Sticky Lifter (not Trac!)

[Dreman]

My GMC (I know, it's not a GMC board!) has developed a lifter knock this morning. At 198,000 miles it's probably due. I would normally simply replace the lifters, but being a new homeonwer, the time and funds to do that are in short supply right now. Is there a decent cleaner product out there that actually works that might free up the lifter without replacing it?

 

[EddieS'04]

I had a sticky lifter yrs ago in a '78 dodge van at 90k miles. Iam not positive, but I think I used one of the " Restore brand " products for lifters. It worked great. Got it at Auto Zone. Iam sure you can get it anywhere.

 

[Todd Z]

marvel mystery oil , or even some tranny oil about 500 miles before your next oil change..

Todd Z

 

[Scott Tanner]

Yep.. as todd said, 'the old tranny fluid in the oil trick' works exellent.. put in 1 qt and run it for a week. the tranny fluid can get into those small passages...

 

[Ben Poche]

Todd got my vote on marvel also,in the oil and in the fuel

 

[Richard L]

I don't normally subscribe to snakeoil cures for mechanical problems but it doen't hurt to try some especially for a simple sticking lifter.

As previously mentioned, Marvel's Mystery oil is probably one of the more legitimate canned products. Another, if you can still find it is Bardahl's. They make a number of products with good reputations.



If you try the transmission fluid, you will need to change the oil to remove it after about a week of normal driving. Some people claim that you can change the oil and add another quart of tranny fluid and go for another week, but I personally would not go beyond the first quart. If it hasn't freed up the lifter by then, it's not going to.



...Rich

 

[Dreman]

Thanks for all the input, guys. It cleared itself up on the way home last night, but I'm still going to flush it before I change it. I think the truck was just reminding me to go ahead and change the oil already! I picked up the oil and filter a month ago, but haven't been able to find the time to change it. This certainly bumps it up in my priorities!



P.S. would have changed it last night, but it was raining like nobody's business, and the garage is still too full of moving stuff to put either vehicle in.

 

[Gavin Allan]

Maybe some Mobil1 synthetic, in a border low viscosity range (like 5W30) would help free it up. After a few thousand miles, put the regular viscosity Mobil1 in it to keep it clean.

 

[Dreman]

5w30 is the normal oil recommended by GM for this truck.



I've been using Castrol semi-syn lately, because my company pays for my oil changes, and they have a "thing" about paying for synthetic oil. I don't know why, but semi-syn gets under the radar. I may try some Mobil 1 and see if anyone catches it. I save them any extra cost because I do it myself anyway, so it's not a cost issue here. I use Mobil 1 in the Trac.

 

[Johnny O]

An excellent engine cleaning product is Auto-RX. Works like a champ, and I'm no fan of snake oil in a bottle either. Used it in my old van, I'm sold. OTOH with 198k, it may have something worn that nothing short of new parts will fix. I'm thinking of an old Pontiac I used to have with lifter tap that turned out to have one lifter with a hole worn in the bottom.:blink:



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