Re: Knocking 164 - (re-post, they still get lost in the ether sometimes)

["Ian Preece" <ian_preece@domain.elided>]

In a recent posting, Ricky Rodosta wrote:

>Your "knocking" noise on your 164L may be normal when warm.  Mine sounds
>louder a times like something came loose.  It is a common noise that I hear
>in other 164s.  I has told that it is a valve timing sync thumping that is
>louder when the valve clearance is correct.  My noise was indeed louder
after
>my last valve shim adjustment, which caused me to question my excellent
Alfa
>mechanic.  Sorry Dan!  So this is a good thing, right?  I think so, at
least
>I feel much better about it, and the car runs better than ever!  Thanks
Dan!

I used to experience this on my last 164 three litre, particularly at
tickover. Some days it sounded like a real bag of nails, but the motor
seemed fine and no one every mentioned it during servicing. I'm casting
around for another Alfa at the moment (probably a Milano or GTV6) and have
looked at a couple of 164's. They all seem to exhibit the same noise at
tickover. Is Ricky correct that this is common? It certainly seems so, but
it gives me a couple of problems, first, it may mask the sound of something
more serious, secondly, I can't believe Alfa managed to design and build
such a great powerplant, and have it sound like this at tickover.....by
contrast, twin sparks I have owned have sounded like the proverbial sowing
machine at tickover, very reassuring!

Can anyone else shed some light on this? Sorry if this is an old chestnut.

Ciao,

Ian

------------------------------