Classic Alfa Forums

Hi guys - after a few miles my new ex-Bianco Class F engine sounds a bit tappety

I'm sure this isn't a racing thing, and I am hoping that maybe the engine builder may just have accidentally swapped the inlet and exhaust shims by mistake. Whatever the reason, I need to depress the tappet buckets to get the shims out. I watched the Wheeler Dealers Alfasud episode and Edd China used what appears to be a mass-produced tool to do the job, can any OHC shim tool do the job, or should I just do as Haynes suggests and make up my own?

Any advice gratefully received!

The carburettor tuning saga is far from over, but I managed to get to the Easter Classic at Brooklands last weekend, where I was parked opposite another well-known pointy-nosed vehicle



Lauren

Hi Lauren.
Let me have a look I may be able to
Lend you the correct tool. It’s like a curly cam bucket depressing snail hook type thing I’ll
Post a photo tomorrow

Isn't it the same tool as for the Lampredi TC?

I’ve got that one . I’ve also got this one which I seem to remember being the correct one. I can’t just put my hand on the other one so I’ll have to dig it out

Keep taking the tablets Lou.

LooLooSud33Spider wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 06, 2024 12:48 pm

I’ve got that one . I’ve also got this one which I seem to remember being the correct one. I can’t just put my hand on the other one so I’ll have to dig it out IMG_2075.jpeg

Thanks Lou - that looks like the one in the Alfa 33 manual, with the hex head for putting a socket and tommy bar on to.

It seems to be very similar (if not identical) to the Fiat X1/9 SOHC shim tool:

https://www.eurosport-uk.net/shop/image ... 41_med.jpg

Similar application, I wouldn't be surprised if Alfa and Fiat shared the same tappet buckets, even if the 'Sud engine is a pre-Fiat takeover design.

I’ve got that fiat tool aswell

Hi again Lauren. I’ve just checked and whilst both tools look similar they’re actually different thicknesses.

OK, thanks Lou. Hmm. I wonder if the Alfa tool is designed to depress both the inlet and exhaust buckets at the same time? In which case, the shoulders bear on the bucket edge and the centre ridge locates in the gap between the two. If that is the case, I will have to use the Fiat tool to depress one bucket at a time, but that is no worse than using the Haynes tool.

My main concern regarding borrowing a tool is that there may be accessibility issues with my engine bay that wouldn't normally be encountered in an Alfasud, which would necessitate modifying the tool. I found this out when I tried to adjust my twin lobe tappets on the old engine - I made up a special Allen key, and then had to re-make it to fit the rear cylinders. But I digress.

I have now removed the cam covers and taken the plugs out, they all appear to be in good condition, although there is some variability in the colour at the tip. I have measured all 8 valve clearances twice, just to be sure, and sadly, I was right - #1 inlet is too tight (0.30mm), #1 exhaust is too loose (0.55mm), and #4 inlet is too loose (0.45mm). I wasn't expecting that on a freshly rebuilt engine

Maybe being 0.05mm out-of-spec isn't so bad, but the rattle is quite obvious once the engine is up to temperature, and I don't like the idea of #1 inlet being too tight.

Still, on the plus side, the engine is oil-tight, has good compression and oil pressure, so once the valve clearances are sorted it should be good. It certainly outperforms my old engine by a very significant margin!

Lauren

Just a quick update on this thread. I bought a Fiat tappet tool from Eurospares (they supply parts for X1/9s), and predictably the tool could not be used in its original form, the handle is too long and at the wrong angle to clear the carbs and the sides of the engine bay.. Fortunately the Eurospares tool has a separate handle that is riveted to the business end, so I ground the rivets off and removed the handle. Dimensionally what is left is about the same size as the Alfa tool, but without the hex head to get purchase on.

I have a spare cam chest and after a bit of experimentation I concluded that if I turned the engine over until the valve bucket was depressed by the cam, I could insert the tool and then slowly rotate the engine until the tappet came off the cam and onto the shoulder of the tool. You have to be a bit careful not to do this on the compression stroke but apart from that the technique worked well and I was able to remove and check all three of my suspect shims.

I now have replacements on order and all being well I will have the valve clearances sorted in time of Auto Italia at Brooklands, which I really don't want to miss this year!

Lauren

Spacenut wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 17, 2024 9:39 pm

Just a quick update on this thread. I bought a Fiat tappet tool from Eurospares (they supply parts for X1/9s), and predictably the tool could not be used in its original form, the handle is too long and at the wrong angle to clear the carbs and the sides of the engine bay.. Fortunately the Eurospares tool has a separate handle that is riveted to the business end, so I ground the rivets off and removed the handle. Dimensionally what is left is about the same size as the Alfa tool, but without the hex head to get purchase on.

I have a spare cam chest and after a bit of experimentation I concluded that if I turned the engine over until the valve bucket was depressed by the cam, I could insert the tool and then slowly rotate the engine until the tappet came off the cam and onto the shoulder of the tool. You have to be a bit careful not to do this on the compression stroke but apart from that the technique worked well and I was able to remove and check all three of my suspect shims.

I now have replacements on order and all being well I will have the valve clearances sorted in time of Auto Italia at Brooklands, which I really don't want to miss this year!

Lauren

That's the technique I was taught by Guy Croft years ago Lauren using his tools in his workshop on a Lancia TC engine.

Thanks Kev, that is good to know.

Sorry, I said Eurospares, I got the tool from Eurosport. Not sure I can afford anything at Eurospares