I think it would be helpful if you could record the sound you're hearing and post it somewhere that the list members can access. It would also be helpful to post your location in the event that a list member that could help out is near to you.

It would be unusual (but not impossible) for the rocker assembly to loosen but if that's what happened then you need to fix it to prevent serious damage to the engine. It's not hard to remove the valve cover and inspect the rocker assembly to see if anything has loosened.

-Mark

> On Jun 18, 2024, at 6:02 AM, Rick Cooper <rick@WEBLEAF.CA> wrote:
> 
> I'm on the road, about a thousand miles from home, replacing a starter with a defective solenoid. Fortunately the no-start happened near a cousin so I'm working on the vehicle in his yard.
> 
> For the last couple hundred miles there has been mechanical noise coming from the LH cylinder head.  My guess is that the rocker assembly has loosened and a pushrod is rattling.  But I really have no idea and have not yet pulled off the valve cover.
> 
> This is a 1987 vanagon with the original 2.1 engine with 240k kilometers. I don't believe the engine has ever been opened.
> 
> Before I start mucking around with my rudimentary mechanical skills I thought I'd seek advice. Is this a known problem? Something I can address in a few hours?
> 
> All help much appreciated.
> 
> Rick