Clacking Getting Louder

[redharvester]

Hello everyone, I've just joined this board in the hope that someone can give me some pointers on my Lucida, it's 10 years old this year and so far has given us no trouble, except for brakes, exhaust etc but now it's got me concerned. Being a diesel our cars always "clacked" but in the last week the "clack" has got louder, performance remains the same and the are no other problems (except that I think I've blown my speakers), someone has suggested that it might be the camshaft. Does anyone have any other suggestions and if it is the camshaft, how much am I looking to pay for a new one? I'm not very mechanically minded and unfortunately neither is my husband so all comments welcome.

Thanks.

[Clive_d]

Hi

I've got one that's clacked ever since we got it. Sounded to me like a hydraulic tappit but no-ones been able to say for sure. Garage says the only way to find out is to drop the engine (its on its side under the front seats) remove the cylinder head and replace the tappit 100-150 pounds for the tappits, god knows how much for the labour and no promise of a cure. Mines done 30k miles like it and its not got worse so not necessarily a big problem.

What's the sound like? Ours clacks when cold (on start up) then the noise goes away for a short time as it warms up, then it comes back with a vengeance as the engine reaches normal operating temp and clacks away happily for as long as we drive! Its sort of become part of the character of the car but I still wonder about it.

Another post here talks about it being the vacuum pump but I havent explored that yet.

BTW I really like clacking - it exactly describes the sound!

Cheers, Clive

[redharvester]

Hi, thanks for your reply. Whats it sound like? well one bloke who fiddles with his own carss said it sounds like the camshaft but I've never believed him (fear of the cost probably). The noise is there at start up, sometimes the car idles quietly, sometimes not, personally I think the noise sounds "dry" if you know what I mean so today we're changing the oil and flushing the system as it has been suggested that it could be a blocked oil feed? putting on the air conditioning makes a difference, to be honest it sounds like a bus.

[redharvester]

discovered that ours too is a suspected tappit problem, more precisely a hydrolic lifter.

[son+mart]

Hello everyone, I've just joined this board in the hope that someone can give me some pointers on my Lucida, it's 10 years old this year and so far has given us no trouble, except for brakes, exhaust etc but now it's got me concerned. Being a diesel our cars always "clacked" but in the last week the "clack" has got louder, performance remains the same and the are no other problems (except that I think I've blown my speakers), someone has suggested that it might be the camshaft. Does anyone have any other suggestions and if it is the camshaft, how much am I looking to pay for a new one? I'm not very mechanically minded and unfortunately neither is my husband so all comments welcome.

Thanks.

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[son+mart]

hi we have been told that ours is the bushes and couplings

[smiles]

Does the noise go away once you increase the revs to say 1500 rpm ?