Tappets

[Peetee]

How do I remove the tappets on a 1275 A+ engine. It has no tappet covers to unbolt. Perhaps i lift them out with a magnet but does the cylinder head need to come off as well?

[chrisryder]

presuming you mean the cam followers: sump off. camshaft out. they'll land on your head.

to refit, i believe you have to hold the first one in place as you slide the cam shaft in slightly, then hold the second one up and so on. easiest done with the engine out and upside down.

[Peetee]

Is that really the only way?
Blast!
I have a nasty ticking noise from the engine and I was hoping it would be a simple job to check them out.

[bmcecosse]

That IS the only way - and it is not easy by any means...... But at least it can be done - pity the poor Mini owner who has no option but to strip the engine off the gearbox. One word of caution though - IF the engine has a 'spider' drive oil pump there is a distinct chance the spider will fall out when you move the camshaft - and would probably be the very devil of a job to refit.........

[mike.perry]

Are you sure it is not adjustment?

[IslipMinor]

There a 2 ways - done both of them. But first of all why do you need to remove the cam followers?

It cannot be done by lifting one follower at a time, they must all be completely out of the way before the cam can be removed. The followers only go down through the bottom of the engine, they cannot be removed from the top.

The 'normal' way is to remove the engine, drain the oil, remove the cylinder head, or as a minimum the rockers and pushrods, turn the engine upside down, which lets the cam followers fall away from the cam (they cannot fall out), remove the sump, carefully remove the cam from the engine, then finally the cam followers themselves, all whilst the engine is inverted.

The second way, is to leave the engine in place, remove the radiator, timing chain and cam retaining plate, remove the head, or at least the rockers and pushrods, drain the oil, drop the sump and using 8 thin telescopic magnets lift the followers up from the cam and hold them in place on the top of the block or head with 8 clothes pegs! Once ALL the followers are up, slide the cam out and then let the followers down one at a time through the bottom of the engine. It really does work and avoids having to remove the engine.

[bmcecosse]

But note the caveat re spider drive oil pump........ And unfortunately there is no sure way of knowing until you pull the cam.....

[IslipMinor]

But note the caveat re spider drive oil pump........ And unfortunately there is no sure way of knowing until you pull the cam

Yes, but because the followers need to come out, both methods need to have the sump removed, so the spider can be recovered. The spider problem is when the cam only is to be removed, and the followers and sump stay in place, but the oil pump drive type is not known - not one of BMC/BL's best bits of design!!

[bmcecosse]

I imagine it will be the very devil of a job to refit the spider if it falls out - but actually -it should really stay up there on the splines of the oil pump. I mention it mainly so that folks are aware it could be there - and don't do the cam follower renewal without checking if there was a spider - and that it has remained in place !