Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Chat about your 9n Polo (inc GT and Fun)
littlepolo
Gold Member
Posts: 778
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

OK, will go with these then, maybe compare them to what comes out.

I plan to soak in oil then partially drain by pressing in the ball/plunger through the top before use. Does this sound OK?

As for the cam cover stretch bolts they have been used twice (torque + 90 degree turn). Will they stand another use?
littlepolo
Gold Member
Posts: 778
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

Stripped down yesterday to replace all 16 tappets with the new Febi/INA items. Drained the oil which was clean with no debris. On disassembly there was nothing wrong at the top end other than some light scoring on one or two rocker rollers. I'd hazard a guess the debris that came out from an earlier oil change might account for that. All old tappets seemed OK and none were collapsed. The cams looked in perfect condition. As best I could see the oilways all looked clear. No Dirko had obstructed the oilways at all. One thing I did notice was the two rightmost tappets (exhaust side) had quite a bot of oil around the hole the tappet drops into compared to all others. When I moved the tappet oil flowed freely out the other nearby ports. The oil riser seems to be near the timing belt end so this would indicate good oil flow?

I installed the new tappets out of the box (they were supplied with plastic caps and covers over the ports) coating them in oil beforehand. Not sure it makes any difference but I installed them with the port facing the oilway. A check on the spark plugs indicated all OK. In fact I have never seen them looking so clean with a good colour and no soot/oil at all - this would tie in with the reduced oil consumption experienced since the earlier rebuild. Put everything back together with no trouble at all. The belts were an easy job this time around.

Fitted a new oil filter and refilled with Fuchs 5W40 which I had at hand. Interestingly, the old Helix Ultra (which could have been reused) was already a treacle brown after a few hundred miles. Started up OK with some light clattering and left to idle and things started to settle down after 10-15 mins. However, and here is an interesting thing, the same "noisy" tappet sound was audible from startup and while other tappets seem to settle down this one did not.

Went out for a high speed run and everything was fine. When I slowed down after the run the noisy tappet sound was still there. It's most audible when pressing the accelerator from idle (not so audible at idle but its still there) up to 1800 or 2000 rpm. Above those speeds and under way cannot really hear it. Overall it is a lot quieter than it was and the tapping is light in comparison. I'm wondering if the return to Fuchs explains that to some extent (it is more viscous when pouring cold compared to same grade Helix) and perhaps the new (improved?) tappets. The other thing is the ambient temps are a lot warmer this time around.

Will put some more miles on it and update later.
littlepolo
Gold Member
Posts: 778
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

Here are some sound files with the new tappets. Recorded by phone held adjacent the cambelt cover. Sound quality is not great and it sounds worse than it is (at least in terms of human hearing). Uploaded files to dropbox to try and retain quality.

Starting up with new tappets

https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxdvv0luqwkmo ... s.mp3?dl=0

Tickover when warm (after a run)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d4u79wd5ggg0s ... m.mp3?dl=0

Revving when warm (up to around 2K)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4r5zrrnkg8gtx ... g.mp3?dl=0
littlepolo
Gold Member
Posts: 778
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

Just a quick update after some more miles. With the recent warm weather the noise has been quieter than before. The startup noise sounds like a squishy sound more than the metallic tap it was before and it settles down as the engine warms up. The noisy tappet is still there although a more muted. After a long run it is pretty quiet with just a light tapping sound noticeable whilst driving. When driving around town (e.g 5-10 miles) and in traffic the noise is a lot more noticeable. From cold start there is often a tapping sound that sounds almost like a worn bearing or pulley or something like that but likely its the tappet because it clears soon after. On a long run/highway the engine is very smooth and cannot hear any noise at all (around 3K rpm). I'm wondering of the new Febi tappets drain down leading to the squishy sound on startup from cold. Overall it's a big improvement compared to the old tappets. I wondered if 5W30 LL might get around quicker on startup as it seems less viscous when cold than the Fuchs 5W40 but I'm reluctant to swap the oil yet again. Perhaps I will when the cooler weather returns.

I was careful about cleanliness during the rebuild and again when I stripped down to swap the tappets. Everything looked very clean although I guess a minor obstruction could have got into an oil way somewhere. I've tried the Italian tune up but no change. Guess I'm going to have to put up with it.
bvs
Silver Member
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:56 am
Drives: 02 1.4s 16v
Location: perth

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by bvs »

Hopefully ok LP - our engine is a little noisy from a cold start but soon quietens down ok - but there is always slight mechanical noise from the engine.
Our other car is a Fabia 1.9 Tdi PD - now it IS noisy - clatters away like an old traccor but doesn't half shift :mrgreen:
littlepolo
Gold Member
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Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

After a 200 mile run yesterday it was quieter when I slowed down into local traffic. One thing I did notice is it seems to be using more fuel than I noticed before when running Fuchs 5W40. Will do a calculation on my next long trip. Oil consumption is very low (at the moment) and will wait for a drop in level to measure it.
littlepolo
Gold Member
Posts: 778
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2011 9:47 pm

Re: Quantum is not Fuchs and not Castrol / oil issues / noise

Post by littlepolo »

Just a quick update on my Polo's oil consumption. It's filled with Fuchs 5W40 and has used 400ml over 1200 kilometres. I've been doing a lot of motorway runs over the past few months and noticed the consumption picks up with sustained higher speeds. With more mixed driving consumption is about 250ml over the same distance. Well within spec.
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