I've been chasing a lifter noise on my '98 V70 with the B5254T turbo DOHC I5. Stethoscope shows the second exhaust lifter on #5 is making a ticking sound at all temperatures and operating conditions. Began a few thousand miles ago partway through an interval with Valvoline Maxlife 5w-30 full synthetic. Oil pressure is strong with no significant degradation for as long as I've had my digital gauge installed, nearing 75k miles now.
Ended that oil run early at around 3k miles and replaced with fresh. Noise stubbornly remained. Dumped that after another few thousand and tried MMO, using STP Pro Formula 10w-30 as an inexpensive carrier. Oil darkened faster than normal in 2300 miles, and filter caught noticeable carbon grit. Noise didn't really change. Unfortunately did not get a sample of that run.
Next tried Seafoam at 1 ounce per quart, again with the STP as carrier. Ran it to 604 miles, twice what Seafoam recommends on the bottle when added to the oil. I idled engine at first to full temp to be sure there wasn't a pressure problem. Saw a slight reduction in oil pressure but nowhere near concerning. After that drove normally for a mix of short and long trips. Oil darkened much faster than with the MMO. Drained and took a sample, and also cut the filter open. Less carbon particles, despite the oil darkening faster. Also less of a soot ring than seen with the MMO. Unsure if this means less carbon to remove, or the shorter time meant less of the particles flaked off, or that Seafoam was dissolving deposits more completely. Oil color tested by placing (ideally) a single drop from the dipstick on a sheet of white paper and allowing at least 24h to spread out.
Interesting sample results here. Despite the slightly low viscosity and the noisy lifter, there's no abnormal wear patterns. Gives me confidence I can continue driving normally while testing various methods for quieting the lifters. Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w-30 is in there now. I know the "right way" is to pull the top end apart and manually clean/rebuild the lifters. But this is a chance for me to see if any of the off the shelf products are viable against an especially stubborn ticking noise.
Ended that oil run early at around 3k miles and replaced with fresh. Noise stubbornly remained. Dumped that after another few thousand and tried MMO, using STP Pro Formula 10w-30 as an inexpensive carrier. Oil darkened faster than normal in 2300 miles, and filter caught noticeable carbon grit. Noise didn't really change. Unfortunately did not get a sample of that run.
Next tried Seafoam at 1 ounce per quart, again with the STP as carrier. Ran it to 604 miles, twice what Seafoam recommends on the bottle when added to the oil. I idled engine at first to full temp to be sure there wasn't a pressure problem. Saw a slight reduction in oil pressure but nowhere near concerning. After that drove normally for a mix of short and long trips. Oil darkened much faster than with the MMO. Drained and took a sample, and also cut the filter open. Less carbon particles, despite the oil darkening faster. Also less of a soot ring than seen with the MMO. Unsure if this means less carbon to remove, or the shorter time meant less of the particles flaked off, or that Seafoam was dissolving deposits more completely. Oil color tested by placing (ideally) a single drop from the dipstick on a sheet of white paper and allowing at least 24h to spread out.
Interesting sample results here. Despite the slightly low viscosity and the noisy lifter, there's no abnormal wear patterns. Gives me confidence I can continue driving normally while testing various methods for quieting the lifters. Valvoline Restore and Protect 5w-30 is in there now. I know the "right way" is to pull the top end apart and manually clean/rebuild the lifters. But this is a chance for me to see if any of the off the shelf products are viable against an especially stubborn ticking noise.
