Top end clatter / lifter tick? - ZR-1 Net Registry Forums

cmb · 02-28-2015

Hi all,

I'm a new owner of a stock '95 car with 26K miles. I took delivery in early January, and I've tried to start and run the car every few weeks to circulate fluids, etc.

The last time I started it, I noticed a loud tick from under the passenger's side cam cover, toward the front of the engine. It's definitely a mechanical sound, i.e. not a noisy injector or exhaust leak. It seems to match cam timing, as the noise occurs about 5 times/sec at idle. Oil pressure has always been fine. There are no alarming sounds from any other part of the engine. I changed the oil and filter and have let the engine run until it's warm, but the noise persists.

For what it's worth, the car is in an unheated garage, and we have had some very cold nights here in New England.

Here's some cell phone video of the problem - pardon the rotated video, but the audio is the main point:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B83...ew?usp=sharing
(Note that you can still hear it when the camera is on the LH side of the engine, but that's only because the noise is loud enough to always be audible in the background.)

Any ideas on how I should approach this? I'm preparing myself for the possibility that I'll need to remove the cams on that side to replace the lifters. Is there anything else that I should try before this?

Assuming that I do need to replace lifters, can this be done with the engine in the car?

--Colin

02-28-2015	#1
cmb Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: NH Posts: 13	Top end clatter / lifter tick? Hi all, I'm a new owner of a stock '95 car with 26K miles. I took delivery in early January, and I've tried to start and run the car every few weeks to circulate fluids, etc. The last time I started it, I noticed a loud tick from under the passenger's side cam cover, toward the front of the engine. It's definitely a mechanical sound, i.e. not a noisy injector or exhaust leak. It seems to match cam timing, as the noise occurs about 5 times/sec at idle. Oil pressure has always been fine. There are no alarming sounds from any other part of the engine. I changed the oil and filter and have let the engine run until it's warm, but the noise persists. For what it's worth, the car is in an unheated garage, and we have had some very cold nights here in New England. Here's some cell phone video of the problem - pardon the rotated video, but the audio is the main point: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B83...ew?usp=sharing (Note that you can still hear it when the camera is on the LH side of the engine, but that's only because the noise is loud enough to always be audible in the background.) Any ideas on how I should approach this? I'm preparing myself for the possibility that I'll need to remove the cams on that side to replace the lifters. Is there anything else that I should try before this? Assuming that I do need to replace lifters, can this be done with the engine in the car? --Colin Last edited by cmb; 02-28-2015 at 08:01 PM.