Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Valves making noise ???

If it not hydralic how do you adjust valve lash? take the cams out and add shims to the buckets? thats retarded as all hell, im gonna search the service cd for the precedure, i'll let you knwo if I find anything out.

Edit

Found it the 96' is hydrallic, pic is 134k go to link if interested

Service manual

I thought some years were hydraulic and others were mechanical. One day I heard a pretty new focus with louder tapping than my engine, I was suprised because mine is pretty loud.

Oh. I'm only speaking of experince on the 2000 and newer zetecs. Sorry if the information was or is incorrect on the older zetecs. I just assumed that they were all pretty much the same.

Also to adjust valve lash it is a pain in the ass. Because it's not hydrolic you have to measuse the gap between each lobe and add and subtarct and stuff, cause the buckets aren't the same size. And different zetecs have different size buckets, even if it is the same year engine. Crazy huh. I have worked on many zetecs from 2000's to '03's and they were all like that. I'm sorta the local focus mechanic around phoenix, thats why.

I don't understand why Ford went to a non hydrolic system then?? Can anybody explain to me the advantages besides money?

Also to KTF, the focus has horribly loud valvetrain noise from the factory and then if you swap in a set of aftermarket cams without adjusting the vavle lash it gets even louder .

Oh yeah and you don't have to add shims you just replace the whole bucket with a different size to adjust the lash on it.

There is really nothing bad wiht hydrallic systems chevy has used it in their v8s for years, and still does to this day. Maybe ford is changing it as an experiment, maybe for other reasons, only thing with hydrallic lifters is that if the engine is run low on oil, so there isn't enough oil pressure to fill them, you can collapse the lifters. I don't know much but I do remember this from auto tech last year....anyways hope the information helps out at least some.

Sometimes changing oil helps to quiet HLA's (hydraulic lash adjusters). The oil passages in them may become clogged and wont fill, keeping them from expanding to their full potential, which creates space between them and the cam, and therefore more noise.
I've heard of an engine oil flush or running ATF for a few miles (very good cleanser) can open the plugged oil passages.