Hello All..

New around here, but you'll be seeing more of me...

Thanks in advance-

 

'92 Loyale, AWD, 5 speed, 125K

Bought the car from auction, so I don't know about the maintenance history, but the problem is a lifter tick. When the car is warm it goes away, and the thinner the oil I use the faster the tick goes away (<10 min with 10/30). Yesterday I pulled out a Quart and replaced it with the Lucas oil stabilizer (molassas) the tick didn't go away untill about 20 minutes of driving, then I shut the car off and came back to it <10 minutes later, no tick at start up but then it came back within 3-5 minutes of driving. I have already purchased the new lifter, and all assoc. gaskets, and the job doesn't look to hard, according to the Chilton's. Maybe I'm over thinking this but if a lifter is crushed, won't it stay compressed...Is oil pressure a problem with these cars, or possibly some sort of oil drain port that is getting clogged ????. Like I said, I am new to the Suby family, so any info would be apreciated, concerning common problems, high fail items, or what preventive maintenance I should do while I have the valve covers and oil pan off.

before you go pulling the engine apart, have you tried something like Seafoam or Marvin's Mystery Oil (MMO)? I had an intermittent lifter sticking on start-up and the Seafoam fixed it..........

I second the try seafoam idea.Works good with almost everything that may have a little buildup on it or in it.

My 87 gl clicked so bad I thought for sure my oil pump had gone.

 

I used some seafoam and that took care of my problems.

 

 

-=fred=-

Sea Foam?

Auto Zone?

Sea Foam?

Auto Zone?

 

Not sure if Autozone has it but Checker does. I had loud persistent lifter noise right after changing the oil on my 'new' '87 Wagon so I too used the famed Seafoam oil additive (drove about 80 miles with a whole can of it added to the oil)... I also used some B-12 Chemtool motorflush and did a second oil change. There was quite a bit of sludgy stuff that came out. I suspect the car had gone awhile without an oil change and that first change I did upon purchasing it, moved some crud around and plugged up an HLA or two. Anyway, it took awhile but after about 200 miles or so the ticking went away and hasn't made a sound since... even on start up.

 

Seafoam apparently, mildly dissolves the sludge. You can leave it in the oil and drive around however long you want. Marvel Mystery Oil is a similar product.

 

Driving these cars with lifter tick won't hurt a thing. The valve train will be loose... it is noisy and probably doesn't run quite as well but it isn't hurting a thing. So, just drive it for 200 miles or so and see if it goes away.

 

Tracy

I have bought both MMO and Seafoam at Autozone.

Just so you know... Dextron ATF works too. 1/2 quart or so poured into the crankcase will do the lifters wonders. Got it in 3 of mine right now. My XT-6 really likes to do the TOD, (tick of death) as we call it. Don't hurt the engine any, (the ticking), it just be annoying. The ATF has made it an occassional ticky episode rather than an all-o'-the-time thing....

OIL PUMP SEALS!

aeration of the oil because of the o-ring being sucked in. take the lifter back and exchange it for the oil pump seals