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Lifter tick should I use seafoam?

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galaxycrowd

Probationary Member
25
2
May 23, 2019
wilkes-barre, Pennsylvania
So I have a question on my 99 dsm turbo I have a lifter tick that just does not want to go away when I start it it taps untill it warms up then I can here it a little but not as bad when I do an oil change I don't here anything for about 3 or 4 days should I upgrade the lifters with the 3mm big bore or should I try seafoam first I here there is lots of mixed reviews about this stuff and the last thing I wanna do is fry my engine all my friends swear by this product so just want to reach out to someone in the dsm community on there thoughts
 
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Hmm, I couldn't fathom how the Seafoam could help with lifter tick as the lifters are sitting in oil and wouldn't be touched by Seafoam that travels through the intake and cylinders.
 
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No to Seafoam, its a gimmick. Pull your stock lifters out and clean them several times, or grab a set of used ones and clean them good, then lower them into a container of oil and fill them up and bleed them and re-install, then enjoy the sweet sounds of silence, they rarely go bad, they DO get plugged with sludge though, you would be surprised at how much sludge you will get out of them when you clean them.
 
I found that diesel fuel works to clean the HLA's and also for priming them. Mitsubishi recommends using it in the 6G FSM.
If you use motor oil you need to make sure you don't pump the HLA's up with it which can cause valve issues on startup. The diesel fuel bleeds down quickly so the adjusters don't pump up.
 
I found that diesel fuel works to clean the HLA's and also for priming them. Mitsubishi recommends using it in the 6G FSM.
If you use motor oil you need to make sure you don't pump the HLA's up with it which can cause valve issues on startup. The diesel fuel bleeds down quickly so the adjusters don't pump up.

I also use diesel.
Mitsu FSMs have said the HLAs are installed full of diesel for the last 20years or pretty close to it. I assumed that was common knowledge by now.
Diesel is great for cleaning sludgy oil. I use it as a cheaper alternative to the motor flush they sell at the parts store.
 
If you had a sticking lifter, would you be getting backfire/misfires under load?

Possibly, but it depends on what bank of lifters. But it's possible.
 
Some people seafoam the oil, which is a terrible idea
I’ve done this, and will continue to do this.

Worked great at getting the lifter tic to go away in my old Saab 9000 turbo, also I use it after every oil change in my Safari...

Half half a bottle in the fuel tank and half right into the crank case
 
What exactly does fix the problem. Taking the Lash Adjusters out and cleaning only seems to resolve for awhile.

After you cleaned them and the tick came back, did you try bleeding them?

If the lifters are in working order, its simply air getting into the lifter chamber. In which case bleeding them should help.
Make sure your using an oil filter with a good anti drain back valve.

I should probably throw this in too:
If you aren't already aware of it, the cleaning procedure in the Eclipse FSM is outdated.
All the FSMs i have seen for 2000 and newer Mitsubishi cars have a revised version.
Here is the updated procedure.

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It's likely sludge if it stops after so many seconds. Mine does it for 20 or so in the winter (below 0F temps) but doesnt do it at all on hot summer days or on hot/warm starts. Look, seafoam shouldnt break your engine. I wouldnt try anything crazy like putting it under any sort of load because idk what it does to the lubricating properties of your oil but in theory 1/4 qt of the stuff shouldnt hurt your viscosity much at all especially if you run the factory recomended oil. If you do it then do it at oil change intervals. Put some in, let it idle up to temp, then shut it down and continue your oil change once its cooled off. Keep an eye on your oil. If that fixes it just remember to change your oil before it's too burned.
 
So I have a question on my 99 dsm turbo I have a lifter tick that just does not want to go away when I start it it taps untill it warms up then I can here it a little but not as bad when I do an oil change I don't here anything for about 3 or 4 days should I upgrade the lifters with the 3mm big bore or should I try seafoam first I here there is lots of mixed reviews about this stuff and the last thing I wanna do is fry my engine all my friends swear by this product so just want to reach out to someone in the dsm community on there thoughts
I have been using Marvel Mystery Oil in all my vehicles for close to 50 years, never have had valve tick or fuel injector problems, maybe I have just been lucky. Back in 90's took my Cadillac to a mechanic to have the intake manifold gasket changed, he said it was the cleanest engine he had ever worked on and asked what I was using, and he said he was going to look into it. Just my 2 cents worth.........................
 
I'm not speaking from a position of knowledge, but I'd hate to have an entire bottle of something other than my oil in my race engine.

It's not recommended to leave it in. Pour 1/3 bottle in the oil, 1/3 in the gas, and suck 1/3 in through a vacuum line and let sit for about 15 minutes. Then fire it up and take a spirited drive for 10-15 minutes then change the oil. It does clean out a lot of carbon buildup and several people do it. It never solved my lifter tick unfortunately though...but upgrading to the 3g version lifters did.
 
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