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Engine flush?

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Ok, so my new to me old 92 loyale has the TOD pretty constant, I have read some of the posts concerning this but want to make sure I am doing the right thing as for as flushing the motor! First thing I did was replace the quart low black as black is black oil and fram filter with 10 30 castol syntetic and a K&N oil filter. This seemed to help the tapping some what but it is still pretty constant! So 400 miles into the new oil and filter the level is still full the oil is still very clean and clear but the tap is still constant! So should I still go for some method of flush? Should I use the atf or marvins, how much and how long should the additives stay in the motor? If my oil is still clean after 400 will more flushing do the motor any good? I am sure I will end up replacing the oil pump seals, possibly the oil pump itself and later down the line probably the lifters but want to try the best method flushing before I start pulling parts! I think I read somewhere that someone fills full with atf runs at idle ONLY for thirty min then drains and fills with fresh oil and filter? This sounds like a serious cleaning but kinda dangerous to the overall condition of the motor? Thanks so much for any and all input and sorry if I am beating a same ole dead horse question. LOL Peace out

I would be careful with "flushing" the engine so much, but thats just me, you got the TOD....

 

 

 

 

-Nomad

Flushing will likely not help. The ticking is not typically due to dirty lifters - it's due to oil pressure and lifter wear. You can try a new oil pump plus a reseal including the cam tower o-rings but if you are in that far you should just replace the lifters since rebuilt one's are about $5 each.

 

GD

There are several lines of thought on flushes. Doing it yourself is great, just don't pay someone to do it. Get 4 quarts of 'junk' 10w30 and a bottle of Napa's lifter quiet or their engine flush. Add it all in and use the old filter. Run it for at least 30 minutes around 1500-2000 rpm. I've used this method for years on incooperative lifters and tappets and in 95% of the cases, I've got them to shut up. Sometimes it takes some higher rpms after it's ran a while and longer times. I had one car take and hour and a half at almost 2000 rpm to shut up, but it did. You just need to keep an eye on engine temp and oil pressure. Any new sounds other than lifters crop up, shut it down!

i wouldn't use engine flushes. if you use anything, just add some ATF or Seafoam to your oil.

 

If you've got one notably loud HLA then that HLA is probably going to need replaced. If the TOD moves and is all over the place, those seem better resolved with oil pump reseals/replacement.

 

I and others have had luck resealing oil pumps or buying new pumps to alleviate the ticking associated with HLA's. The board owner of Subaruxt.com was having TOD that would not go away - he resealed his oil pump twice. I gave him a new pump and the TOD is now completely gone. I've had that happen before as well.

 

My order of attack is to try some ATF in the oil. If that doesn't work then reseal the oil pump. If that doesnt' work, replace the oil pump and/or HLA's.

 

Resealing the pump is easy anyway - I just plan on doing a timing belt with it which is a maintenance item anyway and will need replacing at some point. Get an $80 ebay timing belt kit so you have all new pulleys and do it at the same time as an oil pump reseal, hardly any extra work, just some planning and you've done maintenance that needs done anyway.

Men, We have the Technology. we have the knowledge, EJ SWAP...:banana: The perfect cure for lifter tick.

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