Valve tick

[Philipangoo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WBftZ63prI

Not my video but my car sounds exactly like this. It wasn't always this loud, started happening maybe the last few times that I have driven the car.

Mine is loud enough to hear in the car with the windows up. Does this sound mean I need another valve adjustment ? I adjusted the car a few months ago but I haven't driven it very often since then. It definitely didn't make this sound after I adjusted it. Could this be caused by worn valve adjusting eccentrics ?

[Cabriolet]

you need to get your valves gapped to .10mm. that noise happens when the spacing is greater than .15mm.

[Philipangoo]

thanks for the quick response. Will try that this weekend.

[matias88e30]

Cabriolet: +1,
are you running stock injectors?

[MR 325]

Some M20 engines will sound this way when they are running just fine with perfectly adjusted valves.

The more wear on the parts in the cylinder head, the more noise. Not a big deal really if your valve clearance is correct.

[jlevie]

you need to get your valves gapped to .10mm. that noise happens when the spacing is greater than .15mm.

.1mm is .0039", which is way too tight. The correct cold valve adjustment is 0.010" or 0.254mm.

The best way of adjusting the valves is to use a spring tool, available at BavAuto and other places. It completely removes the subjective factor when adjusting the valves. But understand that a worn head with worn valve guides will tick regardless of how perfectly the valves are adjusted.

[Philipangoo]

Ahh I see. Well before this, it was making some noise but not like this and not nearly as loud. I have put less then 100 miles on the car the past 3 months when I noticed the tick. Dunno if that means anything though.

[Cabriolet]

.1mm is .0039", which is way too tight. The correct cold valve adjustment is 0.010" or 0.254mm.

The best way of adjusting the valves is to use a spring tool, available at BavAuto and other places. It completely removes the subjective factor when adjusting the valves. But understand that a worn head with worn valve guides will tick regardless of how perfectly the valves are adjusted.

thx, had forgotten the extra ".0"