Valve Train Noise on Nissan KA24 engine

[widman]

What are the possible causes of this?
A Nissan KA24 engine was quiet before the oil change using Brand A 15w40 and changed brands to Brand B 15w40. It immediately began having valve train noises with Brand B, so it was drained and filled with Brand A. The noise went away, but to double check it was drained again and Brand B was put in again (no filter change during any of this). The noise came back. To check if viscosity would make a difference, they drained Brand B 15w40 and filled it with Brand B 20w50. The noise remained. They filled it again with Brand A 15w40 and the noise went away. I am not using brand names as the two products used are not in general U.S./Canadian (etc.) circulation.
------------Brand A ---- Brand B
A.P.I.---- SH/CG-4 --- SL/CI-4
Visc 40 - 110 ----------108/171
Visc 100 - 15 ----------14.5/19.0
TBN -------- 10 --------- 10
Mag ------ 1000 -------- 0
Cal --------2600 --------- 3200
Zinc ------1100 ---------- 1250
Phos ---- 1000 --------- 1150
Any suggestions?

 

[widman]

No moly or other additives that I know of in either oil. Both samples are going to the lab today for analisis.

[ May 02, 2003, 02:58 PM: Message edited by: widman ]

 

[Neonmike22]

This isin't the timing chain tensioner rattle?

 

[Dr. T]

We've seen this before here with Mobil 1. The addative packages are different and one might have more of 'engine cushion' addative...whatever this might be...Molecule might be able to chime in what this 'engine quieter' addative might be. How do you know that these 2 oils are not available in N.A.?

 

[unDummy]

My bets on the timing chain or tensioner, or combination of that and the valvetrain.

What filter and PN are you using?
Don't be surprised if the filter is going into bypass a little earlier with one oil and not the other, or one oil is flowing through the filter easier going where you need it to go.

You draw your own conclusion and stay away from brand........

 

[Terry]

Widman, having done alot of work in S.A. myself I suspect the noisy oil is not what the bottle says it is and is a lot thinner, lower quality, or contaminated, or all the above.

Lubricant QC is poor in your neck of the woods and probably helps keep your honest business popping!

 

[Pablo]

Just per the recent Mo/piston slap discussion - does either have Mo?

I'm perplexed as well - I suspect it's the way the additives incorporated in the oil - the complexes. As well as the base oil in each oil....

 

[widman]

The results are in from the lab. The noisy oil was actually a little high in visc. 16.5 cSt. Confirmed by switching to a different lot number of the same oil and the noise went away. Apparently that extra viscosity in this Nissan engine could not get up to the lifters.

 

[Roger]

What oil weight does Nissan call for in this engine?

 

[railball]

A good ARX treatment with some 5/30 oil and try 10/30 that is just from owning a truck with that engine for 10 years.Terry knows best I don't know what kind of oil you can buy there.I think after the rinse cycle any good 10/30 will do as well or better than a heavy oil.