ok here is the crap,my 1800 72 ute has started to get really rattly tappets,on sunday it had the tappet on number 2 just fell of the valve well as i decided to check all it turned out that no 4 had the same problem ,i have never had anything like this happen.i measured all valve top ok i did a long wire probe down the pushrod holes same lengths
anyone have any ideas i was thinking that maybe the pushrods may have pushed the end of them in a bit?????

Sounds like the cam is going flat.

yep you nailed it dam another motor the 3rd in 12 months if i floged them i would understand but i service them reg and drive normal with care the next bastard i'm gonna flog

Don't waste your time and money on reground cams that aren't face hardened.I got caught with a couple of regrinds that wore the no1&3 exhaust lobe away . This cost me a lot of money through no fault of my own.

THE man
http://www.tighecams.com.au/cars.htm