Strange Tapping / Knocking noise on start up (1.8, 8v )

This is a wierd one i think, just got my 1990 cabby, on a H plate the engine when i first start her up has a tapping noise like something is loose ??  only on start up, when I shut her down and she is warm she sounds fine. Starts first time ever time as well so dont know what could be happening ? plus im not used to these engines first VW iv owned but on a plus side im in love already !!!

Oh the engine has done 115000 miles, just passed its MOT,

Any help would be great, would be even better if one of you guys tells me its nothing and when cold at start up this is normal !!!

I LOVE GOLF MK1's :dontknow:

It's normal fella.
Way to stop this ticking noise or quieten them is something rubjohnny told some on here to do and i have done also.
If your engine is same from new it will be hydro tappets, simply get 1 litre of Auto transmission gearbox fluid, remove 1 litre of current engine oil from your block and put in the ATF in and leave in for approx 1 week whilst car is in use drivfing etc.
This will hopefully clear the gunk that is maybe clogging drain holes etc in block.
After week, do full oil change and all should be well fella

Thank you very much I will do that,

Been very busy passed few days getting rid of some of the rust spots on the body panels, ill post sum pics soon, managed to get the Helios Blue LA5Y paint from a local mixing shop, its mint.

I really love this car, never thought id say that about a car but its true, she is in good nick for what I paid for her, her clipper kit could do with taking off and spruceing up, but like i say above i would rather get the main body panels done with the winter coming up and she has no rust on her underbelly, plus im getting her wax oiled in a month and timing belt done next week.

Engine starts first time its, done 115000 miles and the bay is very clean and tidy, it idles at about 850 rpm ( is this normal  ? as in what should be the idle speed)

anyway tell me what you think of her !!

Cheers

Paul

I tried putting some Wurth addititive in my Cab when I had it as it had the same thing - didn't really make any difference. The cure for me was to replace the followers - not that expensive and an easy job to do. Made a massive difference not only to the ticking noise but also to the liveliness and power of the engine. I think at the time the followers were about £40 for a set?

Cheers for the info !!

Have changed the oil today put 3ltrs of new in and then 1ltr of castrol ATF DIII so ill see after one week if there is no change then i will have a look at changing the followers, not to sure what you mean like but ill google it (Cam Followers)


Cheers

The hydraulic tappets or followers .Good luck

Right, here it is !!

I drove the car to drop kids of engine was tapping on start up and until she warmed up. When we got home i left it half hour to cool down.

Then i emptied her of oil, topped her back up with 2.5ltrs of new oil and 1ltr of Castroll ATF DIII job done .

Now when i started her up she tapped then stopped i took her for about an hours drive. Got back shut it down, Then an hour later went to get the kids from school, started her up and to my amazement no tapping on startup and none since,

My issue is should it have cured the tapping so quickly ???

I used the wynns stuff and it went quiet almost right away,taps for a couple of seconds when starting from cold but then is very quiet the rest of the time.I`m sure yours is fine too.

Carried out a full service today on the babe,

Took out the oil and ATF mixture from a week ago it was jet black so its obviously cleaned everything internally. Then i set about the oil change, and filter change.

I then changed the inline fuel filter and put some bosh super 4 spark plugs in. Then i thought ill go the whole hog so i carried out a coolant flush by disconnecting the return hose and placing that into a container, took the resevoir cap of and poured around 4ltrs of antifreeze in there untill the fresh stuff came out of the return hose then put it back together.

I then carried out a gear box oil change it stunk and there was only about a litre in there, so that is topped up now with fresh, makes a difference as well.

All in all a good day, got some little bits of bosy wrok to do tomorrow, then to fit my new front grill and brow and the cam belt / sprocket.

Me thinks iv done well, and the engine temp used to run at about 60% its now running at 50% so this is good news.

Cheers for all of the help she is purring like a kitten !!

Love this site, thats why i have become a member and pledge to give £50 a year not much but every little helps.

Regards

so adding ATF does not harm the engine at all?
How does this work?
Mine can be a bit tappety too.
Does this really work? and whats the wynns stuff. Pardon my ignorance please.

Hi Chortle,

So far so good mate, like I say i got the idea from hear, dont know if it harms the engine, but it definatley cleans it. The tapping noise I had is now very quiet and goes compleatly. If my head gasket goes in the next month ill let you know, but im changing that next month anyway.

Propper going to town on this car, im 32 and its been a childhood dream of mine to own one, fooking love it, iv had it for  a month so far, iv spent 20 hours getting rid of rust and respraying, Full service, and cam belt tomorrow.

What you got ?

Thinking of getting another, a lad i know has a mk2 gti 8v he only want £400 for it mates rates its done about 150000 miles and does need allot of work, ill have to see what the wife says.

Any way ill let you know, dont know what the wynes stuff is, and i cant promise it wont harm your engine, but when i took the oil and atf mixture out there was allot of shit in there small carbon bits and sludge so it does clean i was worried about the head gasket but we will see !


regards

Cheers for the response,
I got a 88 clipper cabby auto in Helios blue.
104,000 miles
I am selling her at the moment  :cry:  :cry:
I know what you mean I am 40ish lol and all way's wanted a Cabby.
I have done loads to mine.
New cam belt
New hood, side and rear cables
New interliner
new headliner
New stainless rear window frame from crazy quiff.
foam gasket seals no leaks, so nice clean dry seats.
dash vent trims
all new window scraper seals
B pillar seals
new seat foam bases so it's like sitting in a new car, No holes or saggy bolsters.
not long done the ATF
was serviced less than thousand miles ago, new coil and leads.
will be sad to see it go, but there you go.

yours looks quite tidy, I think helios is a superb colour, does yours flip in the sunlight?

Yeh my mates say it looks purple sometimes !!


And the best thing is, there all in envy !!

I did my timing belt today, what i job jesus !!  mines got 115000 on the clock, all the bolts on the water pump pullt ans the crank shaft pully where seized on, took me an hour to get each one off, luckilly mines a late engine and has the plastic timing belt covers but they dont line up properly so its clipping the belt every now and again.

What i was going to ask is i timed mine using the cam belt marks when the mark is flush with the rocket cover lip, got told it was the most accurate way of doing it, anyway clamped the engine in place then took the old belt of put the new one on took the spark plugs out and turned it over a few times, there was no contact so all good in that respect.

So know the engine is timed accurate, it sounds like it is tapping again but only for about 2 mins then it stops, it could just be me as i did not bother to see what the engine sounded like before the change (dummy) so it could be something could be nothing i have to get a new rocker cover gasket as it leaked everywhere but thats easially fixed.

Any way the engine is timed, but do i really need to time the ignition as well iv never done that before and i dont have a strobe light, i mean it probbably is out a little so i might take it to a garage and get it done properly what do you think ??


Iv done the engine oil and filter, fuel filter, spark plugs (bosh super 4's), and the gearbox oil so please let me know any hints on thsese would be great as its my first.


And thank again for the quick reply !