# Ticking Lifters...How hard to replace?



## RacinTommy (May 10, 2004)

The ticks go away after 30 seconds from start up but wondered you has replaced theirs?


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## '85 fairlady (May 1, 2004)

mine do the same thing but the whole time im driving."sticky lifters"


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

I'd reccommend checking your oil pressure first, as low oil pressure will cause your lifters to tick. Just a few days ago I was having big problems with the pressure, it was running at about 25 on the highway and around 20 at idle. I ran Gold Eagle oil system cleaner through the system, changed out the nasty oil from the cleaning, and put a new filter and new oil in. Drove it soon after, idle pressure is 30, and 3K+ rpms it's about 60 PSI pressure. No more ticking lifters, and the car runs better now as well. It is said that it can be a bad idea to use the cleaner though, because it will not only dissolve some of the gunk, but some bigger chunks of stuff can clog up the oil pan screen and make things worse. I lucked out with it working, and so have many others, so that would be my recommendation, as long as you know the possible side effects and take care in doing it.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

_"I ran Gold Eagle oil system cleaner through the system, changed out the nasty oil from the cleaning, and put a new filter and new oil in."_

I agree that the best way to deal with sticking lifters is to clean out your lubrication system ... but I am not familiar with Gold Eagle or that nature of that cleaner. Some older/cheaper cleaners are too aggressive ... and may just be kerosene. 

I suggest the best way to clean out an older motor safely is to use one of the many gas/diesel HDEOs (Heavy Duty Engine Oils) available. Try an oil like like Pennzoil Long Life, Chevron Delo400, Shell Rotella, Mobil Delvac, etc ...

These dual-use oils have a much more potent additive package than a typical gas-only PCMO (Passenger Car Motor Oil) to deal with the nasty byproducts of combustion from diesel fuels. Often they will turn black in an older engine almost right away showing the old deposits they are dissolving. Although they are good for extended use, leave these oils in only for 2,000-2,500 miles if you have badly stuck lifters and/or the oil turns dark quickly. That way, the detergent/dispersant additives which are doing the cleaning stay freshest and keeps doing their thing. 

All these brands are easy to find in 15W40 ... which is a good weight for summer driving. Some come in 5W40 which is better year-round.


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## JakeMonkey (Feb 3, 2004)

That sounds like a great idea, i may do that as well to get rid of some of the leftover junk in the system. The gold eagle additive i used didn't seem to be some big name deal, but it did say that it wasn't kerosene based, so i felt a little safer using it.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

*JakeMonkey*, yeah, there are a few good cleaners on the market but you never know when something cheap is gonna make its way onto the shelves so I don’t recommend them in general.

The cleaners I know of which are really good, like AutoRX or Schaeffer Neutra, are either pricey and/or hard to come by so I don’t usually steer people towards them unless they insist on this type of product. Both of those are ester-based (Group V synthetic) cleaners where the cleaner is also an excellent lubricant, the same type which is often used in motor oils. 

Years ago I had a ‘68 Camaro convertible. It had a replacement engine in it (probably out of a junkyard) and even that thing had seen better days. I attempted to clean it out with a pour-in cleaner (Gunk brand?) I now believe was kerosene-based. Ran it for about 10-15 minutes before draining and within about 5 hours of run time, both my head gaskets went blooey. I’ve heard similar stories from others on-line so I don’t believe it was a coincidence. 

Solvent-based cleaners are to be avoided … or used sparingly. By their very nature they tend to diminish the ability of the crankcase oil to properly lubricate.

The gas/diesel oils are really a good idea. In addition to the 15W40s which you can find just about anywhere, there are 5W40 synthetics available (Mobil Delvac 1 or Shell Rotella) and you can get both Pennzoil Long Life and Chevron Delo400 in 10W30 which is a better for newer vehicles. This last stuff is hard to find, though, and you’ll probably have to special order it by the case from an authorized distributor (check your local yellow pages  ).


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## '85 fairlady (May 1, 2004)

i put in 15w40 and the lifters stopted ticking


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

[QUOTE='85 fairlady]i put in 15w40 and the lifters stopted ticking[/QUOTE]

That is worth a try. I use 20W-50 Amsoil.


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## Bror Jace (Apr 26, 2003)

*Spongerider*: _"That is worth a try. I use 20W50 Amsoil."_



You get ticking even though you are using Amsoil? i would have thought that stuff would run super clean. 

What oil temps are you running?

I would think with Amsoil you'd have to go no thicker than 10W40. Anything thicker is merely costing you mileage and horsepower.


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## 1slowZ (Jul 8, 2004)

RacinTommy said:


> The ticks go away after 30 seconds from start up but wondered you has replaced theirs?



i used to have a 94' 3000gt and it had the lifter tick when you would start it up and i brought it to a number of garages and all of them said it would be a pain in the @ss to fix.......although the Z is not the same as a GT i would assume it would still be difficult


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## joelkirby14 (May 18, 2008)

my lifters tick in my red top sr20det. should i try the heavy duty oil first before trying to replace the lifters? also is anyone close to gonzales? la?


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## Spongerider (Nov 18, 2002)

Bror Jace said:


> *Spongerider*: _"That is worth a try. I use 20W50 Amsoil."_
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Sorry for the late reply. I don't have lifter tick and I do use the 20w-50 with flying colors. I was suggesting that maybe the 20W50 well work so long as there are no damage lifters.


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