beastpath Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 So this has been doing this for a while but hasnt gotten any worse, so I'm leaning towards broken exhaust manifold stud.... As some of you know I put a remanufactured engine in my 91. I also put headers on there, and instead of doing the 300z studs I put in locking header bolts. On start up the car ticks/clacks loudly from the passenger side until it warms up. The ticking is sporadic, it ticks for a few seconds rapidly, then there will be a pause. Then she will tick for another few secs, and then another pause. This continues until the car warms up and the ticking is barely audible and much less frequent. When I open the throttle the ticking also keeps in time with the engine. I have used seafoam, and Lucas Oil to see if it was a sticky lifter, but no result. The engine pulls strongly, I get great mileage, and there have been no metal flakes or chunks in the oil or filter when I change it out. I also used a mechanics stethescope and the noise is barely audible when touched to the head gasket cover (I did this in all the locations of the lifters), but extremely loud (almost deafening) when I touch it to the rearmost passenger exhaust bolt. So In everyones professional opinion: Sticky Lifter or Lifter that is hitting the Head Gasket Cover? Or Exhaust Manifold Bolt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colbywan Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 So this has been doing this for a while but hasnt gotten any worse, so I'm leaning towards broken exhaust manifold stud.... As some of you know I put a remanufactured engine in my 91. I also put headers on there, and instead of doing the 300z studs I put in locking header bolts. On start up the car ticks/clacks loudly from the passenger side until it warms up. The ticking is sporadic, it ticks for a few seconds rapidly, then there will be a pause. Then she will tick for another few secs, and then another pause. This continues until the car warms up and the ticking is barely audible and much less frequent. When I open the throttle the ticking also keeps in time with the engine. I have used seafoam, and Lucas Oil to see if it was a sticky lifter, but no result. The engine pulls strongly, I get great mileage, and there have been no metal flakes or chunks in the oil or filter when I change it out. I also used a mechanics stethescope and the noise is barely audible when touched to the head gasket cover (I did this in all the locations of the lifters), but extremely loud (almost deafening) when I touch it to the rearmost passenger exhaust bolt. So In everyones professional opinion: Sticky Lifter or Lifter that is hitting the Head Gasket Cover? Or Exhaust Manifold Bolt? I'm not a professional by ANY means but from my experience is that it sounds like a lifter problem. My stud is broken on the motor I have now and it's much louder. It also doesn't go away then come back like you describe it's just plain there when you get on the throttle till the thing gets hot then it quiets down some but not all the way. So my guess is lifter or something other than the exhaust stud. But I could be wrong who knows.. Maybe someone else with more experience will chime in and agree with me hopefully -Colby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 get a piece of 1/2 inch tubing about 3 feet long. Hold one end to your ear and take the other end and probe at each stud location with the engine running. If you have a leak, you will hear it. You can also probe around with a magnet on each of the stud bolts and see which (if any) are loose - broken) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Usually lifters only tick until the oil has been pumped to them. That only takes a few, at most, 30 seconds. If you had a completely shot lifter oil ring, it would tick constantly, or at constant higher RPMs, like mine does (on the freeway at 4k) Metal takes quite a while to heat up, which would explain why the tick doesn't go away until the engine is totally warm, long after oil is properly circulated throughout the engine. Since you say you used a stethoscope already, and found the rear stud to be very loud, tighten it down! In fact, I'd say go around and make sure every stud is tight when the engine is warm, not cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 22, 2009 Share Posted March 22, 2009 Be careful tightening though. When I had mine done, the mechanic said that someone in the past had stripped 3 on the drivers side and 2 were broken on the passenger side. I would just replace them all if it is the cause and be done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 haha, great, so 2 responses telling me its the lifters, and 2 telling me its the studs. I'll try tightening up the stud and see if that helps, If not I may have to take it to a shop as I don't have the time right now to do awkward(or majoir if it is a lifter) work on the truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Well, like was said, lifters will usually tap at startup and die off once they are pressurised with oil. if they are bad, then it wouldn't stop, but the lifter tick and exhaust tick sound different. I ought to record my 88 at statup, it has both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edicer2 Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 My z has lifter tick on start up and it sounds way different then the bad exhust studs that was on my old pathfinder. the exhuast leak kinda sounds more like a putt noise and the lifter one is alot of more a metal hitting metal type noise my lifter tick goes away right away and the exhuast leak never really did Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 yeah lifters are more of a clacking sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 that would be the metal slamming against metal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Clacking is a good descriptive word for it. I can't think of anything that comes closer... I'm fortunate enough to still have the stock manifolds and studs, that aren't leaking or broken. *knock on wood* I do have the lifter tick at startup, on almost all lifters, for a few seconds then cuts off completely, no fading out. Except for one, which clacks for a second or two longer. This is also the lifter that ticks on the freeway when I'm low on oil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeppelindrummer Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 heres a link to a YOUTUBE vid of my pathy.... my tick is the manifold. plus, its just a fun vid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 so it looks like its the lifters.... lots of people seem to have this at startup....so.... is this a problem? or just something I have to live with? given that this is a rebuilt block and heads, should it still have the lifter tap at startup? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I just live with mine... as long as it dosn't change... I have no worries. U should run synthetic oil... unless that is what lucas is.... but it coats and sticks to things better. There is also some sort of thing that can be installed to keep the oil pressure up after shut off.... it helps save the wear during startup. He has it installed on his porsche. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 lucas is an oil stabilizer additive that I used because I am using up the last of my non-synthetic oil. One more oil change and ill switch to totally synthetic. so if the tick were to become more prolonged or louder with changes in the throttle this would mean a complete failure of the lifter and bad news correct? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I believe so. I would change to synthetic ASAP it will do a better job protecting the lifters. but that is just my opinion... the debate about the benifits of synthetic are on going. I do know this.. Porsche stopped puting it in their new cars because the motors weren't breaking in... now they add it at the first service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 well ill grab some Mobil 1 next time I go to checker....if its good eough for my crotch-rocket its good enough for the pathfinder. hopefully changing to synthetic will shut up the lifters. its embarassing trying to hit on girls in the ASU parking lot and in the back ground is clack, clack, clack.....pause....clack, clack, clack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 What weight oil are u using? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 5w-30 too light? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 that is what nissan calls for and that is what I use. but I have alwayse used 10 -30 in my old hondas with good success.. I've thought about switchin to see if things would quiet down..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 do you think less viscosity at startup would help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 yes, but it has positive and negatives..... lol! anybody else have an opinion? we could have the great oil debate! LMAO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beastpath Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 lol, lets get that goin on! haha. Ill try running Mobil 1 10w-30 next time I change my oil and see if that helps. Btw, is it true you can run synthetic oil for almost twice as long as dinosaur juice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) I run it in my 06 Benz and the factory schedule has oil changes every 15k...... that is a long time to go.. but they say its fine. I would go 5k on a pathfinder It should also increase your gas mileage a little. Edited March 30, 2009 by beavis0076 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 lol, lets get that goin on! haha. Ill try running Mobil 1 10w-30 next time I change my oil and see if that helps. Btw, is it true you can run synthetic oil for almost twice as long as dinosaur juice? I would check with a few others before going to 10-30.... just to make sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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