VVC rattle

Couldn't see it so can anyone point me to a "how to" for curing the rattle?

Ta.

Please someone with more idea please feel free to put me in my place.
The rattle is either the tappets that are oil filled or the vvc mechanism .
With the engines I work on these days and engines haven't changed much.
Wear and tear plays a big part,oil used or that has been used etc.
This also has an effect on oil pressure etc.
Like your heart we need loads of fresh clean blood at the right pressure ,low blood pressure you feel ill,dirty blood the same I guess.
Depending on your engine age and service history and of course how often is she used.
Some engines are prone to rattle even when new,I simply don't know about the k series enough to know.
Try a good quality engine flush follow the label on the tin,Then a good quality main dealer part oil filter,And then 10/40 semi oil a good one.
If that isn't the cure even when at operating temp then you have wear.
One way is remove the rocker cover and check for wear on the camshaft .it it's worn then your followers are in the same condition.
Now depending on how much you want to get involved.
You can lock the cam shaft gears up at the correct timing position and remove the upper part of the cylinder head,This will expose the oil ways these can get blocked.
Now if you have got this far a new set of followers soaked in the correct oil would do any harm,
Now the correct sealant must be used to rejoin the cylinder head.To put new followers in the camshafts need to be taken off so you may as well fit a new belt.
if the wrong sealant is used then it will cause camshaft to be come seized due to oil starvation.And that will distroy your head.
I can look up the correct sealant on our data base how ever I'm sure some on here knows.
Cam followers/tappets are a service item,I.e designed to be replaced when worn,
We undertake a lot of vw engines and those items wear almost weakly.
A good repair takes time and temptation to save money using cheap parts even if new never pays off long term.The extra pounds spent will save a lot more in the future.
The vvc part of the engine can be noisy simply due to age,some people have strip these down and replaced the shifters,But that isn't a easy job,and timing these heads up can be tricky.
20 degrees out either way on inlet or exhaust will mean mr piston and mrs valve will hit and bend.
Of course there may be an easy cure that only you guys know about,If that is the case please accept my apology and I will return back to work

Take out the boot carpet

Get some self adhesive sound dampener (e.g. NK barrier mat, Dynamat etc)

Stick it to the bulkhead between boot and engine (in the boot)

replace carpet

It doesnt 'repair' anything, but I found out (completely by accident) that it doesnt half reduce the rattle. (The bulkhead seems to act like the sound box on a guitar.)

I'd suggest its worth a try first!

Like it,the turn the radio up so you can't hear the noise

Thanks very much for the detailed reply Brown1972.

I'm pretty sure its going to be the mechanism that's worn. It only had an oil filter change last year and it's been looked after before, so I think it's just the luck of the draw.

I'm not going to put in hours of graft and cash if that's what it takes. Just wondered if it was something that could be done relatively quickly by an incompetent mechanic such as I!

Think I'll go for MikeC's suggestion or your alternative suggestion.

Cheers.

How long ago is it since the engine had an oil change?. If it's been a while then a change of oil and filter can help reduce the rattle.


:beer: :beer: Steve

If something is worn,the only thing that will change that situation is to fix the problem.
Another perhaps quicker way is to simply get a good second hand head.
Now if memory serves me correctly the heads have a treated face,they are hardened so only one skim is exceptable.Now you can measure the head for thickness.

Probably worth adding that I have a VVC engine. It rattles (the mechs rattle) a lot when cold, and quieten down a lot as the engine warms up. It is very distinctive - quite unlike piston slap (also have had a 1.4 litre R25 so I know what that sounds like on a K). My 'dampening' solution really does work - it surprised me so much that I was moved to join the club to share it. I'm sure that new oil will help also (it certainly quietens down my 300tdi engine), but my K's get annual oil changes and top notch oil anyway so not an effect I'd notice).

If you search the threads you will find an example of someone who actually went to the trouble of replacing the mechs, only to find his second hand replacements were noisier than the originals. They dont make them new! I hear that there is someone in New Zealand who overhauls these things, (or used to!).

The trouble I had with these mechs over 10years ownership is that they once undid my cam pulley bolt. Obviously anything that is accelerating and decelerating the camshaft every revolution is going to put torque variations into the pulley - it is a well known problem that Loctite will sort. If it sound like a bolt is rattling around inside the top of the engine then STOP and get recovered. Loose pulley bolts can occur on any K but the VVC is (in my opinion) particularly suceptable - but it is a sudden change. No one with an ounce of mechanical sensitivity would drive an engine sounding like that so if you are wondering whether you have got it you havent! I got to mine before it did any damage thankfully.

The good news is that more and more people are doing things for this car. 10years ago the hydragas suspension was irrepairable - now you can get them regassed for half the cost of the spring replacement kit from several suppliers.

My first action would be to change the oil and filter. Take it from there.:yesnod:

After a cambelt change my VVC was a LITTLE quieter! Apparently, the timing had been out by one notch. Otherwise, as said before, a VVC clatters a bit when cold and high quality oil changes are always good. I'm going to try the idea of sound (and heat?) insulation material on the boot bulkhead too! ????

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