Noisy Engine What Could it BEE ?

[xboxrox]

Quick tapping noise !!!

Guys, it's time for another thing to need fixing ~ G54B 2.6L Power Ram 50 runs good with rebuilt Mikuni carburetor 131k on the clock ~ so now it sounds louder than usual like a sewing machine tappet noise or perhaps a worse thing?

The fix (?)

[tortron]

check your valve clearances, thats the most likely.
its hydraullic lifters on this engine i think?
you might need to flush them out with a lifter/engine cleaner flush, or they are just worn out and need replacing.

does it get quieter once the engine has warmed up?

[xboxrox]

Thanks tortron
I think it's worse with a hot engine -- will listen on next cold startup -- any easy way to check oil pressure (?) was planning to remove the eng oil pan to remove caked on gunk -- better look at rod slop movement if there is a way & torque check the main bearing cap bolts (?) -- install new oil pan gasket -- hope there are no oil leaks at front or rear seals X'd fingers -- just want the super nasty oil pan clean before installing eng splash shield & skid plate that have been powder coated -- blah blah -- steering gear box needs replacing too before putting things back together ($ dang $ pit $)

Google seems to say use Marvel Mystery Oil to clean lifters -- I dunno (?) what do you think is best product for engine flush..? <--- do flush before removing oil pan... Maybe I am looking at having to replace lifter/tappets AND valve stem seals..? <--- only if this can be done W/O removing cylinder head (?) Have yet to look for blue smoke on startup BUT this engine uses more oil than any other vehicles I've owned...

Glad I was never a mechanic in life <--- to difficult 4me

[geezer101]

Try my oil flush George. It will silence all but the most clapped out of hydraulics Link to my procedure is here Next will be valve stem seals - #1 cause of excessive oil consumption.

[xboxrox]

Dang, I spotted some internet videos that say do not flush an old engine coz the carbon & crud buildup is what seals the rings & prevents seals from leaking ?! At cold startup today, the tapping sounded only a little louder than when eng is hot ~ so, I guess it's possible to change valve lifters & valve stem seals without having to remove the head? I need to study & learn if cheap then might try new lifters 'n seals ~ gotta drive it till it quits how to check oil pressure & what is minimum acceptable oil pressure !?
Tricky Question = Treaty Answer

[FMS88]

George,
You wrote in another thread that the truck was using a lot of fuel. If it was very excessive, the lifter noise may be due to oil dilution caused by unburned fuel getting past the rings into the crankcase. Has the oil level increased? Does the oil smell of gas? If so, the diluted oil no longer has sufficient viscosity to prevent lifter collapse. Look at this:

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=16891

It may be that all you need is an oil change as long as the excessive fuel use has been fixed. If not, take care of it quickly. Excess fuel can cause a lot more damage than just thin oil and noisy lifters.

[geezer101]

Dang, I spotted some internet videos that say do not flush an old engine coz the carbon & crud buildup is what seals the rings & prevents seals from leaking ?! At cold startup today, the tapping sounded only a little louder than when eng is hot ~ so, I guess it's possible to change valve lifters & valve stem seals without having to remove the head? I need to study & learn if cheap then might try new lifters 'n seals ~ gotta drive it till it quits how to check oil pressure & what is minimum acceptable oil pressure !?
Tricky Question = Treaty Answer

If the engine is that badly worn that the only thing maintaining combustion and oil pressures is crap clogging the mating surfaces, you've got trouble. The problem with that theory is the crap binding up the rings and ring landings are preventing the rings from fully sealing anyway. There are gas vents inside the ring grooves that get clogged up with baked oil which exacerbates the issue. If the engine has never been flushed, you have nothing to lose now. It will be advisable to get onto the excessive fuel consumption issue. This will impact on oil longevity and piston bore wear. The fuel consumption might not necessarily be a tuning issue though. If, hypothetically, your rings aren't sealing you'll use more right foot to compensate power loss. Same with the hydraulics rattling. Reduced valve lift will cause power loss as well.

[claych]

George,

It may be that all you need is an oil change as long as the excessive fuel use has been fixed.

