Uk 1998 Celica Tapping Sound From Engine...help!

[Tumber07]

Hey all,

I've literally just bought myself a little 1.8 sr which is amazingly clean and drive lovely.

However, after the car has warmed up I start to hear what sounds like engine tapping, not too loud but enough for me to hear from inside the car.

Any ideas on what this could be, or just normal?

I've had a look inside the engine bay and the sound appears somewhere around the spark plugs down..

Engine appears dry and clean however, there is a lot of oil buildup on the bottom of a new distributor that was installed before I bought the car, and also when i press in the clutch I hear what sounds like air being released is that normal also?

Car has 110K miles on the clock, timing belt was changed as far as I know 4 years ago.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers Brandon

[Mistermena]

Whats the condition of the engine oil like? Has it been changed and the correct spec? 1st thing I would do is change both the oil and filter!...

[Tumber07]

Yeah, I think it may just be the gap between the valves as the cars got older, and due a service. I think on the previous oil change they may have used the wrong oil.

Whats the best oil to use? I know it should be a 5w30 right? Would Castrol GTX do the job?

I was also gonna repalce the oil filter with a Bosch one!

[Mistermena]

http://www.carparts4less.co.uk/cp4l/p/accessories-engine-oil/engine-oils/engine-oil/5w40-engine-oil/?521776031&0&cc5_248

I would use a 5w-40 grade like this! And avoid Bosch filters as most are made in India. Buy a mann or Hengst one. The link I have given you to the oil is the same stuff I use in my Gt4 205 and is the highest API grade out there being SN and its a full synth for silly cheap money! Made for ECP/Carparts4less by a Dutch company. On check out type discount code Saveme75 and you'll get 5L delivered to your door for £11.55

[alan333]

after the car has warmed up I start to hear what sounds like engine tapping, not too loud but enough for me to hear from inside the car.

Any ideas on what this could be, or just normal?

Normally if it's tappets they are noisy from cold, not once hot.

[Tumber07]

Cheers for the help with the oil and filter guys!

Yeah its starts to make this tappet sound only once hot and on idle and low revs, when driving i wont hear a thing really...

Im now looking at spark plugs, ive always used denso plugs...any recommendations for good plugs?

Cheers Brandon

[Mistermena]

Denso irodium tough are good! So are NGK...

[RUToyota]

I'd stick with Denso.

Neil

[Scarlett Arrow]

Yeah, I think it may just be the gap between the valves as the cars got older, and due a service. I think on the previous oil change they may have used the wrong oil.

Whats the best oil to use? I know it should be a 5w30 right? Would Castrol GTX do the job?

I was also gonna repalce the oil filter with a Bosch one!

30 is the correct viscosity for a Gen 7, a Gen 6 takes 40.

A 10W40 (or 5W40 in Winter) is the right oil for your engine :)

[Tumber07]

Well changed the oil and filter, still got the tappet sound, not quite as loud I dont think but still there...would a faulty distributor cause a tappet sound?

Ive searched for the location of the sound, and it sounds likes its coming from just above the HT Leads, see link:

http://postimg.org/image/l1nn72hv1/

Any Ideas?

Cheers Brandon