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I've got a lifter problem. On cold mornings I can hear the lifters tap tap tap for about 10 seconds, which is ok. This morning was the coldest morning since I've owned the car and when I started it the tapping didn't and hasn't gone away. Would it just be a sticky lifter or do you think it may of bent somehow? Thanks
Canny

sticky, dirty, sludged up lifter....think it is Wynns Tune Up or Lifter Free that works sometimes as an oil additive and may take 500kms to work and last 5000km.

Other tricks are redo all the oil seals in oil pump, new timing belts, some swear by caterpillar brand of engine oil of Diesel grade ? 15W40 or 10W40 that has greater detergent packages than petrol engine oils. I have a noisy lifter and have not replaced them with new as I should have when unknown engine was in pieces, fitted up known good lifters Turns out if I let it sit a few months without a good drive, gets noisy, quietens down for a season. Nasson in Melbourne suppply many parts shops with new for about 15 bucks each, need 8 and cam boxes off.

Thanks mate. I'm doing an oil change soon. It gets reasonably cold here on the NW coast of Tas in the winter. Would this change what oil you should use? I read a bit of the thread on diesel oil, not convinced.

Canny

Fully synthetic oil has done the trick for me in the past with several EA82 engines.

Which one do you suggest Willy? And around what price?
Canny

Sorry mate I searched in the hangar for the old oil container but couldnt find it, I think it was something silly like 5w 50 but don't quote me on that. I remember it was expensive. EA71/81's are a different story. Cheap 20w 50 mineral oil makes them quiet but they get a different rattle ie elongated rocker arms and gudgeon pins lol.

I would try some 20w50 or similar. Start it up and make sure you have good oil pressure at idle, maybe 3-3.5kg/cm^2 then once its hot note how much the oil pressure drops compared to cold. A hot engine will have very little oil pressure at idle, maybe 1-1.5kg/cm^2. If the oil pressure stays pretty high at idle when hot you probably want to go to a thinner oil. Likewise if you have really high oil pressure when cold at idle.

If you have the analog cluster it has oil pressure. Not sure about the digi.

Regards

Doug

I'd also look at changing the oil pump seals

Oil pump seals, new genuine oil pump (cheap) just got one from local dealer for $60, use only genuine oil filter, 15w-40 mineral oil (cheap)and add some Moreys/Lucas engine additive, and constant fast idle for 15 minutes hot.

My L series i noticed the lifters were noisy using thinner oils.
Running 20w-50 (cheapest brand you can get) worked for me, running anything thinner(eg 15w) the lifters became noisy in my case.