does lifter tick do damage?

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 7:46 pm

Ever since doing the oil about 1000km ago, my car has been ticking like a clock on NOS. I'm guessing it is just lifter tick.

Anyway, the question I am here to ask is: Does lifter tick, or the symptoms causing lifter tick actually do any damage?

I've read a few things on the forum about the ticking but havnt figured out if it actually does any damage, other than to my ego as i drive through a heavily pedestrianised district.

Anything to fix it? and if so price and relative difficulty.

Thanks,

Andrew

Subafury · Post by **Subafury** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 8:58 pm

usually a thinner oil can help here- i dont think it does alot of damage but not really too sure either.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:00 pm

doesnt damage much...cept ur ego

haha

to fix it then u will want new lifters. but to shutitup then thinner oil.
im guessin u changed viscocitys with ur oil change?

Goon · Post by **Goon** » Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:51 pm

Sorry to butt in, i'm currently dealing with the same problem, have been using thinner oil since engine replacement (try to keep the laughter to a minimum), and i top up every so often due to persistant oil leaks. I have found by using super synthetic oil Fuchs 10/30 for change out and topping up every 3 months with a 5/40 synthetic oil i have minimised lifter tick to approx. 5 mins after cold start up.
Doesn't seem to harm the motor or performance, and my neighbors don't complain as much anymore.(except when i'm mucking about with tuning and exhaust mods.) Mind you I start the day at 3am...

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:02 am

EGO damage...

I had a guy come up to me to tell me i had a piece of piston-ring broken off and boncing around inside my cylinder.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:27 am

Suparoo wrote:EGO damage...

I had a guy come up to me to tell me i had a piece of piston-ring broken off and boncing around inside my cylinder.

BAHAHAHAHA

howd that convo go

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 3:38 pm

Andrew is it an RS turbo motor ??

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:07 pm

I have had a few different types of Subi engines that have done, some sort of top end tapping sound. Most of which has been solved with a cup of power steering fluid in the engine oil... BUT don't drive the car or put the engine under any load. Run it for about 15 minutes at idle, then drain the oil and replace filter. It would be best to get new oil that suits the engine, by what I mean is EA (with Hydraulic Lifters) or EJ and how many Kms your engine has done... I find that the fluid works it's way into the seals and causes the seals (mainly around the oil pump and heads) to swell... It does not do any further damage. I have found this works 9 out of 10 times but the other 1 needs oil pumps require a rebuild and worse case, Lifter replacement

But to answer your question... If you leave the ticking sound for too long, then you will do damage, as the ticking sound is clearance between your lifters and the lash adjusters... Metal on Metal with only a small amount of oil to lubricate.

SUBYDAZZ · Post by **SUBYDAZZ** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 2:09 pm

Gosh, this is such a common ailment. There are many ways to "fix it". Some say thinner oil, some say thicker. Very low viscosity oil in a high km motor probably isn't a great idea to start with. Castrol Magnatec seems to be a pretty good oil in the ticking lifter respect.

Others use genuine oil filters exclusively, make more frequent oil changes, change the oil pump seals, the pump itself, run some diesel or other additives in the oil, remove and clean the lifters, replace the lifters.

As to whether it does damage, I guess it' can't be good, but I've had a few that ticked and never seemed to bother them too much as in they engines had never failed...

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 3:23 pm

This is commonly caused by the oil pump and it's seals failing too. It can't maintain enough pressure to get oil into the lifters.

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 4:41 pm

The early RS motors have a lifter the size of a 10mm 1/4" drive socket , Subaru whent away from this with a bucket design .

I have DTrall run 2ltrs of engine flush through a motor & 1000ks later the tick came back

an early rs motor would be best to be replaced as a oil pump is around $500.00

AndrewT · Post by **AndrewT** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 5:40 pm

he is running an EA82

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 6:00 pm

Cheers for the advice guys and gals. Yes i am running a poopy little ea82, sigh.

The oil i used was 20W50 stuff, so it should be alright i spose. as for the tick, it comes off and on, and does not seem to correlate with any specific whether conditions or length of running.

Clearwater99 · Post by **Clearwater99** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:40 pm

I also have a lift noise .. It lasts about 3-5 mins,

I have found that near the end of the noise i drive the car as normal . however while i drive along i let the revs drop down to idle then accelerate .. lifter noise go's .

any suggestions why ?

SUBYDAZZ · Post by **SUBYDAZZ** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 1:17 pm

Hang on, what do the lifters do / what are they anyway? Are they the same as hydraulic lash adjusters or are they something else?

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:01 pm

pretty much the same yer Subydazz.

they connect the Cams to the valves kinda thing.

Post by **Alex** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 2:27 pm

my mate read somewhere(for his verada) that the lifters purge or something at a certain RPM, so what he did to stop the problem was keep the car a certain RPM whilst cold for afew mins and he reckons he fixed the problem.(de-clogging the lifters??)

sorry if this makes no sense..i dont really understand it either.

alex

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:05 pm

SUBYDAZZ wrote:Hang on, what do the lifters do / what are they anyway? Are they the same as hydraulic lash adjusters or are they something else?

Too keep it short... Lifters are put in everyday engines to keep them quiet. You have to have clearance between camshaft and valves but too much makes noise...

Matatak wrote:pretty much the same yer Subydazz.

they connect the Cams to the valves kinda thing.

Sorry Matatak... but they are not the same on a EA82. The lash adjuster on a EA82 sits on top of the valve (spring etc) at one end and the Lifter at the other... then the Camshaft sits on top of the lash adjuster. Pics would help but I'm at work and the pics are at home

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:26 pm

im talking bout HYDRUALIC Lifters

i no wt ur referring to aswell RSR being the 'Lifter'

but the Lifter tick referred to in this thread is peoples Lash Adjusters not pumping up properly.
and wt i was tlaking bout was that Hydraulic Lifters and Lash Adjusters look and act the same.

read this everybody Hydraulic Lifters

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:17 pm

If lifters are noisey and left that way for long enough they will do some damage to the engine. I have seen (EA82) lifters that have mushroomed the base of the lifter and broken rocker arms as well as head damage to the lifter base.

EJ engines seem to rattle on forever but replcing the seals on the oil pump when changing the cam belt will eliminate that.