New motor, lots of lifter noise

[gathermewool]

Unfortunately, a friend of mine had her 2000 Dodge Caravan motor [censored] the bed. To make a long story short the motor was replaced with a used motor late last week, and has been making a lot of lifter noise since first start up. The mechanic said the motor had been sitting a while, and that the noise should subside over the next week or so. To help speed the process up he added a quart of Lucas oil stabiliser.

I'm no expert, but something here seems off. I don't think the motor should continue to make as much noise as my friend is describing for a couple of days unless something is worn or sludged up. I definitely don't think Lucas is the answer, either.

Any thoughts? It would be a shame for them to have spent $2500 for a bum motor. Plus, they're borrowing my car until it's fixed so I'll be happy when I hear the van is good to go ; )

 

[c3po]

It sounds like this engine needs to be cleaned out, you might want to check out the oil additive section.

 

[gathermewool]

I've already recommended a few frequent OCI and maybe an ARX treatment, but I don't plan to recommend anything they can potentially blame me for it this "new" engine [censored] the bed, too ; )

 

[bradepb]

$2500.00 for a used motor installed in a ten year old minivan? IMHO that does not seem like a wise decision on the owners part, is there a gaurantee on the engine of any kind? did they provide any proof of mileage on the used motor? The lifters should quiet down after a day or so with just a good oil in it unless this engine is very tired or a lifter is stuck or collapsed

 

[Familyguy]

Originally Posted By: bradepb
$2500.00 for a used motor installed in a ten year old minivan? IMHO that does not seem like a wise decision on the owners part, is there a gaurantee on the engine of any kind? did they provide any proof of mileage on the used motor? The lifters should quiet down after a day or so with just a good oil in it unless this engine is very tired or a lifter is stuck or collapsed


Agreed on the "holy cow that's not a very wise investment" comment. However, that's oil under the bridge at this point.

Replacing a quart of oil in the crankcase with MMO and then driving it around for a while should "unstick" a gummed up hydraulic lifter. A little bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer probably isn't going to do a darned thing.

Good luck,

 

[gathermewool]

I called the mechanic and asked him if he thought it was really a good idea to do this. He said sure, the van still had tons of life left in it. I asked him if there were any maintenance items coming up that might change his mind. He said no. When I asked my friends they said the mechanic said they needed new brakes and to fix the hole in their exhaust...another grand.

I REALLY don't want to sell my car, but I offered to sell them my 97 Legacy with 198k miles for $1500. All new brakes, fluids, head gasket, belts, front CV shafts and tie rods and relatively new tires...they said no thank you. Part of me is glad they said no thanks, but ther other part fears what migth happen if this van doesn't last them another trouble-free few years

 

[gathermewool]

Should I recommend they have the Lucas-added oil dumped soon? I really don't like that they put Lucas in to take care of lifter noise. Maybe a mech can chime in with some real-life experience?

Oh, and it's a Town and Country, FWIW

 

[AzFireGuy79]

I don't really think Lucas is the appropriate approach here. WHy not just order some ARX and see what results you get with that. If its a build up issue, it would be nice if a $25 dollar bottle of ARX solved the problem. Not a sure thing, but worth a shot.

Atleast if it doesnt cure it,might be a mechanical issue, it won't do any further harm.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I`d just fill it with a good dino 10W30/40 and an oem oil filter. Bet that`ll smooth it out.

 

[gathermewool]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I think I'll borrow the van for a couple of weeks to determine what the oil burn/leak rate is and maybe do a change to get the Lucas out.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: AzFireGuy79
I don't really think Lucas is the appropriate approach here.


Yeah, its the opposite of good. If anything (and personally I'm of the mind that a few short-interval changes with a synthetic oil is the best treatment) a SOLVENT would be appropriate, not a thickening agent.

 

[oilboy123]

Auto-RX can do some very good things. It is the best chance to verify that the engine is as clean as possible. Then You can rule out other problems.

If lifter clacking is caused by varnish or sludge, Auto-RX should get rid of it. The only time it won't do anything is when there is not a problem that it can fix.

 

[Familyguy]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
Auto-RX can do some very good things. It is the best chance to verify that the engine is as clean as possible. Then You can rule out other problems.

If lifter clacking is caused by varnish or sludge, Auto-RX should get rid of it. The only time it won't do anything is when there is not a problem that it can fix.


From what I've read here, ARX (if it works at all) is going to be a somewhat slow process before the owner is going to see/hear any improvement. In contrast, the fresh dino + 1qt of MMO is going to make fairly short work of any heavy buildup and will allow for a more timely indication of it being a gummy lifter or a more serious mechanical issue. That's why I recommended this approach since the OP is stuck without a car while his buddy's bonehead mechanic chases his tail in a circle.

Best,

 

[gathermewool]

I ran ARX in the car they're borrowing at the recommended interval and found nothing in the filter after both the clean and rinse phase. The car was probably well maintained so this may not indicate anything, but I'm more inclined to try MMO first. How long do you guys recommend running MMO for?

BTW, it's my DD so I'm not with out a car. It just means I'm putting DD miles on my non-DD. Not a big deal

 

[Familyguy]

Here's what just worked for me:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubb...204#Post1658204

 

[mechtech2]

That's big money for a used engine with no warranty!
Whoever picked the engine is at fault.

 

[PT1]

Chrysler 3.8L & 3.3l engines do sometimes experience a collapsed lifter or two that will cause top end noise. Not too expensive of a fix. I would try a solvent like BG chemtool and rinse with cheap Supertech 5w30 a couple of times then use a high detergent synthetic like PP 10w30 and see what happens. Replacing those lifters is not difficult if they need it. But don't go past 5k with them making noise because no oil will repair them. A whole quart of MMO with a 5w30 ST fill might do it too.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
That's big money for a used engine with no warranty!
Whoever picked the engine is at fault.


People who know nothing about cars are doomed to pay through the nose for their ignorance. People who know nothing about personal finance pay even more. It is their responsibility to educate themselves...or pay up!