# Why do all R32 GTRs make a tapping noise from the engine?



## dragyth (Oct 21, 2008)

Just noticed...

Immaculate GTR R32 heading to Edward Lee's from Tokyo - YouTube

They all seem to make this tapping noise, of varying degrees. My s13 CA18DET did it, too. I once heard something about 'noisy lifters' being common on the CA18 and RB engines.

Any truth?

thanks :smokin:


----------



## MIKEGTR (Jul 8, 2005)

They don't! And it's the same engine that's in 33's and 34's and they don't either


----------



## dragyth (Oct 21, 2008)

They don't all make that noise? I've viewed several videos on youtube, all of presumably healthy cars, and they _all_ without fail make that noise.

Another thread I found said they have noisy injectors and that's what causes this noise. Maybe on later models they were quietened down? The RB26 in R33s and R34s don't seem to be as noisy, but perhaps that's just down to lack of wear compared to a 20+ year old car.


----------



## matty32 (Dec 18, 2005)

MIKEGTR said:


> They don't! And it's the same engine that's in 33's and 34's and they don't either


exactly

the 32 on the video looks very tired

also the CA18 isnt exactly the most reliable or best engine nissan ever produced


----------



## dragyth (Oct 21, 2008)

Godzilla Skyline GT-R heading to Edward Lee's - YouTube
2:43

nissan skyline r32 gtr for sale in montreal - YouTube
1:43

1994 Nissan Skyline GT-R FOR SOLD! Clean US title - YouTube
0:36

All make the same noise...


----------



## Jags (May 20, 2007)

That noise is normal


----------



## MIKEGTR (Jul 8, 2005)

Jags said:


> That noise is normal


There must be something wrong with mine then lol


----------



## gts-tom (Jun 14, 2010)

Just sounds like injector noise to me


----------



## David (Apr 25, 2003)

The reason they sound slightly more rattly than other engine is they have solid rather than hydraulic lifts so the mechanical clearance is slightly larger making the light noise. Fresh engines like Mikes being recently built will be much quieter as this clearance will increase slightly over the life of the engine.


----------



## dragyth (Oct 21, 2008)

David said:


> The reason they sound slightly more rattly than other engine is they have solid rather than hydraulic lifts so the mechanical clearance is slightly larger making the light noise. Fresh engines like Mikes being recently built will be much quieter as this clearance will increase slightly over the life of the engine.


THAT is the answer I was looking for. Makes perfect sense. Thanks.


----------



## fun123 (Apr 16, 2010)

David said:


> The reason they sound slightly more rattly than other engine is they have solid rather than hydraulic lifts so the mechanical clearance is slightly larger making the light noise. Fresh engines like Mikes being recently built will be much quieter as this clearance will increase slightly over the life of the engine.


Not normally if set correctly, valve clearances tighten as the valve wears into the seat


----------



## carbonfootprint (Apr 21, 2010)

MIKEGTR said:


> There must be something wrong with mine then lol


Could be. I had this on a BMW with solid lifters i.e they were quiet. A sign of incorrect adjustment I was told at the time. Was advised to sort asap.

Don't know about the rb but mine have all had a similar sound, perhaps not as loud as that video but it may just be the recording...?


----------



## David (Apr 25, 2003)

fun123 said:


> Not normally if set correctly, valve clearances tighten as the valve wears into the seat


I dont agree

They will always sound more noisy than hydraulic especially at cold start as the clearance will be at its maximum.

I accept the valve will reccess but the cam surface will also wear over time. If they did really tighen over time, lots of rb26's would suffer with lack of compression over time which doesnt seem to happen.

I my experiance or 3 or 4 used rb26's and 1 newly built rb30 there is always tappet noise greater than an rb25 or sr20 with hydraulic followers


----------



## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

Mines got noisy injectors, I used a large screwdriver as a stethoscope, on the cam covers beautifully quiet, on the fuel rail, noisy as hell.


----------



## GhostWKD (Nov 10, 2010)

As above mine is stupidly noisy especially at high revs (sounds like a sewing machine or something) but its noisy injectors in my case too


----------



## fun123 (Apr 16, 2010)

David said:


> I dont agree
> 
> They will always sound more noisy than hydraulic especially at cold start as the clearance will be at its maximum.
> 
> ...


From my experience of a few RB26's the injectors make a lot of the noise people talk about. I have not found he base circle of the cam or the buckets to war too much. Have just done a head on an RB26 done over 100,000Km and found virtually no wear on the buckets, but the valves had bedded into the seat a little. Wear on the top of the lobe has little to do with tappet noise other than causing the top of the bucket to wear a little.


----------



## BaKaJin (Aug 27, 2012)

I have the same problem as well, and been scared of driving my car hard lately. I'll try checking whether it came from the engine or the fuel rail. thanks for the info fellas


----------



## blitzer_bhoy (May 26, 2007)

All the RB26's I have had and heard others they all sound like that...


----------



## mambastu (Feb 13, 2002)

dragyth said:


> Just noticed...
> 
> Immaculate GTR R32 heading to Edward Lee's from Tokyo - YouTube
> 
> ...


The noise is generally injectors on RB26's. CA18DETs use a hydraulic lifter unlike the RB26 which has solid lifters as stated. Hydraulic lifters can sound noisier as the engine ages and its generally caused by sticking lifters (due to varnish deposits) or low oil pressure.
The CA is a good engine, in design it's basically a four cylinder RB.

Cheers

Stu


----------



## Vihis (Jan 1, 2008)

That RB sounds like a diesel. Something wrong with it I am sure.

Injectors do tap, but that sound is from another world.

edit: the injector tap is there, also lifters. Then there's a third noise that bothers me. go figure, maybe it's the bad quality sound of the video.


