Lifter Tick/Where to buy lifters?

[capitolizod]

Hi all,

Now i am driving a 96 Monte Carlos with a 3100. It has a noticeable tick in the morning. Using a stethesccope it seems like the noise is coming from the center of the motor, leading me to beleive that it is the lifters.

I have to replace the lower intake gasket anyway, and i was thinking, why not replace the lifters while i am in there.

My question, what are some good sources for internal engine parts like rocker arms, push rods and lifters?

I searched online and didnt come up with too much and I definitly dont want to go to the dealer.

Any assistance is appreciated!!

Thanks
Ian

[Rhedalert]

SEALED POWER Part # HT2270
VIN Code "M"; Hyd. rlr. (12 required per vehicle) {Lifter} $12.22

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1056439,parttype,5548

Then use the 5% off From Here

[torq455]

heh, sealed power sent me bad rocker studs. the threads that go into the heads were off center to the threads for the rockers. i broke 3 guide plates from the pushrods rubbing excessivly on them. cost $1100 at the dealer to figure out what's happening. bastards blew me off! why not go GM? bad lifters, i found, are far and few between. what's to say that sealed power or anyone else for that matter won't have a defective lifter? just food for though.

[alainman15]

u sure its not piston slap cuz 3.1L are prone 4 that problem

[PCGUY112887]

Can you get an audio sample?

If it goes away when warm then it's probably just piston slap... which happens to just about ever 3x00 engine (even near new) and doesn't seem to hurt anything.

[rickykline]

+1 to the piston slap... thats why my car got a 3400....

[PCGUY112887]

The 3400 will do it too

[Rhedalert]

true to that, just put some miles on it.

[ShadeTreeBill]

Hey now, new to this forum as of today....

Looks like a great place for help on my '02 Malibu problems.... It has the 3.1L V6.

About a month ago it started a distint loud tapping in the upper part of the engine...

This car has over 60K miles on it, and I knew about the intake manifold gasket issues... so I have dug in....

Just got down to the lifters today and sure enough #3 intake lifter is collapsed. See pic.

My main question is should I replace all the lifters?

The others are not collapsed like this one... but I cannot depress the spring loaded internals... Should I be able to depress the internal piston in the lifter easily? Are all these other lifters seized?

Also: each lifter has a hole on one side, for oil flow I presume. Does it matter how this hole is oriented in the lifter bore? To the left (front of engine) or to the right (rear of engine)?

and lastly the confession: I put 20W50 oil in the engine this summer, and it seemed OK. This problem came on when the weather turned cold here... I have been told not to use this oil in this engine... could that have caused the lifter(s) to fail.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[alainman15]

ur lifter my be sticking also try adding 1/2L of atf. it acts like a deturgent and will clean it the motor i think. it wont hurt ur motor

[tractorman]

I reckon it's just a matter of opinion as to whether or not you should replace all or just the bad one. If it was mine, I'd look them all over real close, and just replace the bad one(s). As to which way the oil hole points- I don't know. I've never had one out. I'd probably just put the new one in the same way as the old one. It PROBABLY doesn't matter.

I seriously doubt that the 20W50 is the cause of your problems... although I probably wouldn't run that weight of oil in it. I have an '01 Lumina that was run for a few years as a fleet car before I bought it, and it's had Rotella 15W40 in it from day one... no lifter problems here.

Also, I see that you're in Savannah Georgia. How cold could it POSSIBLY get there? Heh. Seriously... I'd say that my 15W40 is significantly thicker on our occasional sub-zero mornings here in KS than your 20W50 is on those rare occasions when ya'll get down close to freezing. Probably not a huge issue.

[geoffinbc]

50 weight oil is seriously heavy for this engine. But damage to the lifters would not be the first result. The bearings in the rods would proabably fail first if there was a lack of flow on a cold morning.

[tractorman]

I wouldn't advise him to run 20W50... but in all likelyhood, nothing will come of it. I think my '01 Lumina with 160,000 miles running 15W40 with routine cold(and occasional sub-zero) starts proves that.