noisy ticking near engine

If you hear a ticking near the top of the engine, it sounds like a loose rocker arm. Make sure the engine oil is clean and full. Also, you may want to let a tech listen to it. Someone trained can tell by the sound if it is a loose rocker. If that is the case, it is a cheap and easy fix. Other than that, they may have not properly set the timing correctly when the cam belt was replaced. Usually, the car will run poorly if that is the case and can be noisy.

While it is ticking pull oil dipstick out and check for air bubbles. If you find air bubbles in the oil then you have an internal oil leak from the oil pick up tube seals. Very common problem with these vehicles if not maintained properly. Check that out and let us know what you find?

My husband took the head off the engine to investigate and found a circular piece of metal floating around with a broken edge.

Please see image below.

The Engine is still very noisy and is ticking but we are worried about taking it back to the garage that changed the Cam Belt and Fuel pump belt after this discovery as although the engine wasnt starting when we took it in for repair.... when it was working (The day before) it was not noisy like it is was on return.

Any advice on what the metal disc is from please guys??

Hard to tell from picture. Check compression in all cylinders. Something tells me one is going to be low.

Does not look like anything relevant? How did all the tappets look? Did your husband put them all back in the same postion they came off? On the oil fill hole, is it covered by a vent or is it an open hole? If the hole is open, then could be something that just fell in? Or maybe could be part of one of the valves? Send the head to the machine shop to have it inspected?

What does it measure. Looks like a valve cap shim.