----------



## burnsey_100 (Sep 6, 2011)

Not quite so immaculate with that dent in the wing!!! Does sound very noisy though.

Love the colour


----------



## RXXXIV (Sep 3, 2007)

The RB26 is a relatively loud engine, yes. That is due to the injectors and the solid lifters. Also the RB26 generally has a relatively loud valvetrain compared to other engines. You can tell if you rev it all the way up to let's say 7krpm and then lift off the throttle and just let revs drop down again. While revs drop there is quite a noticeable but steady noise coming from the top of the engine.


----------



## freakazoid3 (Jan 19, 2008)

Almost all RB26's sound crap on video, it's just the soundrecording quality


----------



## HeavyDuty (Apr 27, 2012)

Stupid question, perhaps, but is there no valve lash adjustment on the RB26? Mine has a little tapping to it even when up to temp, but I can't hear it unless I open the bonnet.


----------



## kismetcapitan (Nov 25, 2005)

sonofabitch, couldn't we have discovered this like 3 years ago? When I finally got a solid engine build, there remained a slight tapping noise, which did not help with my RB26 paranoia....

I'd have slept a LOT better when I had my R32 in perfect condition had I known this!!!


----------



## topherhook (Oct 16, 2014)

reviving this thread but I was having the same issue and was a bit concerned. I have some loud ticking noise stays constant throughout rpms. i just changed the oil to 5w40 motul with a nismo filter thinking it would quiet it up but nope. so just to understand this is normal for the rb26?


----------



## simon tompkins (Aug 14, 2005)

the loud ticking you are referring to sounds like injector duty.

simon


----------



## dragyth (Oct 21, 2008)

the lifters are noisy and the injectors are noisier still.

To ascertain this is the nose, get a long handled screwdriver, rest the end on an injector and push lightly. Put the other end (handle) against your ear.

If this is in time with the noise - obviously it's 6cyl so you'll have 1/6th of the frequency - there are you.

But yes this is what it was on my one. I was alarmed at first.


----------



## 900ss (Aug 16, 2010)

freakazoid3 said:


> Almost all RB26's sound crap on video, it's just the soundrecording quality


In one, tbh lots of engines sound half dead when played back via a video or mobile footage
imo if it sounds like that in "real life" it probably is tired or needs a good service :chuckle:

Try it yourself, go listen to your engine then film it up close with your mobile, you'll see


----------



## DazGTR (Dec 5, 2007)

topherhook said:


> reviving this thread but I was having the same issue and was a bit concerned. I have some loud ticking noise stays constant throughout rpms. i just changed the oil to 5w40 motul with a nismo filter thinking it would quiet it up but nope. so just to understand this is normal for the rb26?



The noise shouldn't stay through the Rev range...

Upload a vid if possible


----------



## brtl (Nov 21, 2008)

same noise... but only when engine is warm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zKWcMWevgk


----------



## CT17 (Mar 25, 2011)

Video is set to private.


----------



## brtl (Nov 21, 2008)

CT17 said:


> Video is set to private.


hope it's ok now.


----------



## CT17 (Mar 25, 2011)

brtl said:


> hope it's ok now.


Yep.


----------



## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

http://youtu.be/rzDvyxlrKJo

Busters R33 Bambi sounds the same its the way the phones and some cameras capture the sound.


----------



## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

Mine is also the same and it's fully rebuilt.

http://youtu.be/Z2v-vBfINT4


----------



## r32bob (Jun 7, 2011)

If you rev the engine a little and let off the throttle as the engine speed drops listen for the tapping if it goes this means its noisy injectors as they stay closed until near idle speed. If the noise stays it will be lifters.


----------



## FRRACER (Jun 23, 2013)

RB26s have solid lifters with shims that are used for getting the clearences right. Anyway as said the nosies you hear is the camera phone or some recorders not being able to output the real sound so it sounds like that.


----------



## DazGTR (Dec 5, 2007)

Mine sounds same as FRACERs in fact it could be a little louder I've got a rebuilt forged engine with bigger cams but I've got cobalt steel shims on intake side and I've noticed these are louder than the exhaust side


----------



## R32 Combat (Jan 29, 2004)

r32bob said:


> If you rev the engine a little and let off the throttle as the engine speed drops listen for the tapping if it goes this means its noisy injectors as they stay closed until near idle speed. If the noise stays it will be lifters.


Are you sure the RB26 turns injectors off on overrun?


----------



## UKPAISLEY (Jan 17, 2003)

Its normal, if you use a mobile phone to record with it with emphasise the frequency of the injectors, to the human ear sounds nothing like that when you're actually there.
Makes doing a vid to make yore car look good difficult. lots of injector noise on most of the car vids.


----------



## r32bob (Jun 7, 2011)

R32 Combat said:


> Are you sure the RB26 turns injectors off on overrun?


Yes I have a nistune ECU and they do turn off come back on approx. 1500 rpm (can be adjusted to 6000rpm with nistune)


----------



## yohoRB26 (Feb 22, 2011)

hi mate, did u find a cause for this sound, i just changed my timing belt, drove fine for an hour or so then started making this loud tapping


----------



## MS33 (Jun 27, 2007)

I had my injectors cleaned a few weeks ago, for whatever reason there slightly quieter but the noise is still there. I used a stethoscope on the cam covers, surrounding area and fuel rail again, and the noise definitely seems to be coming from the injectors.


----------



## RSVFOUR (May 1, 2006)

i have a completely stock motor that has never had the head off. It has an original factory exhaust so is extremely quiet on idle. You can hear a ticking noise on idle but it is the injectors not the lifters.

Checked and proven with a stethoscope (long screwdriver)


----------

