Mates VL is making a tapping noise

[<atomicL93>]

My mates 1986 VL Berlina is making a tapping noise thats coming from top of the engine, the higher the revs the faster the taps are.. Does anyone what the problem could be?

 

[qwertsta]

lifters. Might need a oil change or might be low on oil.

 

[Troy5L]

do a search mate..

it will definatly be the lifters, ill even put money on it...

might be low on oil as qwersta said but u might need to get them changed to fix the noise, or even try the stuff from supercheap auto, lubes up the lifters and stops the noise, i cant think of wat its called

 

[Goon]

if ur changing oil + filter , change the rocker cover gasket while ur at it!

 

[jatsvl]

as all above have said its the lifters
oil + oil filter + lifter free (nulon), then regular oil changes approx every 5000kms.

 

[walesy]

or if its pretty loud and you take the radiator cap off and the water is milky white its a cracked head, vl's are known for it

 

[<atomicL93>]

went driving in it the other day was running like a dream then 15 mins later the tapping started again, took it around to his old mans to check out whats wrong and apparently the valves are sticky

 

[jatsvl]

sticky valves would make it run really sh!t and it would sound terrible out the exhaust you haven't mentioned that.
hydraulic lifters.
did you change the oil+filter yet?

 

[<atomicL93>]

sticky valves would make it run really sh!t and it would sound terrible out the exhaust you haven't mentioned that.
hydraulic lifters.
did you change the oil+filter yet?

yeah out the exhaust it sounds like a v8 lol!
nah he hasnt changed the oil and filter yet. he is gonna do that soon tho

 

[STEALTHY™]

I've never heard a VL that 'doesn't' have noisly lifters. I thought that was stock standard?