Hydraulic lifter noise after replacement

Last Friday, I had the hydraulic lifters replaced due to a loud ticking noise and also had the camshaft seal replaced because it was leaking. Strangely enough, the ticking is still audible even after the replacement! It's not as loud or constant as before, but it's definitely noticeable! Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this??? Could it be the valves? And if so, what kind of oil would you recommend switching to?

The engine is an AFN model from June 1998 with 212,000 kilometers (approximately 132,000 miles) on the odometer, and uses 10W/40 oil.

Hi there,
I don't know much about the six-cylinder models, but with the five-cylinder engines, the clicking sound usually comes from the vacuum pump (or its actuator rod) and not from the hydraulic lifters.
Does the noise possibly disappear if you press the brake pedal several times in a row while the car is stationary?

Regards,

Olli.

@ Olli

The AFN engine is a 100 horsepower, 4-cylinder TDI with an intermediate shaft and a vacuum pump mounted on it.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

dieselmartin wrote:

The AFN is a 100 hp, 4-cylinder TDI engine with a connecting rod and a vacuum pump located on it.

Hi Martin,

Please don't steal 10 horsepower from the AFN !

And the pump, at least in my G3, apparently didn't have a plunger, but was instead a gear pump, where it's normally impossible for anything to make a clicking sound.
(An intermediate shaft can still have a drive cam ).

Oops.

"I lost control and my fingers just went for it – of course, they should have been 110."

How could I possibly get my hands on that engine? But hey, maybe someone's selling a G3 with the AFN engine...

Okay, enough dreaming.

@boro

"Could you measure the pressure of the hydros? The V-cap can come off quickly (on my second JP, I also measured five times and the V-cap seal was still intact)."

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

@ Boro

"How much did the 8 Hydro units cost you? And what is the labor cost?"

My [child/pet] is also starting to make "music" more and more often.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

'Hydraulic lifters are available from FEBI on eBay for €55 including shipping! Installation at a certified workshop would likely cost around €200-€240. I can't give you an exact price because in my case, the timing chain tensioner gasket (which was the actual reason for the repair, as it was leaking quite badly) and the timing belt and crankshaft pulley were also replaced at the same time! Including parts, the total cost for me was €330. Of that, about €60 went towards the belts and the gasket, and the rest was for labor.'

Boro wrote:

Last Friday, I had the hydraulic lifters replaced due to a loud ticking sound and also had the camshaft seal replaced! Strangely enough, even after the replacement, the ticking is still audible! It's not as loud anymore, and it doesn't last as long, but it's still noticeable! Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this??? Could it be the valves?? What kind of oil would you switch to? The engine is an AFN from 6/98 with 212,000 km mileage, and the oil is 10W/40

.
Clicking sounds seem to be quite common in AFNs.
Mine also started doing that shortly after I bought it new, and it never stopped until I sold it (at approximately 44,000 km).
Sometimes louder, sometimes quieter (gentle), but it was always there.

The rhythm precisely matched the sound of a valve clanging.

IIRC, something was written about this before; it might be coming from the pump. However, the clicking sound could only be heard when the hood was open, as it was drowned out by the general engine noise -> making localization impossible .

Okay, I've observed it closely again! After starting the engine, there's almost a second of silence, which is normal. Then, you hear 'tack, tack, tack' for about 2 seconds, and suddenly it stops completely! I think that's the point where the oil reaches the top. When the engine is warm, or if I add some oil before starting it when it's cold, there's no clicking sound. Otherwise, the engine runs very smoothly and quietly.

Okay, I'll leave it like this for now, and maybe eventually completely replace the entire head!

Does it only make a noise for 2 seconds?
I think that's quite normal.
I have one too, but I don't worry about it at all.

I completely agree with Wolfi_B on that.
You don't need to worry at all if you only hear a clicking sound for 2 seconds. That's simply how long it takes for the oil pump to build up system pressure and fill the hydraulic lifters.

Regards,
Alex.

No, I'm not really worried! It's just that a friend of mine has the same car with 94,000 km and there's no clicking sound during cold starts in his. But thank you very much for the answers!