Ok so this is absolutly doing my head in now!

Since owning the engine i have rebuilt the entire thing! As most people will know i am sure.

Tonight i replaced my oil pump and gaskets hoping it would be the end of the problem, but no... Its still no different :(

So far the list is:

Fully rebuilt bottom end ie: shells etc

vw valves

valve guides

valve stem seals

Headgasket

Oil pump and connecting gaskets

Stripped and cleaned all hydraulic tappets

High quality 10/40 fully synth and filter

All the oil ways are completely immaculate as i personaly cleaned every single one while the engine was in bits

When cold it is totaly silent, but once warm it taps its tits off!

Oil pressure is as follows:

Cold tickover: 50psi

Warm tickover: 10psi

Peaks at around 40psi when caning it once hot

Could this be something as simple as a wrong oil filter?

Edited 23 August, 201214 yr by dubownerbilco

Why not change the tappets?

Also have you got an oil pressure gauge? I'm amazed how much it changes with temp. Mines over 90psi cold and like less than 20 hot. At idle like

Why not change the tappets?

Also have you got an oil pressure gauge? I'm amazed how much it changes with temp. Mines over 90psi cold and like less than 20 hot. At idle like

Just edited with gauge readings!

I felt no need to change the tappets as they all moved smoothly and were not blocked once i had finished with them

"When cold it is totaly silent, but once warm it taps its tits off!"

Have you looked at changing the grade of oil you use? That sounds like it gets a bit too thin when up to temp. Pretty sure I had 10/40 in mine and although it wouldn't tap its tits off it did get a little tappy when warm.

But then I'm far from an expert on oils so I may be well off the mark

"When cold it is totaly silent, but once warm it taps its tits off!"

Have you looked at changing the grade of oil you use? That sounds like it gets a bit too thin when up to temp. Pretty sure I had 10/40 in mine and although it wouldn't tap its tits off it did get a little tappy when warm.

But then I'm far from an expert on oils so I may be well off the mark

It was recomended by opie oils, but when i was running it in it ran on 20/50 mineral and was exacty the same!

Also to add i do have reground cams which some have mentioned are prone to tapping, but they never did this when i first got them so i have dismissed that possibility

Edited 16 August, 201214 yr by dubownerbilco

Fair enough, what are your oil temps like? And are you running an oil cooler?

40 psi giving it shit?

I thought you were the one who said about the rough rule of 10 psi?

Sounds like it gets hot, mine falls away when it gets hot, hence why I have a cooler in the post

Fair enough, what are your oil temps like? And are you running an oil cooler?

Dont know about temps but i do run an oil cooler without a thermostat

40 psi giving it shit?

I thought you were the one who said about the rough rule of 10 psi?

Sounds like it gets hot, mine falls away when it gets hot, hence why I have a cooler in the post

Yeh but should top out at about 60psi apparently

Tappets wear surely no matter how clean they are? I replaced mine, you may have twice as many, but I have no issues

40 psi giving it shit?

I thought you were the one who said about the rough rule of 10 psi?

Sounds like it gets hot, mine falls away when it gets hot, hence why I have a cooler in the post

Yeh but should top out at about 60psi apparently

The variation in oil pressures in these engines can be quite large, I've had 3 with gauges on them and non of them were the same (all on the same gauge too). Off the top of my head I think I've only had one that was anywhere near 60psi when warm and that topped out at about 70, the other two were a fair bit lower

Tappets wear surely no matter how clean they are? I replaced mine, you may have twice as many, but I have no issues

But for the majority of them to start tapping after the last rebuild?..

The block i have at the moment was originally a chain driven pump but i was setup for the direct drive which all swapped over without a problem so i thought nothing of it, unless this matters?

If it was warn tappets surely it would do it all the time and not just when it was hot?

If it was warn tappets surely it would do it all the time and not just when it was hot?

God knows.. I just want to sort this out now, i am rapidly falling out with this engine, i dont see why it has to constantly give me problems!!!!!

Okay, don't mean to threadjack, but this is looking awkward. Regarding oil pressures, when my gauge worked (now jammed on at 100), was 90 when cold, 40 when hot.

When caining it, went over 100? Now the gauge is locked on high. Even at idle. Assume gauge is fecked, but unsure.

Okay, don't mean to threadjack, but this is looking awkward. Regarding oil pressures, when my gauge worked (now jammed on at 100), was 90 when cold, 40 when hot.

When caining it, went over 100? Now the gauge is locked on high. Even at idle. Assume gauge is fecked, but unsure.

I had the same prob with a guage stuck on 100, bought a new sender and it was the same so tryed a different gauge and it worked fine!

Iv got a mech gauge. Cold driving from nothing it goes just over 100 and will stop, assume pressure relief. Will idle at like 90, when oil is hot it's more like 15-18psi.

Giving it shit so to speak is about 65-70, about 45-50 cruising about 2k.

I did measure all the oil pump clearances and seemed good mind

I just dont know what to try next?!...

Mines tappy when warm also. Strange things these vw engines... lol

Mines tappy when warm also. Strange things these vw engines... lol

How tappy, mine sounds bloody horrible!

As a last attempt this morning before setting off to work i swapped the oil filter for a genuine vw one i had lying around my garage, the pressure does actually seem to be slightly higher and the tapping doesnt sound like its as many tappets making the noise...

If its only when warm, try some oil that keeps a higher viscosity when it gets up to operating tempreture.

Mines pretty bad. Its got fresh 15/40 oil in it

If its only when warm, try some oil that keeps a higher viscosity when it gets up to operating tempreture.

this is what i am using at the moment on opie oils recomendation

millers cfs link

it was no different when running the engine in on 20/50 mineral oil though

Don't you have reprofiled cams?