60 degree v6 lifters=loud lifter tap

[Identity Crisis]

I will only use Royal Purple 5W-30 and I add DuraLube. BTW I buy from Hayes at a good price IMO.

[series8217]

Shell Rotella T 5w-40 cured my lifter tap. Very good oil. I think they changed the formulation recently though. I don't know how good the new stuff is.

[timg]

I always used Valvoline Max Life with the Max Life Engine Protector additive. One of the S2000 guys was a tribologist and rated that oil and additive very highly. It cured my lifter tick.

Tim

[OldSkoolGP]

I'm sure lots of different oils work very well. Shell could very well have changed the forumla recently as Rotella T is prrmarily a diesel oil and they have to keep it up to all American and European diesel standards. For me it eliminates lifter tick at highway speed, I still get it at the road course, though. The only thing that cames close to relieving tick at the road course was 15W-50. But I suppose if you're hot lapping a road course a good thick oil is the way to go anyway.

[series8217]

The only thing that cames close to relieving tick at the road course was 15W-50. But I suppose if you're hot lapping a road course a good thick oil is the way to go anyway.

How bad is your lifter tick at the road course? I took my car to Willow Springs when I first built my motor and I had one or two lifters that sounded like they were either collapsed or just ticking terribly bad for laps at a time. It sounded awful at high RPM! Did you have that problem, and the 15W-50 fixed it? Or was it just tapping at idle after a few laps?
I'm running an oil cooler now and it seems to have helped but if I get the motor very hot it still happens. I'm thinking about going to a heavier oil for track days if thats the solution..

[OldSkoolGP]

Yeah, 15W-50 pretty much eliminated lifter tick. I wouldn't hear it on the track so much, but it was coming off the track when the engine was cooling down that I heard it. It was terrible before with lighter weigbht oils, and you could hear the lifters on my in car camera footage and there was a definite loss of power. The downside of running 15W-50, at least for me (because my bypass is blocked), is when it's cold you do run a LOT of oil pressure. Pretty much a maxed gauge until your coolant gets to 140 degrees or so.

[series8217]

Yeah I wonder if there are any decent 0W-50 oils out there? That would be a nice solution.. I'd probably just change to a 15W-50 for the track and change it back to 5W-40 when I get home so I don't have to worry about poor cold flow every day.

[OldSkoolGP]

That's really the best solution and what I'm going to start doing this year.

[series8217]

Was there a block pre-heater available for our engines from the factory? I know GM had them on some cars; I think it screws into the water jacket?