RE: RS2 clicking valve lifters?

[quk@isham-research.demon.co.uk (Phil Payne)]

In message <mailstart.2/15/99.10252.99.> gerard@dockside.co.za writes:

> Just want to know from q-listers exactly where this
> vacuum pump thing is on the turbo cars. Under the
> exhaust manifold? I own the 1990 200 10-valve, it is
> giving severe clicking from the manifold section.
> I suppose if this thing does go bad then the clicking
> would be more noticeable from between the air box
> and the EM rather than from the top of the valve cover.

I don't think the 200TQ (non-USA, at least) even _has_ a vacuum pump.

Vacuum provision is from the manifold (yes, even on turbo cars there's
a lot of vacuum about at times).  Most of the 200TQ's vacuum functions
are served by a 3.5mm fabric-covered hose that leaves the manifold and
routes to the reservoir bottle behind the left side C-pillar.  On the
way, and still in the engine compartment, it passes through a cylindrical
black and white one-way valve.  This is unique (AFAIK) to the 200TQ,
because it has bleed-off pipes at 90 degrees to the axis on both sides
of the valve.  If you pull off either of the hoses on the 'car' side
of the valve, you should hear a prolonged hiss as the reservoir refills.

I don't think there's a separate vacuum pump.  There certainly isn't
on Roger Galvin's 200TQ - I only rebuilt the engine a month ago.

There are, however, two separate sorts of 'tick'.  One is a hydraulic
tappet, and one is early manifold failure.

They can be hard to tell apart.  For about nine months last year,
Roger kept saying he had a lifter on the way out.  I maintained that
it was an exhaust tick.  I was right.

There are two ways to tell.  Sometimes, if you raise the rpm of the
engine very slowly using a long thin lever stuck through the throttle
quadrant, you can hear a 'sympathetic' tick start right next to the
first one.  It's as if a nearby friend is compelled to join in.
Perhaps it's an echo, or the ticking lifter bouncing up on its own and
hitting the cam.  Whatever it really is, it's a funny double click.

If it's a manifold tick, it will usually be _much_ worse after the
engine has been hot, has cooled, and is started again after about an
hour.

--
 Phil Payne
 Phone: 0385 302803   Fax: 01536 723021
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