Tappets repair/replace

[madidazz]

Can anyone tell me about the repair or replacement of tappets (cam rocker or cam follower)? What causes their wear? Is it expensive to replace them?

[BillionPa]

the tappet is what the rocker arm pushes on instead of the valve stem. i think.

they are about $12 a piece, so not very expensive themselves, but the labor and parts of rebuilding the head are.

failure/wear of the tappets is usually caused by using oil thats way too thick at cold, like 15W50 dino oil at 0F, then revving the engine too high.

particulates, sludge, and high acid content in the oil will also damage them, along with the rest of the engine. replacing the oil and filter at regular intervals should allow tappet life above 200000 miles.