Hey guys, still working on my son's 87. It sat for several years without running. Engine runs fine, no smoke or leaks, but it has a loud tick on the left side of engine. The tick increases with RPMs. Just put new exhaust with new donut gaskets, so pretty much ruled out an exhaust leak, unless it is a cracked manifold or manifold gasket. I have been running it with a pint+ of MMO which has not helped. Should I try trans fluid? will it hurt anything to keep driving it for a while if it's a stuck lifter? Thanks in advance.
CK5
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5.7 stuck lifter question
- Thread starter 8point1
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my dad had a 72 Honda cb750 bike that sat close to 10 years .
dug it out flushed fuel system / cleaned carbs / new plugs and batt.
fired off and ran on around 1.5 cyl out of 4 . few min later 2 solid running . few min later 3 running . took a 5 mile road trip for the 4th cyl valves to free up and she purred just fine after this .
I would pop a valve cover and check the rockers for a loose one or pulling stud for rocker or bent push rod .
and some times exhaust manifold cracks can be fun to trace down on a engine when on back side next to motor.
dug it out flushed fuel system / cleaned carbs / new plugs and batt.
fired off and ran on around 1.5 cyl out of 4 . few min later 2 solid running . few min later 3 running . took a 5 mile road trip for the 4th cyl valves to free up and she purred just fine after this .
I would pop a valve cover and check the rockers for a loose one or pulling stud for rocker or bent push rod .
and some times exhaust manifold cracks can be fun to trace down on a engine when on back side next to motor.
Its probably got one dry lifter,that might take a long time to pump up--if it ever does..Marvel Mystery oil is what I trust most to "fix" sticky or collapsed lifters..tranny fluid isn't much different really,though it may have friction additives which I wouldn't want in an engine..you can add a quart of Marvel ,even more,and not harm anything...(I know a few guys who ran 5 qts on old antique engines that sat "forever" and they lived,it cleaned them up good too,but it was a huge risk to take!)..it has high film strength,despite being so "thin" in viscosity...you'd be better off with diesel rated oil if it has flat tappets,not a roller cam,more zinc in it will prevent the lobes from dissapearing ..
When I have been present at my friends shop,when he's just finished installing a used engine from a salvage yard and he fires it up for the first time,I have seen it take a half hour or more to get all the ticking noises from lifters and valves to finally go away...some go silent,then clatter away again the next day after a cold start for several days...eventually they all stayed quiet on the engines that seemed to take "forever" to quiet down...
I would say as long as you see normal oil pressure it wont hurt to run the engine with a lifter or two clattering,but it could kill a cam lobe eventually perhaps..it could well be an exhaust leak as Sweet K30 suggested--cracked exhaust manifolds on a chevy sound almost identical to a bad lifter...
When I have been present at my friends shop,when he's just finished installing a used engine from a salvage yard and he fires it up for the first time,I have seen it take a half hour or more to get all the ticking noises from lifters and valves to finally go away...some go silent,then clatter away again the next day after a cold start for several days...eventually they all stayed quiet on the engines that seemed to take "forever" to quiet down...
I would say as long as you see normal oil pressure it wont hurt to run the engine with a lifter or two clattering,but it could kill a cam lobe eventually perhaps..it could well be an exhaust leak as Sweet K30 suggested--cracked exhaust manifolds on a chevy sound almost identical to a bad lifter...
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Yep marvel mystery oil is good. Also I thought I had an engine issue like you describe, turned out the exhaust manifold gasket was bad on one area on one side.
If you have trouble isolating the sound, don't forget to check for a cracked flexplate. It will make a ticking sound that increases with RPM similar to a lifter or exhaust leak, although you can usually pinpoint the sound to the transmission area if that's the problem.
I'd also make sure none of the spark plugs are loose,or maybe cracked--I have seem some lately that leaked where the ceramic is crimped into the metal hex "shell" too!..(one was a brand new NGK!)..also a spark jumping to ground can make a tapping noise,usually it'll skip or feel like it had a dead cylinder if that's the case though..
79rustyk10
3/4 ton status
Is the cam bad? Has the noise gotten worse since he's been driving it?
