Tappety top end noise
 

I posted this in the general P2 V70 forum, but thought I'd get a larger audience here, and I'm very aware diagnosing noises via a forum is nigh-on impossible, but worth a go!

I've been working through problems on my 'new' V70, it's a 2003 model with 203,000 miles on it. Had a new engine a couple of owners ago at 180,000. I was told the engine has around 50k less miles on it than the car, but there's no proof.

I've got this noise that sounds like a tappet, but only under power. If driven very gently or on a steady throttle or over-run it is quiet. Also if rev'd over 3,000rpm it also goes quiet.

When I got the car 3 injectors had signs of compression leakage, cleaned everything up and resealed with new washers and it was better but not right. As I still had my old D5 at the time, I swapped the injectors between the cars, the noise didn't move and stayed with the 'new' car. The class is set correctly in Vida.

The aux belt & pulleys have been changed as I had a squeak (it was the belt).

New intercooler fitted as the previous one was split.

Oil and filter are new and the correct grade of 5W30 synthetic

Vida shows only fault codes to be air quality sensor and alarm siren, so nothing of concern.

I've just dragged my trailer tent a few hundred miles with it and the noise hasn't changed and the car runs well.

Any ideas where to look next? I'd have the rocker cover off if the injector pipes didn't run over it. If need be, it will be off!

It'd be the perfect car for us if I could sort this annoyance out.

Just started getting a few seconds of tapping on a cold start. Fairly sure it has to be one or more duff lifters.
Hoping to get a few days where i can pull the top end apart. Reading Haynes, it says check the tappets, but no indication of what/how to check/test them. I ideally don’t want to swap the lot, especially on an old car.

Also will I need anything special to retime the engine once finished?

Gotta love the ambiguity of Haynes...
Was once having trouble working out exactly how to remove something, after half hour of frustration I thought, bugger it, ill cheat and check the manual... Checked manual to find it simply stated 'remove' the item inbetween the step I had just done and the step I was going to undertake next!
Chocolate Fireguard.

Have a look around the forum for the alternator clutch/freewheel. There was a video somewhere, a Volvo one is about £70, I used one one from GSF the first time, it lasted about 25000 Miles.

Thanks, been done recently and is running smoothly.