NOT another stakedown question (too late for that)

["Andrew Sandiforth" <acer@serv.net>]

Tapping sounds from the exhaust side may be a good indicator that the
tappet guides have worked their way loose, but you gotta act fast.
I started hearing tapping sounds about two weeks ago. The sound hasn't
gotten any worse, but it just kept gnawing at me.  Thanks to this list
(read "conscience"), I just had to look.  What timing!
The valve cover came off easy and I was mostly pleased with what I saw.
Nice clean shiny milled parts. Cam shaft looked great as did the tappets
except for...
The Offending One!
It almost fooled me at first.  What I saw was that the inside lip of the
tappet guide had been chiseled away into a bevel at the top 1/2 of the
guide. I was unclear as to how the tappet guides get smashed, I assumed
that they rode up out of their holes and the shaft of the cam shaft ground
them down, because the lobe of the cam shaft showed no damage at all. (It's
funny how quickly you start cursing the PO; I thought someone had taken a
chisel to the guide in order to make the tappet fit!) I turned over the
motor so I could check the rest of the lobe and I found that it was in
great shape. Hmmm.
The bottom half of the oil tray was full so I couldn't see the bottom of
the tappet. I pumped out this oil and horror struck.  The tray had 5 bits
of shiny concave metal in it! The bottom half of the tappet guide! Smashed
off! (The lobe of the cam actually chisels away at the top edge of the
guide until it thins the metal enough that it breaks off.)
I am lucky that none of the pieces did any damage.

Now the big question...

How do you remove the tappet guide.  I assume it is pressed in, but since
it has been making its way out can it be pulled, or does the head have to
come off?  Then can a new guide be inserted with the head in the car?

Thanks

Andrew
(1984 SIII, VDP)

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