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Tapping noise


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Hi everyone.

Can anyone help? I'm gutted, took my esprit out to its first classic car show this year yesterday. Had a wonderful day and the esprit drove beautifully but when I arrived home I noticed it had started making a tapping noise! Now to me it sounds like it's coming from the top of the engine and rises with engine speed. Sounds like a noisy tappet kind of noise. The car still drives fine with no power loss, misfiring or anything. Oil level is bang on too but this tappings horrible! Now I know some of you may say that a cracked exhaust manifold can sound like a tap but this sounds more cam, tappet like to me. That's as descriptive as I can be.

Can anyone advise? I'm gutted about this.

Many thanks, Darren (tappy esprit owner)

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  • Gold FFM

could well be manifold. Grab a piece of rubber hose and use it as a stethoscope - you'll soon find it!

British Fart to Florida, Nude to New York, Dunce to Denmark, Numpty to Newfoundland.  And Shitfaced Silly Sod to Sweden.

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Yes I'll try that. So is it easy to tell if it is blowing using that method? Thought it would be more noisy from cold if the manifold had gone. Started it tonight and if anything it may have seemed quieter from cold then became more noticeable as it warmed up.

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One end in your ear, the other moved around suspicious areas. As soon as you pass it you'll know!

All we know is that when they stop making this, we will be properly, properly sad.Jeremy Clarkson on the Esprit.

Opinions are like armpits. Everyone has them, some just stink more than others.

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I was CONVINCED that I had a rattly little end....that was the exhaust manifold, too. Had the engine out and in pieces before I found it....one of the manifold studs had bottomed in the thread in the cylinder head, which meant that there wasn't quite enough thread available on the stud for the manifold nut to squeeze the manifold tightly down on the gasket. Which blew....all it needed was another washer under the nut and a new gasket!!

Driving along in town, the noise reflected from adjacent walls was horrendous.....

Scientists investigate that which already is; Engineers create that which has never been." - Albert Einstein

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  • Gold FFM

Mine regularly makes tapping noises of various types - before it was definitely the exhaust leaking including bolts in the connecting pipes as well as the manifold itself... 

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Dont want to alarm you but I had a similar noise a few years ago just before two cam followers broke up and destroyed the top of the engine. Hopefully it isnt that in your case but the cam followers (Bucket tappets) are cast iron on the early Esprits and if they start to break up you will get a tapping noise just before all hell breaks loose. So if it isnt the manifold I would take the cam cover off to make sure everything looks ok.

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Thank you all for your advice and tips. Going to run some checks over the bank holiday weekend but going to get the old girl checked out professionally at massive cost no doubt but she's worth it.

Thanks again everyone.

Darren.

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