quietting lifter noise with trans oil:???

======== ======== automtive pulp fiction. sorry.

~:~ MarshMonster ~:~

"pulp fiction"? Hardly... with old technology oils and old technology engines, this was a fairly effective panacea - all depending on why the lifter was noisy to begin with. ATF does do a pretty fair job at disolving varnish and some other deposits (I still use it when faced with sticking valves on the 7.3 diesel). I am unsure if this method will work with modern oils and engines.... as far as trying it is concerned, it is inexpensive but users should heed the caution that the ATF shouldn't be left in for more than a few hundred miles...

Jim is correct, I've used type "F" to quiet lifter noise in a lot of vehicles, the last was a friends Mazda Pick-up, '88 vintage, good year for Mazda, if you ask me, but I ran the truck for about an hour without a load, AKA, idled it, and the top end noise went away...

SteveL

My kid has a 97 Probe and after a couple years of "jiffy-type" oil changes, some long overdue but with a famous brand Dino oil ... his adjustors made a helluva racket, but after second consec Mobil 1 change, and about 10,000 miles, all of them are now quiet.

So once you get it/them quiet, WISE UP!

Adding a quart of AFT to a noise engine when it is a quart low has been a used car lot owners trick for years. You don't need to drain it off either. LOL

mike hunt

I used to use Marvel Mystery Oil to quiet the lifters in my old Fords

AFT was cheaper, these were used car salesmen. LOL

mike hunt

========= =========

I apologize for going against the crowd, and posting what is being shown to be bad info.

question....... how much tranny fluid are you guys having to use to quieten up the lifters?

~:~ Marsh ~:~

for the record.....I've used a product called "lifter free" and it worked. At least once that I remember.

What I normally do, I don't know about anyone else, is replace the oil filter, and add one quart of type F, if I can find it, or Mercon if I can't, and let it *IDLE* 'til the noise lessens, most of the time, the noise will dissappear. Then change the oil as you normally would, drive it for about a 1000 miles, then change oil again. I did the Mazda 2 years ago, the noise has yet to return, so I'd call it a successful repair...

SteveL

i started in a rebuild machineshop in 1970 and all the old guys there used atf in their oil when they changed it. it keeps the inside clean.. also cleaned out a gummy lifter in a car that wasnt changed regularly. i can remember an article in a rebuid magazine back then declareing chicago cab co used it it their oil since auto transmission fluid became available. they put 4 quarts oil and 1 quart atf and ran with it.. so , it was and still is for many a common practice and wont hurt a thing. if i hadnt grown up seeing it done by guys that rebuilt engines for a living all their lives i wouldnt beleived it. lucas

Back in the carburetor days, just before we tore the engine down for whatever reason. we used to mist a small amount of ATF down the air horn with the engine running at a high idle. Created a LOT of smoke but took all the carbon off the pistons and cylinder heads. The same can be done with a small amount of water.

Oh those log cabin days were good.

Bill

Is there a fix (other than replacement) for a lifter that leaks down after the engine is turned off, causing it to tap for a few seconds on the next cold start until it fills with oil again? Is this a problem that really needs to be fixed? If so, is it all right to replace just the leaky lifter without changing all the lifters and the camshaft too?

Thanks

If you are pragmatic when things fail it shouldn't be a problem. If you are like most of us in this group you are likely to get VERY mad when the next lifter fails, let us know ahead of time so we can steer clear.

Bill