oil lifters (startup clunking)

[oldman]

What's up guys. My car is making clunking noise during cold start and is getting worse everyday. I'm pretty sure it's the lifters. (please let me know if anyone thinks otherwise)
My question is where to get the oversized lifters and how much they should cost?
Thanks.

 

[NOSNUSE]

Well if there is a clunking sound it isn't your lifters, if it is a ticking sound then it would be your lifters, and as far as the oversize filters, why would you need one of those, if you are trying to get rid of your ticking on the cheap try some of the Lucas oil additive to your oil, on oversized oil filter will just keep more oil in the filter and less to the engine. I really don't see the need for a bigger oil filter, but then again what do I know. Later, Keith.

 

[psychlow]

Well if there is a clunking sound it isn't your lifters(...)

If the noise is a clunking noise only during cold start and goes away when the car is warm, that sounds more like a rod bearing than lifters.

Easy way to check is to remove a spark plug one at a time and run the engine (while cold) to see if the noise goes away. If it does, you have a probably spun bearing on that cylinder.

 

[oldman]

Keith, lifters not filters.
Psychlow, the "clunking" ? noise only during cold starts, goes away after 5 mins of driving. I took it to a local DSM shop and without hearing the noise they swear one or more of my lifters are bad. They said I can just drive it like that without fixing it but I was going to change it anyway. However, today new clicking noise started only during acceleration, also goes away after warm up. I will do the spark plug test as soon as I can. If it turns out to be rod bearing, here are my questions,

1. Can I drive it?
2. What is a rod bearing?
3. What to do next?(please be specific, have not done much engine work.)

Also, do all you other experts agree with Psychlow or the DSM shop?

Thanks for the replies.
Bruce

 

[Defiant]

It's the harmonic balancer.

 

[oldman]

Harmonic balancer? Can you please elaborate a little on it?
Thanks.

Bruce

 

[00 Agent]

If it turns out to be rod bearing, here are my questions,

1. Can I drive it?
2. What is a rod bearing?
3. What to do next?(please be specific, have not done much engine work.)

1. NO. Broke my crank in half in December by doing that.
2. A rod bearing goes between the rod and the crank basically to allow it to spin.
3. Fix it. If it is a spun bearing you will have to at least replace the bearing and have some machining done to the crank. There's a bunch more stuff I would do though while I was in there.

 

[paranoidTSi]

The best comparison to lifter tick is that the lifter tick sounds almost identical to a rainbird moving. If it sounds like that then it is probably lifters...otherwise I would not be driving it.

 

[oldman]

Good news, I think. This mornning when I started the car, I heard a loud noise and smoke out of the engine bay. My AC (The AC is still there for my girlfriend) belt was ripped off and the alternator belt was halfway out of the pulley. A co-worker came by to pick me up and I had him crank the car so I can see what's going on and this is what I saw: The crank pulley slids out about 2 inches during turn over and slids back in pleace after the turn over. The noise I heard was the metal contact between the pulley and the crank shaft, I think the nut that holds it in place is missing. I had my timing belt done last November by a local DSM shop and ever since it always takes two tries to turn the engine over, now I know why. Either they didn't torqe it right or the nut was never installed. This is the same shop that fdup my ACT2600 install and said it was a defective brand new TO bearing which I bought myself, the same shop that wrapped a piece of rubber around my sway bar because the new 2.5" Buscher downpipe they sold and installed was sitting on it. I took it back and they say to remove my sway bar because I don't need it, so I paid a small muffler shop $30 for a welded hanger. They SUCK dunky balls........

Anyway, I have a final question(I hope). Is this as easy as putting on a new nut or have I damaged any internals? Thanks much for all u'r help.

 

[Defiant]

Ah, you've found your defective harmonic balancer.

Many, many threads.