thanks Mick. I  have a back problem currently which makes dabbling with the engine uncomfortable.  Am driving TR to a mate to do it, so it will be hot.  Obvious there is need for adjustment. Probably standard cam.  Do you have settings which could be tried?               Willie

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I have the Triumphtune road cam TT1104 which requires tapped gaps of 0.013 for both inlet & exhaust valves. The standard cam requires 0.010 gaps so would suggest somewhere around those figures unless you have a wilder cam.

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1 minute ago, monty said:

I have the Triumphtune road cam TT1104 which requires tapped gaps of 0.013 for both inlet & exhaust valves. The standard cam requires 0.010 gaps so would suggest somewhere around those figures unless you have a wilder cam.

Sorry Willie meant to add that those settings are cold.

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As Mick said.

Unless your cam supplier gives gaps for both hot and cold the only way is to go with the figure you have (for example 10 thou cold) and check what the tappet gap measures at when hot.

Or if you have a cam that the figures are  say 24 thou hot, set it to that and measure again when cold.

Then write it down for fuure reference.

Unless someone has the same cam as you it will be difficult for anyone else to give the figures you want. If you cam is standard you might be in luck.

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On 6/27/2022 at 10:02 AM, Willie said:

Thanks Mick. I  have a back problem currently which makes dabbling with the engine uncomfortable.  Am driving TR to a mate to do it, so it will be hot.  Obvious there is need for adjustment. Probably standard cam.  Do you have settings which could be tried?               Willie

Willie get your mate to come to your place and do them cold. Looks to be the simplest answer given the feedback. 

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Drive to your mates, open the bonnet and go have a cup of tea for half an hour, by which time I would think the engine will be cool enough to  use the cold settings.

Ralph

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Thanks Ralph. We did just that this morning, allowing over an hour for cooling with rocker box removed.  No serious issue with tappet settings, but there is definite ticking kind of noise both at tickover and at higher revs.  My pal wondered if there is either a dry rocker or worn cam follower.  Engine has done 25k miles since major overhaul.

Any thoughts?             Willie

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Hi Willie,

my car too has a noisy tappet which has defied all attempts to silence it and I think it must be a cam follower. My own fault really as I re built the engine during lockdown and getting spares was not easy, coupled with the fact that I did not know when I would be back at work and earning, so was watching the pennies, but I did not think there was any significant wear on them so used the followers again. I did fit a new rocker shaft and bushes in the rockers so it can`t be that.

The road tests of the time often mention noisy valve gear, nd mine does get quieter when the engine is fully warmed up.

Check the rocker lubrication by running the engine at idle with the rocker cover off. You should see oil oozing out around all of the rockers. If the rocker shaft is worn you find lots of oil coming out of the first few at one end and nothing making it to the other end, as the oil feed is to one end of the shaft.

Ralph

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That's exactly what my pal is planning to do Ralph.  I renewed the rocker shaft and rockers in Jan 2020 and also fitted spacers and shims instead of springs.  I did have the Moss rocker lubrication pipe fitted, but removed it on previous advice here on the Forum. The "tickety rattle" pre-dates the rocker work. Perhaps #1 suspect is a cam follower! Shot of rocker gear attached.  Front thackery washer was weak, so I used shims instead.

Willie

8. Final spacing - overview.JPG

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I have a bit of tappet noise from the front of my engine (TR3a) particularly when the engine is cold.  I have spent quite a lot of time trying to cure this and know that my cam followers are bang on the right size and their bores are scrupulously clean.  I wonder now if it is the front rocker sliding horizontally against the spring spacer (and back) making a clicking noise when it hits the front rocker support pedestal.  I suppose the solution might be a solid spacer (made from a cut down rocker bush?)

Rgds Ian

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A blowing exhaust manifold gasket can sound like a sharp metallic tick...sometimes it goes away as engine warms... sometimes it only appears once hot. Easy to confuse with a valve or piston issue.

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Hi there,

with some wear out you get a groove in the rocker where it is in contact with the valve.

You might the think you adjust them correct - but indeed too wide, because you cover the groove with the feeler gauge.

Ciao, Marco

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10 hours ago, Z320 said:

Hi there,

with some wear out you get a groove in the rocker where it is in contact with the valve.

You might the think you adjust them correct - but indeed too wide, because you cover the groove with the feeler gauge.

Ciao, Marco

Hi Marco,

I have one of those "click adjust" tools that compensates for the wear you describe, made by Gunson, but my tap, tap, tap is still there.

My next winter job is to take the pushrods out and check the ends for tightness, in case one of them is loose.

Cheers, Ralph

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Hi Ralph,

I found my own "not click adjust" way to adjust for less ticking - but it ticks anyway.

But if a OHV engine would not tick something would be wrong? :D

The ticking noise on my old OHV boxer BMWs comes from the sidewards movement of the rockers.

Willie shimed them with spacers, I like this idea.

Ciao, Marco

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I have had 2 TR4/4A’s & both have had tappet noise that seems hard to get rid of completely. One car had a cam that required large gaps compared to standard but noise was not much worse than standard. I think it is the design!

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On 7/2/2022 at 9:27 AM, Willie said:

That's exactly what my pal is planning to do Ralph.  I renewed the rocker shaft and rockers in Jan 2020 and also fitted spacers and shims instead of springs.  I did have the Moss rocker lubrication pipe fitted, but removed it on previous advice here on the Forum. The "tickety rattle" pre-dates the rocker work. Perhaps #1 suspect is a cam follower! Shot of rocker gear attached.  Front thackery washer was weak, so I used shims instead.

Willie

8. Final spacing - overview.JPG

Yes I have also experienced that ticking from the sideways movement of the rocker gear. I spotted it by removing the oil filler cap and peering into the valve gear.  Slotted a screwdriver into the gap and the ticking stopped. 
I’d be grateful if anyone can advise me where to get the shims - at least it will sound better!

Thanks

David

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Race car TRs don't have ticking problems (unless it's a cam follower sticking) but then they use spacer tubes between the rockers with an end shim to tightly control the rockers sideways movement. Maybe there's a connection ?

I even seem to remember one of the TR parts suppliers has them on supply Moss. TR Enterprises...etc. ? Check them out.

Mick Richards

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12 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

Race car TRs don't have ticking problems (unless it's a cam follower sticking) but then they use spacer tubes between the rockers with an end shim to tightly control the rockers sideways movement. Maybe there's a connection ?

I even seem to remember one of the TR parts suppliers has them on supply Moss. TR Enterprises...etc. ? Check them out.

Mick Richards

Sounds like that is the solution Mick. Is it a straightforward job to do?

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