I have a lifter or 2 tapping. I have heard that putting in a quart of ATF may cure the problem. Has anyone tried this with any luck? If not do you have any suggestions on what to do? Thanks...
They could be ticking do to the plunger inside the lifter not traveling up and down as it should. Sometimes a lifter will get gummed up inside. I have heard of people using transmission fluid before, because atf will clean what ever it gets into or on. But atf does'nt have the lubrication abilities that oil has. I would try Marvel mystery oil. If that does'nt work, and you have the non-adjustable rocker arms, you can locate the loose rocker(s), and pull the aluminum pedastle out of the center, and hand file the bottom side of it that mates to the head. Sometimes they wear where the pedastle and the rocker arm make contact. Or, you could simply have worn lifters and/or cam lobes, but I would try the Marvel mystery oil first. You can find it at Wal-mart, AZ, Advance, Dollar General, or Family Dollar.
I agree with strokermaverick, i would pull the rockers and file the pedestal , that would be the simple thing to do, but the cam may be the problem like my 2 door, the eccentric barely runs the fuel pump, its that wore out. i have ran transmission fluid a few times in older motors. i dump a quart into the oil and run a quart through the carburetor by hand and run the motor about 3/4 throttle while im pouring slowly. will smoke like a steam train but cleans out an engine. then change oil and all is done.
I agree with you on the Rislone. I have used Rislone in a '65 Bettle that I used to own.When you change the oil in an old VW like that, you can easily remove the whole screen and clean it out with carb. cleaner. The Rislone cleaned it so well that it filled the whole screen area with really fine silt like substance, twice. I used it my wifes mini van that we bought used, and the oil light started to come on a couple hundred miles later. It had done the same thing to it. It filled the oil pan with gunk from the engine, and was impairing the oil pump's abillity to suck oil through the strainer as it should. When you use Rislone, I would drive the vehicle about 100 miles then drain the oil and pour diesel fuel directly through the engine's crank case to rinse the oil pan out. Let it drain good, and then change the oil and filter. I'm not saying don't use Rislone, but it works that good. It will send alot of gunk to the oil pan. Just my two cents.
Is this problem something that just started, or has your got some miles on it, and just something it has ben doing for a while? My '73 with 302 has a lifter that ticks in it pretty bad when it is cold, and calms down as it warms up. But it never stops. I'm getting ready to put a new cam and lifter set in it. I got to get rid of that stock junk.
The lifters and cam are about 2 years old. It just started doing it. I ticks after it has warmed up. Goes away sometimes.
Sounds like it could be a weak lifter to just come and go like that. When it is cold, it has had time to drain down, and while is running, pumps up, but loses pressure. At least, lifters are cheap in single form, if that is your problem.
