# Lifter Ticking...



## Converted (May 28, 2003)

So I went here and found out a possible fix for lifter ticking...

http://www.automotiveforums.com/t127183.html

Basically the guy there says at your next oil change to mix 2qt oil and 2qt ATF and let it run in your engine for an hour. The ATF is a mild abrasive and will clean the oil deposits from your engine.

I tried it. I worked pretty well...I could tell for sure that it cleaned out some of the crap that was in my engine. In just a 50 min running it was black in color, and there seemed to be more than 4qts that came out.

It did not however fix my ticking lifters. I have a SOHC, so they are hydraulic and I cant adjust them by hand, so my only option is to replace the lifters themselves...at $30 a pop, im not gonna do that. Ill just wait for my swap....

Im getting a WRX in january, so my swap will have to wait until July...my question is this...

Will running my car with sticking lifters damage anything? Will it last another 10 months? Will it get progressevly worse? 

Thanks in advance.

-Jake


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## esyip (Dec 19, 2002)

how positive are you that it's your lifters and not your timing chain tensioner? if it's 100% positively your lifters, it shouldn't be too bad. but if it's your tensioner, your engine will go sooner than later.


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## Converted (May 28, 2003)

I really dont know the difference for sure. It only happens between 2-4k rpm. I need to find a dohc soon  I did take off my valve cover and checked the tightness of the upper chain and it seemed alright. Its just soooooo annoying.


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## esyip (Dec 19, 2002)

yeah, it's probably your lifters from what you're saying. go to a local salvage, junk, etc. yard and you can find one for cheap.


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## joerc240sx (Jan 19, 2003)

Oh i hate ticking lifters, and i have one hell of a horror storie with them involved. buy my problem was low oil presure, and the engine is being rebuilt again, free of charge.


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## Converted (May 28, 2003)

So what about ticking lifters lead to a horror story? I called a yard today to check on prices. From what Ive read I dont need the ECU for a sohc-dohc swap. Is that right?

-Jake


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## joerc240sx (Jan 19, 2003)

yeah you will need the ECU or JWT to reporgram your old one

well about a year ago my head gasket blow, instead of swaping to an SR i opted to rebuild the KA24e for boost. 6 months later i get it back form the machine shop, and get it droped in my car. frist 500 miles go great, then around 750 i started getting a really bad chain ratle, took the front cover off and found the tensioner guid was to think and cased it to bolt soild to the block so the chain had streched, got new parts from the machine shop and got that fixed. after i got it back to gether it still made alot of nose (lifters) took it to a machinic and they found i was making only 5-10 psi oil presure at idel and up to around 40 reved up, they changed the oil to a heaver wieght, and shimed the oil pump. made a little less noise and they thought it was the lifters. took it over to the machine shop and they thought the same thing, went and bought all new lifters from nissan and replaced them all, sound was still there. took it to a local nissan dealer and the engine was making 0psi oil presure at idel and 35 reved up. machine shop is rebuilding the engine again, at no cost. thats my horrie story, 1 year, lots of money spent and only about 3weeks of driving my car. sucked


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## joerc240sx (Jan 19, 2003)

also might want to pick up the gage cluster from the dohc


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## 93blackSER (Feb 1, 2003)

here's the list i've come up with for the DOHC swap:
engine, ecu, and harness
MAF sensor
throttle cable (DOHC is shorter)
gauge cluster
and some power steering equipment

you should www.nissaninfiniticlub.com i believe it is. there are people there that have done the swap and can help.


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## BlueBOB (Jan 29, 2003)

close...

www.nissaninfiniticlub.com


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## 93blackSER (Feb 1, 2003)

what do you mean close? that's what i put. see, look! 

thanks tho.


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

> It only happens between 2-4k rpm.


 2-4krpm is also rod knock country, so inspect closely.


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## megaseth (May 18, 2003)

the lifters are pretty loud at idle in my car, but thats just the KA.


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## Converted (May 28, 2003)

Well....

The sohc is still ticking away. The sound hasent progressed in volume, or rpm range in the last 3 months or so. So my question is this...Would a knocking rod already have let loose by now? The sound is coming from what I think to be the top end underneath the valve cover (which is why I thought chain at first) so I think its lifters.

I have to make a trip to VA. then to NY. and then back to WI. My civic blew up on me, so the 240 is the only running car at the moment. My oil has been steady, and stayed at a constant level, and the car has been a daily driver for 2 people for the last couple months (building another civic engine[its hers not mine ]). 

