Unbearable knocking noise 1.9 TDI

I bought my Mk4 Golf as a non runner as it had been overheated and blown the head gasket.
I rebuilt it and it has had a loud knocking / rattling sound ever since..
I have replaced the oil and filter but no change. I replaced the Hydraulic lifters at great time and expense last weekend and i thought that would be the end of it but no, it is still the same..
It sounds like a Tappet to me but now iv replaced them im at a loss.
It is noticeably louder when the engine is cold but is still an obvious engine fault when it is warm too.
Any ideas guys???


Oh the head was skimmed and pressure tested on rebuild and it has lots of oil pressure..

Injection pump worn out? Does it sound like a jackhammer? Use a stethescope on the injection pump.

I should add, is this car a pd or a VE? If its a PD, disregard my prior post.

Bazrippa said:

Oh the head was skimmed and pressure tested on rebuild and it has lots of oil pressure..

Click to expand...

how much?

Do you know the engine code for your car? Is it a PD engine and if so did you change the cam as well as the lifters? Have you had a compression test on the cylinders to see if there is any variation there?

Bit of a long shot but does the noise go away if you put the clutch in? It could be a DMF about to self destruct. They make a rattling knocking noise when they are worn out which sounds like it is coming from the engine when you are in the car.

leaking injector can cause a knock. If VE then loosen 1 injector line at a time to see if the noise changes.

Its a 2000 AGR engine code..
I cant remember the amount that was machined from the head but the head gasket was calculated and compensated for it.
I checked the cam for wear and its ok so i didnt replace it.
The noise is present all the time even with the clutch down.

How is the performance? Any smoking?

The performance seems ok since I fitted the new MAF.
Smokes a little under hard acceleration but nothing to worry about.
Thanks guys.