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911uk

How Does Variocam work

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6 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW

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YOUR RESEARCHHow Does Variocam work

Leading reported evidence

Adjust tappet or worn cam

Performed · outcome unconfirmed

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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster

It's definitely a metallic sound like a badly adjusted tappet or worn cam but as the noise disappears after it's calmed down it can't be anything that is permanently worn or damaged.

How Does Variocam work
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Leading evidence: 'Adjust tappet or worn cam' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust tappet or worn cam' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.

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1 matching discussions · 6 captured posts examined · 0 partial discussions

Frequently discussed actions (1)

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Adjust tappet or worn cam

No successful repair reported for this finding.

0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1

0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.

0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.

Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster

It's definitely a metallic sound like a badly adjusted tappet or worn cam but as the noise disappears after it's calmed down it can't be anything that is permanently worn or damaged.

How Does Variocam work
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Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.

6 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.

  • 911uk: 1 discussions

0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.

0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.

Generation: 20261027T025149Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources

POST 1 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

And do I have it? I have a 1998 3.4 C2 tip. I have posted about this before but on closer inspection have found that when I give my car a hard drive the engine knocks from what appears to be the cam end of either side of the engine. At first I thought it was just the left bank but I heard it pretty clear from the right after a particularly stressful drive home from work which resulted in a heavy right foot. It's only after sustained hard driving that it appears and after a while it settles down and becomes quiet again when driving normally or left switched off for a bit. The drive home from work is just the A2 so no lateral forces come into play with twisty roads or anything. It's definitely a metallic sound like a badly adjusted tappet or worn cam but as the noise disappears after it's calmed down it can't be anything that is permanently worn or damaged. Becoming increasingly concerned but would like suggestions so that I am armed with some info before I garage the car. Any ideas?

POST 2Original post

Yes, you have it. All 996's have variocam, and the 3.6's have variocam plus. Here's a description of the system on your car. I have no idea if it's your problem though.

POST 3 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

Looks like I might have something a bit deeper going wrong. Sat listening to the car tick over last night and it started knocking for no reason and then stopped again after a while. Think there maybe some open heart surgery required in the new year. Oh woe is me.

POST 4Original post

Are ye sure it's not just a lazy hydraulic "tappet"?

POST 5 / ORIGINAL POSTEROriginal post

That was my initial thought but hearing it on both sides of the engine has thrown me a bit. Are they easily accessible?

POST 6Original post

mine does the same, it taps at idle when hot, goes away if I increase the revs . read somewhere its no big deal and quite common, it wasnt mentioned at the last service as a problem.

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