So here are my questions. Do you think it will be alright to make that drive? Will ticking lifters alone ever do any damage or cause a critical failure? Is anyone in or near WI to help me pull apart the RB sitting in my garage?

-Jake


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## BlueBOB (Jan 29, 2003)

just a bit of info on timing chains...

the timing chain tensioners Nissan uses are all run by oil pressure, so if the oil level is low, that could cause a problem, or if the tensioner is weak itself (the spring). The fact that it only happens at low rpms could mean the tensioner as well because you build more oil pressure as you rev higher. I have been driving my car for a number of months now with a weak timing chain tensioner, but it's not a good thing. It usually only ticks in the low rpm range, and once it's high reving, the sound goes away. My buddy had his KA tensioner go bad and the dealership fixed it for a little less that $400 if I remember correctly...


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## Nizmodore (May 9, 2003)

BlueBOB said:


> just a bit of info on timing chains...
> 
> the timing chain tensioners Nissan uses are all run by oil pressure, so if the oil level is low, that could cause a problem, or if the tensioner is weak itself (the spring). The fact that it only happens at low rpms could mean the tensioner as well because you build more oil pressure as you rev higher. I have been driving my car for a number of months now with a weak timing chain tensioner, but it's not a good thing. It usually only ticks in the low rpm range, and once it's high reving, the sound goes away. My buddy had his KA tensioner go bad and the dealership fixed it for a little less that $400 if I remember correctly...


*shudder* timeing chains......gawd bless the timeing belt (like in RB's and CA's)....anyway Niosy lifters....its a Nissan...they all do that!


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## Converted (May 28, 2003)

Yeah I know...but this is something more than just casual ticking. Its pretty audible. Anyway, Ill let you guys know if I make the trip or not. To late now to back out. :balls: 

-Jake


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## Converted (May 28, 2003)

Well......The sohc made it to Va., then it made it to NJ. No problem. Lifter ticking shmifter ticking. Then....(theres always a then)...leaving NJ heading to NY...ticking became knocking, then the oil light came on. Started sounding pretty bad, so I pulled over, waited-checked the oil. Oil was full (just had a change). Noise was still really bad. Parked it at my Fiance's cousins house. The next day, metal on metal sounds. 

Oil Pump. 

So the 240 is stuck in NJ (getting shipped for $500) and an RB20 is waiting in the garage.

Lesson learned 

-Jake


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2004)

*ka24e has hydraulic lash adjusters*

hey guys... i noticed that there is some confusion on this board. the ka24e does indeed have hydraulic lash adjusters. if you have that evil ticking sound, pull the valve cover. then, one at a time, try to push down on the lifters. if it moves up and down, then that is likely the one that is making the sound, or all of the ones that move. then turn the engine over a bit and try them all again and see which ones move. When a hydraulic lash adjuster is fully and properly primed, you cannot compress it by hand.. i tried compressing some with a pair of pliers and they wouldnt budge. quite simply, if they compress, they are not primed. this can be due to a faulty lash adjuster, or loss of oil pressure, buildup of gunk... etc. i have done a lot of research on this engine, rebuilt one, taken it apart and put it together twice, swapped it in and out of the car twice. mine still makes that damned noise though. i think it's the oilpump possibly. anyone know the proper oilpressure at idle and also at higher revs? my aftermarket oilpressure gauge is telling me about 13psi at idle... it should be higher, right? im thinking about switching to the 240z oilpump. from what i hear it bolts right onto the ka24e and flows more oil, which should equal higher oil pressure, am i right?


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## boost_boy (May 25, 2002)

These are very strange motors. We rebuilt one twice and the damn thing still went bad even with the new oil pump. If you're going boost, might be cheaper to buy someone's 95+motor and go from there. Other than that, go find a turbocharged engine and work it! That KA24DE can be a mystery and will frustrate you as well. I'm a victim already and that's why I use a CA18DET.


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## joerc240sx (Jan 19, 2003)

Well I had the machine shop rebuild my KA again. they found the rod bareing where to thin, and they changed oil pumps. mine was making about 5psi at idel and 40 at 3500k. it should be around 30 at idel and 70 reved up. the main barings had the right part number for the ones they ordered, they where just to thin. so they reordered and messured the new ones, and they where right. i have been driving it for about 2 months, and have put just about 1200k miles on it. i have had no lifter tick, rod knock, or timing chain rattle. witch befor where all happening around 600miles


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