Need high detergent oil for lifter noise

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My daugther's car (91 Lumina 3.1) has developed a lifter ticking noise. I am looking to put in a solvent type addative to try and clean the lifters. What oil is high detergent, and what off the shelf addative can I use? I was thinking of a 15W40 deisel oil, any other options?
 
I'd try CD2 "Oil Detergent" or maybe a pint of Marvel Mystery Oil...

If you're changing oil, I'd try substituting a quart of a regular 5/10W-30 with Rislone Engine Treatment...
 
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Such noise is fairly common with the GM 3.1 engine. When they get higher mileage, the fuel injectors tend to tick/click until the engine is warmed, and sometimes all the time. It could be the injectors ticking.

If it were me, I would try a run of Mobil 1 10W-40 High Mileage, a Wix filter, and some Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas tank.
 
It is pretty common. My daughter's Grand Prix and my father's Lumina with the 3100 had the noise.

Pennzoil Platinum had alot of Detergent as does the Mobil 1 HM oil mention above.
 
Try some Seafoam. Works excellent for that purpose. You add about 1.5 oz of Seafoam p/qt of oil in the crankcase( no need to do an OOC -- just add the Seafoam ). Drive for a couple hundred miles or so. Should free it up, if it is a stuck lifter, by 300 miles or so. If this is actually a sticking lifter it will free it. If by say 500 miles max it hasn't freed it then it isn't a stuck lifter.
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I would say by 200-300 miles tops though it will work if this is a stuck lifter. Change oil by 500 miles or after noise goes away.

Marvel Mystery oil would be my 2nd choice. As said above you can add a pint or so to yuor oil or you can even do an OC and replace 1 qt of oil with a qt of MMO( up to you how much MMO you want/dare to use ). Pretty much follow the above Seafoam advice. It will take longer for MMO to work than Seafoam however. Maybe 500-1000 miles.

However, make note that these products can't fix mechanical issues( ie; they can't fix broken ). In other words if it isn't a sticing lifter, but is actually a collapsed lifter, bent valve, or some other mechanical failure, nothing short of replacing the lifter( or repairing whatever it is that failed )will fix it. No miracle in a can can fix broke!
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I just took the injectors in for service. Two were defictive, and we replaced them with 2 used ones. What and improvement that has made. I had a mechanic listen to the noise. He said it's a lifter or worn pushrod and rocker. He said to try a solvent type additive and if it's just varnish in the lifter it may work. I checked the compression on that cyclinder, and it's 160 PSI. The car is too old to tear down for this fix, so I am going to try something. I looked at Canadian Tire and they don't have CD-2. I may try Walmart. THe Mobil-one HM is a good idea. A good HDEO may help...
 
I wouldn't use a "Shock" type oil additive as these can be harmful and make your situation worse... Try switching to a High Mileage oil like Maxlife or Mobil High Mileage. You could also use Pennzoil Platinum which is very good at cleaning.

ARX is a great additive to add too to regular oil.
 
does the engine have hydraulic lifters?
my '93 gm 3.8 does and its a bit noisy on startup, making a tapping sound that varies with rpm's. Once oil pressure is up above 45-50 on the gauge the noise gradually abates. After less than 60 seconds it is gone and the engine just purrrrs!
Using a combo of: 2 qts M-1 10w-40, 2 qts Castrol synth 20w-50 and half qt of Lucas syn stabilizer.
Is that overkill or what!
 
Originally Posted By: brocktonjohn
does the engine have hydraulic lifters?
my '93 gm 3.8 does and its a bit noisy on startup, making a tapping sound that varies with rpm's. Once oil pressure is up above 45-50 on the gauge the noise gradually abates. After less than 60 seconds it is gone and the engine just purrrrs!
Using a combo of: 2 qts M-1 10w-40, 2 qts Castrol synth 20w-50 and half qt of Lucas syn stabilizer.
Is that overkill or what!


Are you saying you don't have full pressure the instant your engine starts?

Because if so..... That's scary.

Overkill? No, overkill is M1 TDT 5w40
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Originally Posted By: brocktonjohn
does the engine have hydraulic lifters?
my '93 gm 3.8 does and its a bit noisy on startup, making a tapping sound that varies with rpm's. Once oil pressure is up above 45-50 on the gauge the noise gradually abates. After less than 60 seconds it is gone and the engine just purrrrs!
Using a combo of: 2 qts M-1 10w-40, 2 qts Castrol synth 20w-50 and half qt of Lucas syn stabilizer.
Is that overkill or what!


It might be just a little to thick, especially with the Lucas added to that mix. My 87 3.8 called for 10W30 IIRC. Next OC use what the car calls for w/o any additives. JMO
 
I'm saying the op goes to middle of the dial on start up but does go a (small) bit higher after 30-60 seconds where it remains. My response was that the original poster might be hearing hydraulic lifters on start up and thinking he has a problem when there isnt one.
btw, what's scary is that when I went to this mix of oils, the mpg went from 20-22 city to 22-23 city, and 28-30 hwy to 30+. a recent highway trip of 365 miles at 75-85 mph (hope there's no FHP on this thread) used 11.5 gal of 87 oct. discount gas, for 31.8mpg. This is a 4 door buick regal not exactly a lightweight, and i enjoy "spirited" driving on occasion.
 
Rislone seems to be good at fixing this problem most of the time. Dump a whole quart in a see what happens...
 
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