Hey all, I did searches and stuff and I didn't really get what I was looking for. So I have this 1970 220D with 138,000 miles that you all hear about every other day that sat in a barn for 17 years. Sat in a dirt lot for a comfirmed 2 years and still has the tires originally purchased in 1980 on the rear.

Knowing about it sitting and how original everything is, I can almost be certain that this car hasn't had a valve adjustment in years, and I mean years. I've put almost 2,000 miles on it since it has been revived, but I noticed the past couple of days it seems noisier and like something is rattling within the valve cover. I was panicking this morning because I started thinking what if the engine went bad, would I know for sure if something like that was happening?

I don't have loss of power, it just smokes a lot. The smoke is mostly visible at night because of headlights, but during the day it's just little puffs. I didn't know what to pinpoint it to until I remembered the valves. I asked my dad to listen to the engine and he said it sounded fine. But I can't shake the feeling I heard the sound of metal rattling under the hood. Sounds okay now, maybe i'm going crazy lol

Soooo after all that, my questions are:

What are the symptoms of needing a valve adjustment?

What are the symptoms of a failing engine?

I know I need one regardless but I just want to know if I can blame this noise on the valves....

Thanks everyone!

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76 MG Midget
78 Datsun 280Z
86 Peugeot 505
01 Subaru Outback

“Owning a car is like owning a dog. Every now and then, it craps on the carpet — but it’s still your dog.” - Jeremy Clarkson