Tappits cutters are great for cutting out lettering and other themed sugar decorations for your celebration cakes and cupcakes. Without the tappet the return spring and valve stem would have to follow the cam lobe directly. That would score the cam lobe and not provide a consistent footing for the spring so that the valve would close to a tight fit every time. There is a whole other category of tappets called hydraulic tappets, or hydraulic lifters. Lets grab a picture: Now start the engine and you should be able to see the timing mark on your crankshaft pulley with the strobe light. The correct position for this timing mark when the engine is idling is directly in line with the centre of the crankcase (look for the line where the crankcase joins together, this is the centre). If it does not line up with this line then you will need to adjust the distributor by turning it. Connect your timing light to your car battery and then simply connect the third wire on the timing light around the HT lead which connects to cylinder number 1.

When using Tappits one tip would be to use a firm modelling paste or gumpaste as they can be a little fiddly to get out. Also dust your gumpaste with a little cornflour as this helps them release as you tap them. Not just any beer can call itself ‘Trappist’. To be recognised by the International Trappist Association, the beer must fit three conditions. Firstly, the beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery by monks – or under their direct supervision. Secondly, the brewery must be of secondary importance to the practice of the monks. On the other hand if your timing is too retarded then the spark plug will spark too late. The combustion will therefore happen while the piston is travelling downwards towards the crankcase. The combustion will be chasing the piston down the bore instead of actually pushing the piston. So now we are all set and ready to go.Take a 10mm spanner and loosen the nut on the distributor clamp. Once it is lose you will be able to rotate the distributor. Keep an eye on your timing mark and as you turn the distributor you will notice the mark move. Once you have the mark in line then you have basically timed your engine. However we don’t drive at idle. Sixth one said the timing belt needs chaged and the tensioner belts (previous owner said its been done - however I have no proof that it has been and it was something I was going to change anyway) With most plastic sugar craft cutters, we recommend the use of a release agent like Jem Petal Base and we also remind customers that although most cutters will work fine with good quality sugarpaste, all manufacturers state that for best results they should be used with flower / modelling paste

That was a couple of weeks ago and they still aren’t noisy. Everything else seems fine still, so have I stumbled upon an additive that actually works? It seems so. This answers the first two questions, what are tappets, and what is their purpose. To answer the rest: Now my knowledge on this gets a little thin. As I understand it, the typical failure for these, causing "noisy tappets", is that the cam lobe wears over time, and the clearance between the cam and the tappet is no longer in spec. Many times there is a shim sitting in a recess in the top of the tappet that allows you to set the clearance without having to replace the tappet. I did a little digging and came up with this list of possible reasons your tappets / lifters may fail: You often find you get a better result by simply brushing out any icing residue before putting away ready for the next use. The letters release much easier next time. There is no need to wash the tappits cutters after every use, just occasionally. There are two types of distributors which can be fitted to your air-cooled VDub. Originally most engines were fitted with a Vacuum advanced distributor, but your engine could also be fitted with a centrifugal distributor with the most popular version being the 009 model. The 009 distributor is very popular with customers which have installed twin carburettors on their engine as it does not require a vacuum take off from the carburettor. Whichever you have the basic principle is the same. As the engine rev’s increase the distributor advances it timing. But why does it need to change its timing?Timing an air-cooled VW engine can be done either statically or dynamically. However because the distributor adjusts the timing depending on speed then the most efficient way of timing your engine by far is dynamically. So therefore invest in a good quality adjustable timing gun so you can get your timing spot on. Advance or Retard? As you can see the tappet is basically a cup that creates a clean, secure seat for the valve stem and the valve return spring. It also provides a flat plane to smoothly follow the cam lobe.

Initially, there was no audible improvement, but after about 60 miles of use I realised that the tappets were no longer noisy after being left for a few days.Additionally, to help release the past you can use a paint brush very gently to tease out the pattern from the top and underneath. With a little patience and practise, you should be producing perfect tappit patterns every time.