After the oil&filter change DRIVE around the island 4 or 5 times

[xboxrox]

Thanks everyone your tips help ~ the tapping noise worse today & the engine running a little rough ~ replacing the bad vacuum advance actuator on the distrubutor fixed the excessive fuel use ~ have not smelled gas smells but idle RPM is still a little high ~ oil level never been high but often low half or full quart ~ previous no start carb problem was flooding ~ I bet the oil is diluted even I was thinking of adding STP to thicken the oil ~

Yesterday bought a spray can of Gold Bond foot powder to use after carb cleaner spray cleaning bottom of eng & oil pan to check for oil leaks ~ afterwards change oil pan gasket & clean the 20 pounds of goop gunk road grime off the pan ~ then do an oil change ~ if no help then I better begin studies about how to change valve lifters & oil seals ~ as far as driving around the island, I won't do that in this vehicle ~

Before starting the engine again got the idea to drain oil & add new oil `☆☆☆

At the end of the day I might (?) do an engine flush but I think it's being flushed already

[xboxrox]

George,
You wrote in another thread that the truck was using a lot of fuel. If it was very excessive, the lifter noise may be due to oil dilution caused by unburned fuel getting past the rings into the crankcase. Has the oil level increased? Does the oil smell of gas? If so, the diluted oil no longer has sufficient viscosity to prevent lifter collapse. Look at this:

https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=16891

It may be that all you need is an oil change as long as the excessive fuel use has been fixed. If not, take care of it quickly. Excess fuel can cause a lot more damage than just thin oil and noisy lifters.

FMS88 ~ YOU NAILED IT MAN..!

The noise is gone now, oil flush & oil change fixed it..! check out the oil change products I used here: (POST # 1786) http://www.mightyram50.net/vbulletin...6664#post76664

[tortron]

Nice
Did you end up taking the sump off?
With the fuel and then the flush, it may be wort cleaning the oil pick up gauze

[xboxrox]

Nice
Did you end up taking the sump off?
With the fuel and then the flush, it may be wort cleaning the oil pick up gauze

Hello tortron ~ have not removed the oil pan yet, sure wanna do it tho ~ life & laziness slowing the process would be swell if I knew who might spray clean the bottom of this truck ~ gunk grease old oil crud crap road grime all under the engine & front end ~ sheesh..!

There might be a possibility of borrowing a pair of small drive on ramps that Vernon has & try spraying it at the marine base DIY car wash ~ I don't think they want us doing such a thing but who knows ~ also, it seems their spray wash 'n wand only flows "Rinse" I never seen it produce anything else no matter the setting ?

Thanks tortron for keeping an eye on my progress
Aloha -- George

[FMS88]

The noise is gone now, oil flush & oil change fixed it..!

Glad to see the lifters have quieted down. I trust it's running smoother, too. I'm still worried it might be running rich. Take it for a 15-20 minute drive after it reaches operating temp. Avoid stop and go as much as possible. After it cools down, pull a couple spark plugs. If they are a tan-grey and not black and sooty, you can declare your automotive surgery a success!

[xboxrox]

Glad to see the lifters have quieted down. I trust it's running smoother, too. I'm still worried it might be running rich. Take it for a 15-20 minute drive after it reaches operating temp. Avoid stop and go as much as possible. After it cools down, pull a couple spark plugs. If they are a tan-grey and not black and sooty, you can declare your automotive surgery a success!

FMS88 your advice has always been on target for me ~ OK, I will try not to forget to check plugs next time I go to the MCBH Five-O-Motors to work on the truck, which BTW is running smoothly... I need a little time to research getting two new fusible links (I dunno if only one or both on the battery are bad) which need to be replaced ~ the truck dang near stranded me in Pearl Harbor a couple days ago (loss of all elec pwr) jiggling on those two wires got power back...

FSM has fusible link info page truck has 3 links that I know of #1 ignition, #2 lights, #3 alternator ~ both 1 & 2 connect to the batt + terminal and those are what I jiggled ~ they are both red color about 6" long with a male/female white plastic connector attatching them to the truck wiring...

12 ga = 40A (should be Black color wire) for lighting & ignition
14 ga = 34A (should be Red color wire) for carburetor control circuit

Doubt I can find fusible links with that detachable connector ~ O'Reilly's only had universal stuff & nothing in those gauges ~ they had some fusible links that take fuses but don't come with crimp connectors for either end of the wire ~ more digging study searching for parts & eventually replacing them at the base auto shop... Driving with X'd fingers for now...

Need to remove the tamper plug & adjust the carb fuel/air idle mixture screw (using my new vacuum gauge to adjust) ~ have not done that yet nor have I figured out the proper adjustment of SAS2 & SAS3 screws on the carb (the ones FSM says never touch or the whole sha-bang of the carburetor won't work)

For now, it's a battle between Life & Laziness V.S. chasing all the fixes that pop up on this little truck ~ not sure if we will ever improve the truck with rust removal, new seat covers, cab headliner, body/paint repair the pass door, install oil gauges in the radio delete area, etc... Everything we work on is the unseen stuff just to keep it running so far... Next big fix is replace the steering gear box, it leaks & I can feel the truck is beginning to wander some going down the road...

Love My Truck Again