Ticking Sound Goes Away...

Hello, Last week i replaced valve cover gaskets and gave the jeep an oil change. Everything seemed ok, till a few days ago when i noticed that upon cold start i get this weird ticking noise from the back of the engine and a few minutes later it goes away. From under the car its audible between the engine pan and trans and from top, the valve cover towards the rear.

I though it was the exhaust/manifold at first, i checked it, there are no leaks holes or hitting sections. I also checked the flex plate bolts and they are pretty tight. Oil Pressure seems alright as well. The only thing i can think of is i used 5w30 oil this time because that's what i had, but i usually 10w30, can this even remotely cause this ?

Suggestions, ideas appreciated...

Thanks.
Pete

Possibly a lifter either sticking, or possibly not pumping up. I always use Castrol GTX 10W30, and a quality (non Fram) filter, and have not had any oil-related issues. Except for that one time (no, not band camp), that I tried a synthetic blend, in the quest for MPGs in my by-then too old to matter '92. Honestly, up until then, it didn't leak a drop. Now, there's driveways I can't park it in! All the gunk that was doing a good job helping the rear main seal hold in the oil was washed away, and now it leaks like a BP well in the Gulf! Back in the day, I put Arco Graphite in my '63 Grand Prix. It was quiet before, and it never stopped tapping after that. But, it ran like a raped ape for about a week!

The moral of my story is, that if you find a motor oil that your engine is happy with, don't switch. You probably knocked loose a piece of crud somewhere, and it is blocking a passage that supplies oil to the lifter galley. Put back in whatever you've been using all along, and see if it helps. Twenty weight oil is too light for these born-in-1964 engines.

Mine had a slight ticking on start up last winter. It wouldn't happen all the time, mostly on cold starts.

The noise finally went away, along with a lifter.

So should i add something like marvel to the oil and drive it a week or so and then go to my normal oil ? ?

Any other ides that can cause this ?

Pete

Dry starts can be a problem.

Always use a filter with a silicone anti-drain back valve. Cheaper filters with the nitrile rubber valves are DEATH on engines with vertical top-down or horizontal mounting.

My '92 acted exactly the way you 've described yours. I put up with it for about three years, as in the summer it wasn't so bad. But it got to the point where, after a run on the Interstate, the engine would barely idle, and it was real rough. It started at about 90k miles, and I tore it down at 130k. New lifters and rockers, as a few were scarred from being hammered. Oddly, the pushrods were perfect. Now, seven years later, at 203k miles, it runs better than ever! I don't use it much, as I replaced it as my DD three and a half years ago, after an accident. It ran so good, I didn't have the heart to junk it. My son and I took night courses at the local vo-tec, and we ended up taking it apart, and we restored it.

Hopefully, an additive will free-up whatever the problem is, but new lifters may be on your Christmas list....

before your next oil change ad a quart of atf. run it like that for about a half hour. then change your oil.

I figured recording it would help it identifying the issue..

As you can hear, after 30sec or so the sound pretty much goes away ?

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=04FRYXVI

Pete

Bump

It turned out to be the bolts/clamp that connect the exhaust manifold to the pipes. I guess since one bolt was loose it would create that horrible sound and after a few seconds it would warm up and go away...

Hopefully that's it, thx for all ur help folks.
Pete

You got lucky! I ended up yanking the head and putting new lifters in my '92. Also, it has the same exhaust manifold problem, but I know that it's the header, and it also goes away as the engine comes up to running temp. Did it when I bought it eleven years ago, still does it now, no better, no worse. Enjoy!