dam 16v tappets!

[dan16v]

my car has started rattling on start up noisy tappets i know but its since i started using magnetec? prob coz its thinner? n e way the q is it easy to do the tappets with the engine in and the cam belt at the same time as ive heard nightmare storis of the engine coming out to do the cam belt? also is it safe to run my car with a rattling tappet only usualy rattles for 5mins?
thanks lads

[Aragorn]

i find my engine (1.2 8v) is also very rattly and tappy on startup if its cold outside - ie early mornings

i assumed this was normal

im running it on 10W40 oil and i think that is thinner that reccomended so it could be a related problem but it goes away once the engine has warmed up so i dont really pay much attention

would i be right in assuming the "correct" oil is 15W40?

[novax]

Is this an XE we're talking about? If the timing belt comes off (don't know how tight it is in a Nova) then remove the Cams. The lifters can then be removed, you don't have tappets. If you need new lifters I have a set here, never been used. From Vauxhall they are ?27 each....! It's not great to run it if it's really rattling but if you're not ramping the guts out of it you should be OK

[dan16v]

yea sorry m8 lifters! to use to my 1600 days! yup its an xe lump yea i know exactly how to do it but can i do it in a nova with out dropping the engine out?

[novax]

In my opinion, it should be possible as long as there is enough room to get the cover off the belt. Might be a lot of twisting a turning....

[Austin_Nova16]

Is a bit tight to do the cam belt, but it can easily be done.

Try taking the tappets out and hold them under some oil and pump some through them (using a magnet). Maybe they're just a bit stuck or summut??

[Dicko]

they need draining, which im afraid means the cams need to come out

if you want a detailed explanaiton of how to do this let me know iv done it a few weeks ago!!