14-01-2018, 10:17 AM
You don't really know what the problem is with the head at the moment, other than it's tapping. From my armchair research (there are many on here who've done a lot more spannering than me & have infinitely more hands-on experience 
) I believe tapping can be something as simple as lack of oil in hydraulic lifters or a loose spark plug. The former is likely to quieten down once the car has been running for 5 mins. (Not sure if insufficient oil pressure will cause them to keep tapping continuously?).
I think Eeyore was hinting at getting a proper diagnosis before launching in to a rebuild. If you're worried about driving it any distance (assuming you can get it through an MOT) then perhaps somewhere local can perform a leak-down & some other tests on the engine? Otherwise, Miles (http://www.pugracing.com/) is in Fordingbridge in North West Hants. (I keep meaning to drop by his workshop as my girlfriends parents live less than a mile away!)
If you're absolutely sure the bottom end is OK & it turns out there is a problem with the cylinder head then you don't need to take the whole engine out to remove the head.
) I believe tapping can be something as simple as lack of oil in hydraulic lifters or a loose spark plug. The former is likely to quieten down once the car has been running for 5 mins. (Not sure if insufficient oil pressure will cause them to keep tapping continuously?).I think Eeyore was hinting at getting a proper diagnosis before launching in to a rebuild. If you're worried about driving it any distance (assuming you can get it through an MOT) then perhaps somewhere local can perform a leak-down & some other tests on the engine? Otherwise, Miles (http://www.pugracing.com/) is in Fordingbridge in North West Hants. (I keep meaning to drop by his workshop as my girlfriends parents live less than a mile away!)
If you're absolutely sure the bottom end is OK & it turns out there is a problem with the cylinder head then you don't need to take the whole engine out to remove the head.