noisy lifter(s) at start up

[Anonymous]

i would understand if they would be making a little noise after sitting a while, and all oil has drained into the sump.... but i'm talking over night.... sitting for 10hours, and start it up and she makes noise. after she runs for about 3min, its gone. is this a usual thing, and/or does the cold weather contibute to this? i'm running 5w-30 oil, so i dont think its too thick for this cold weather. plus i'm knew to the whole cold weather thing, texas doesnt usually get this cold. thanks for the help.

 

[CobraSix]

In cold weather...I would say it is somewhat normal. 3 minutes is a bit on the long side though. I think your oil weight is fine.

Slade

 

[barroom hero]

where in texas are ya at? im out near houston.

 

[Anonymous]

Lifters tend to bleed out in a few minutes after shutdown, although most engines stop ticking after about 30 seconds when started, around here at least. Colder it is, the longer it will take.

 

[MustangSix]

Sometimes the oil filter is to blame. There is a valve inside that prevents the oil from siphoning back down the pickup and pump when the engine is shut down. A cheap filter has a cardboard valve doesn't do that very well. It allows the oiling system to drain, so when you first fire up the car, the engine has to suck oil out of the sump and fill the filter.

First thing I would try is a better filter. I use Pure 1 or Mobil 1 filters. They have a silicone valve that seems to work well for me.

 

[Anonymous]

i'm here in Los Angeles and i get the same problem when its hits around 40degrees in the early mornings. she makes a bunch of noise until it warms up. i usually shut it off after a nice 5-10 minute warm up and when i fire her back up its gone. i'm running 10w/40 but i only have the problem when its get 40 or lower, and for anyone who knows Los Angeles that f-ing cold. so it doesnt happen often. i'd say its the weather, nothin to really worry about. but i'm far from an expert.

Scott

 

[Anonymous]

Mine used to do this before the rebuild: it was worn lifters. Using 10-40 oil with a can of blue-label STP will help the situation, but it will take about 300 miles to get the STP into the lifters.

What is happening is this: the lifters are under spring pressure from the valves when the engine is off. This pressure causes the oil to leak out of the lifters. When you start up, it takes quite a while for that light oil you're using to pump the lifters back up, because they are leaking the lighter oil almost as fast as they are getting pumped up. After some warmup, the cup in the lifter swells from heat and seals better, which lets them hold the oil and stop clicking.

A couple of things (mechanical) that may help: install new pushrods. New ones will be slightly longer than the old ones, and for a while they will ride higher in the lifter cup, reducing the clearances slightly. Also, try installing a new rocker shaft and rockers. This will also reduce clearances.

If you ever pull that head, replace all your lifters. That will stop the problem.

 

[Anonymous]

Mine makes the same noise when cold. When it warms up it is gone. I have about 5k on a rebiuld, and it has done this from day one. Car runs great, has power, and gets good mileage. Keep an eye on it, and if it gets worse do more investigation. Mine has been running since March, and driven on a regular basis since about June.

Bill

 

[Anonymous]

thanks fellas i appreciate it. i figured it was something small, but wasnt knowledgable about the particular subject. thanks again.

as for barroom hero, im right outside ft worth.