How do I quiet a lifter tick?

**RageAgainstTheMinivan** · 12-03-2008, 07:15 AM

I bought a GTP with a blown motor and swapped it with one I bought bolted up to a bad tranny. I wasnt able to run the new/used engine so I was hoping for the best. I did the swap last weekend and low and behold, tick tick tick... at idle. The engine has 110,000 miles and Im not sure if Im going to keep the car, if I do Im going to rebuild the spun rod engine with some mods and put that back in.

So, whats the best way to cure a lifter tick without tearing it down to throw a new set in? Its cold as hell here for a while so Im running 5w30 in it now. Do I run a thinner like engine oil flush and change the oil? And/or add the thick ass oil treatment like stp or something? The car doesnt have an oil pressure guage, just the light so Im not exactly sure what pressure the car maintains.

Any advice is appreciated!

**herculesrider1** · 12-03-2008, 08:11 AM

Your lifter tick will be there from now til Jesus comes, unless you replace the bent pushrod. You can quiet it down with the thick stuff, but if you are really put out with the tick tick tick, would adjusting that particular rocker arm back to zero lash harm the valvetrain???? My parents had a 454cu.in Buick in an Electra 225, and it had the same tick tick tick. My uncle covered the front of the radiator, in an effort to heat it up and perhaps get rid of dirt or a foreign object out of the hydraulic lifter that was causing the tick. It didn't work, but for years to come, that tick was still there. It won't harm the engine unless the pushrod breaks and falls back down inside the lifter gallery and somehow impedes the movement of another pushrod or lifter. That very thing happened to my '98 T/A RamAir WS6. I took it to the dealer, and had broken a pushrod. Fortunately, no other peripheral damage took place. Bottom line is: you WILL have to replace in order to quiet. Sorry! Or, if someone else can tell us what effect adjusting that particular rockerarm back to zero lash would do, if anything, to the valvetrain, you might be able to do that......

**RageAgainstTheMinivan** · 12-03-2008, 09:09 AM

Im not positive but I think the 3800's are non adjustable rockers. Just tighten to torque not lash. If the car sells is sells if not, I will just run the car until I get the other engine built up. However, its not that hard to pull the valve covers off. Maybe if Im bored some afternoon this winter I'll pull the covers and check for bent rods.

**SOMbitch** · 12-04-2008, 08:33 AM

The only way to tell if it has a bent PR is to pull them and roll them on a glass table. Otherwise that tick could be from any number of things including loose or broken rocker, broken spring or a lifter. Not likely a spring cause that will usually cause other issues but I have seen one break a tiny piece off and just become noisy but not throw a misfire code so anything is possible.

**RageAgainstTheMinivan** · 12-04-2008, 08:43 AM

So its most likely a part problem instead of just sludge in the lifter? The tick is kind of erractic i.e. tick tick ..tick ...tick tick.......tick tick and it goes away above idle with and without load. I already cleaned the iac hoping for 100 rpm or so idle change lol. It has good power and no miss at all which I doubt a bent pr since I think I would notice it under load.

**SOMbitch** · 12-04-2008, 08:49 AM

Originally Posted by DrivingFastFlyingLow

So its most likely a part problem instead of just sludge in the lifter? The tick is kind of erractic i.e. tick tick ..tick ...tick tick.......tick tick and it goes away above idle with and without load. I already cleaned the iac hoping for 100 rpm or so idle change lol. It has good power and no miss at all which I doubt a bent pr since I think I would notice it under load.

Try some Seafoam in the crankcase for a couple hundred miles b-4 your next oil change or some marvel mystery oil as per instructions with your next OC. They both have lots of detergent and in SOME cases will free a stuck lifter if that is your prob. No guarantee though.

**RageAgainstTheMinivan** · 12-04-2008, 08:50 AM

Seafoam it is. Im not getting any tire kickers so Im probably keeping this car.

**SOMbitch** · 12-05-2008, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by DrivingFastFlyingLow

Seafoam it is. Im not getting any tire kickers so Im probably keeping this car.

Good luck!!

**juiced99ws6** · 12-08-2008, 03:37 PM

flush it and put some thick ass oil in it. then sell it to a ford guy.

**RageAgainstTheMinivan** · 12-08-2008, 04:43 PM

I called the insurance lady today for the gtp and she advised to keep insurance on my dd until that sells. So, it may be a few weeks until im driving it daily.