Noisy Lifters -- The Final Solution

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Noisy Lifters -- The Final Solution

Time to change the oil in the replacement engine. Has had noisy lifters since it was installed. Had sat for almost four years from a disabling engine fire. This engine has about 130,000 miles and runs strong. Oil pressure is normal to great.

So I search the previous threads on engine lifters and find that adding a bit of ATF and running it just might clear up the oil passages and the lifters.

Now if I add a 1/2 quart or so how long should I run it before changing the oil? Should it be a full quart?

With a full belly of ATF it was no more than 20 to 30 minutes.

What has been this groups experience?

Scott R · Scott R's Garage

To do a complete cleaning I have actually refilled entirelly with ATF. We used to do this at the dealer I worked at and I have had great success with it.

Just refill and run it for 15~20 min. The engine will run a little hotter since the ATF is thinner, but you should get a ton of gunk out of the drain afterwards.

AFJuvat · 08-09-2002, 09:37 PM

Always had good luck running with a 50/50 mix of mineral spirits and oil or kerosene and oil. I prefer mineral spirits as it isn't as volitile. You get a ton of gunk out of the engine.

AFJuvat

jseel · 08-11-2002, 09:13 AM

my friends volvo 960 had noisy lifters, we ended up replacing them.(good thing as a couple had collapsed)the car was still clicky after that,so we started using royal purple 10-30 and no more noise! we also made a couple 944 and volvos shut up with BG-RF7.

arnebret · 08-11-2002, 01:02 PM

Hold up! Am i missing something here? My mechanical english is not too good, so what you exactly mean by lifters i don't know. But you are talking about getting 'the click' from an engine... My engine runs fine, oil pressure great, boost is fine as well, but my car does make a kind of clicky noise. It gets a bit less after driving, but it still is there. I always thought the noise was just the injectors spraying fuel.... Or is it something else?

If not, i'm very sorry i once again used up some of your time with a 'stupid' question

emilysgranny · 08-11-2002, 09:26 PM

Arnebret; the injectors do sound like ticking , particuarly on a higher milage car if they have never been rebuilt or replaced. The ticking they are talking about is the hydraulic lifters between the camshaft and the valve stem. They sound almost the same way when they are either worn or dirty.The cam has a tendancy over time to wear a grove in the face of the lifters to the point they cannot adjust anymore. then they are really loud. More often then not though the little holes in the lifter get plugged and they have a harder time of adjusting because of dirty oil.This is what they are trying to remedy.The addition of hydraulic lifters to an engine is a vast improvement over the mechanical adjustments which had to be constantly tinkered with.AGAIN KEY WORD, MAINTAINENCE.

arnebret · 08-12-2002, 05:08 AM

So, are you suggesting i should flush the engine with a mix of atf/oil or only atf when i do my next oil replacement?

AFJuvat · 08-12-2002, 06:58 AM

I would try a ATF/OIL mix and see what happens.

AFJuvat

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by AFJuvat
I would try a ATF/OIL mix and see what happens.

AFJuvat

Exactly what I'm considering doing. About two quarts of ATF and run it for about 30 minutes before dumping it and the filter.

arnebret · 08-15-2002, 03:33 AM

Does the ATF have some sort of 'cleaning' function in the engine. I'm not too familiar with the stuff. Is there any difference in which ATF i have to use? I have Dexron II ATF here, which i can mix up with some regular Castrol oil. Should i then drive with the car, or just let it idle for 30 min. I mean: is there enough lubrication from ATF to let the engine function under load?

fletch944t · 08-15-2002, 04:10 AM

ATF is very thin so it flows better at temperature than regular engine oil. However, it doesn't provide great lubrication. ATFs typically have a lot of detergent type additives which help de-gunk the engine. Adding a quart of ATF to an engine prior to an oil change has been common practice among Mercedes Master Techs for years. If the engine/lifters are really gunked up, you may have to add more than a quart of ATF to clean things up. Add it just prior to an oil change, run the engine at idle until the oil is at normal operating temperature (typically about 10 minutes after the coolant is at normal operating temperature), then shut it down, and change the oil.

BTW, it's also common practice among Mercedes techs to add a quart of ATF periodically to a full tank of gas to clean the injectors .

Fletch

SoCal Driver · SoCal Driver's Garage

I've also found that a dash of ATF to my five alarm chili gives it that slight air of mystery.

ChrisBennet · ChrisBennet's Garage

Does anyone know if ATF will contaminate sensors? Back in 1996 Tony Staples posted this to the old Porschephiles mailing list in conjuction with a post on fuel injectors

Quote:

Warning: We have tested some of the new Dexron III transmission
fluids and found them to contain compounds which can contaminate O2
sensors. I do not recommend lubricating any fuel system components
with transmission fluid, or any synthetic oils. The best o-ring lube
that we have found is a light mineral oil, or just plain motor oil.

-Chris

1.2gees · 1.2gees's Garage

I'd think that ATF (or any other fluid with degreasers in it) could cause new oil leaks or make small leaks get a bit worse. You're suggesting this is not the case?
Ahmet

arnebret · 08-16-2002, 03:05 AM

Hmm, is there a big difference between the DexronII and III? And what does the addition of Dexron IID mean. Is there an A,B and C as well or does this indicate something else.

arnebret · 08-17-2002, 01:55 PM

I just poured a quart of ATFII in my engine and ran it for about 15-20 minutes. Then switched of the engine, took the drain plug out and the stuff that was coming out really wasn't oil anymore. It was the most black, sludgy fluid i have ever seen. I let it drain for about 4 hours and oil was still leaking out. After about 5 hours nothing was coming out, so i'm hoping all trash has finally came out of every cranny. The filter was pretty sludgy as well

I have no idea if this is due to the atf, but i'm quite sure i've never seen such terrible oil that has just done 3500 miles. I always change oil and filter at or around 3000 so i was late a bit. I think the atf did help in getting the trash out