92 400se engine clattter on startup

Probable problem: Remove both valve covers. On top of the heads are small oiling tubes that feed the lifters. The originals are plastic with a pressed-in ball on each end. Look at each tube. If you see a ball missing, i.e. blown out, replace ALL the tubes. The new tubes are better, no balls..... Try to locate the missing ball. It will usually be on top of the head in a oil filled cavity. The tubes are small, about an inch and a half long.

New part # is 119 180 02 66.. Original were plastic, new are metal. There are 16 of them. Another symptom is lower oil pressue at idle...

After a week the oil sinks to the bottom and nothing left on the lifters. Use a higher viscosity oil. Make sure you have the right amount of oil in engine.

Which doesn't flow as well during startup.

LOL!

True,, but it generates more pressure so it's 6 of one half a dozen of the other...

Actually this issue doesn't sound like a problem to me. If the car only makes the sound after sitting for a week, and it stops within several seconds, I wouldn't sweat it.

Marty

Pressure that comes up more slowly...

Agreed. Pretty normal for any car, IME. It's one of things that barrier additives in motor oil are for.

No oil on lifters will give a noice. I sprayed some PTFE directly from the spraycan into the engine and started the car. What happened was that I flushed the first lifter anf the engine sounded like an old crain grinding away - it only lasted 2 seconds then new oil was pumped to the lifter. And this happened just after having the car sit for 2 minuttes - AND THE SPARYING.

So my guess is use a slightly higher viscosity oil and then try. If that don't work after a wekks sit then try mixing in 400 ml. of PTFE and run the engine 100 miles (1-2 hours).

Niels

A trick I learned from a real pro many years ago to stop hydraulic lifter problems was to simply put a quart of ATF in the engine. ATF is designed to do several things, one of which is to function as hydraulic fluid. For some reason this has always cured noisy lifter problems which usually occurs when lifters stick because of stuck internal valves (collapsed lifter) or the engine oil doesn't provide enough pressure under the rapid conditions occuring with the lifter. Lot of things going on there.

119 engines had a problem with the oil tubes . The new ones are metal [ old were plastic] Under valve covers .there are 16 of them.. pull valve cover and see if any are broken, if so, change them all..

New tubes part # is :

119 180 03 66

You shouldn't do this, as ATF belong in the tranny only.

Put only appropriate rate oil in your crank case. Marty