Date:         Fri, 4 Jun 1999 11:05:27 -0400
Reply-To:     David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <synergx@IBM.NET>
Subject:      Re: Loud Tapping Sound
Comments: To: Mark Kazman <mark_kazman@RADIXTEK.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <3757E231.4C6A99D3@radixtek.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 07:26 6/4/99 -0700, Mark Kazman wrote:
>Hi All,
>I just bought an 81' westfilia, and spent some time getting it in shape
>for our first family outing, when I started it this morning I got a loud
>tapping sound from the engine. I thought it was the lifters needing to
>pump up a bit, but it never stopped.

I had mine do this, shortly after it came over from Scotland and hundreds
of miles from home on a Sunday.  I was terrified.  Called the mechanic
who'd just done extensive internal work on the motor and gibbered that the
thing was falling apart.  He was very blase' -- "just drive it, it's a
collapsed lifter."  On his instruction I drove it, figuring it was his
problem if it wrecked the engine but still very reluctantly.  Fifty miles
later it shut up and was fine.

It's happened a few times since but never lasted more than a 10-15 minutes
of actual driving.  A tipoff is that it shut down quiet and started up
noisy.  To verify it for sure you could pop off the valve covers and look,
or use a stethoscope on the head.

I think you're fine.

david

David Beierl - dbeierl@ibm.net