Valve Tap?

cj4ebay

Registered User
I just recently started driving my 90 SC and ive been gettin out in much more. but it has a damn valve tap just cruising around town and its annoying as hell. Its almost the same as my 91 LX with the 3.8 that i sold a while back. Is this goin to hurt my car in the long run? cause i was thinking about getting it fixed. and is this a common problem with the 3.8s?
 
I just recently started driving my 90 SC and ive been gettin out in much more. but it has a damn valve tap just cruising around town and its annoying as hell. Its almost the same as my 91 LX with the 3.8 that i sold a while back. Is this goin to hurt my car in the long run? cause i was thinking about getting it fixed. and is this a common problem with the 3.8s?

Did you try putting fresh oil in it? Probably a little lifter noise, may get worse may be ok for a long time.
 
Fresh oil and a filter, and try a higher viscosity oil.
That won't be the most popular opinion.:eek:
But even more "shade tree" advice--throw in some motor honey.

Or you can take it apart and fix it right.

(turn up the radio--that works too):D
 
I rebuilt my motor with a new crank, pistons, etc but re-used the cam and lifters.

When I got it back together, it had a ticking noise that I would have bet the farm it was lifters. I bought a stethoscope and tracked it down to my dipstick tube.
Pulled the dipstick and you could see a little spot that was shiny and had been rubbing against the crankshaft or a rod.

I have not yet fixed it, just capped off the dipstick tube and pull it to check oil level in the garage, but am not confident enough to leave it in all the time yet.
 
I rebuilt my motor with a new crank, pistons, etc but re-used the cam and lifters.

When I got it back together, it had a ticking noise that I would have bet the farm it was lifters. I bought a stethoscope and tracked it down to my dipstick tube.
Pulled the dipstick and you could see a little spot that was shiny and had been rubbing against the crankshaft or a rod.

I have not yet fixed it, just capped off the dipstick tube and pull it to check oil level in the garage, but am not confident enough to leave it in all the time yet.

On my 90, I used a stethoscope and mine seems to be louder coming from the rear drivers side rocker cover but I haven't been able to get under the car yet to track it down. What did you use to cap your dipstick tub hole with?
 
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I used a vacuum cap made out of rubber, fits real tight and doesn't loosen with heat or have any blow by pushing it off.
 
I used a vacuum cap made out of rubber, fits real tight and doesn't loosen with heat or have any blow by pushing it off.

Thanks, I think that would be a good idea. Next time I change the oil, I'll cap off the oil tube hole as a test and see if the noise stops.
 
If the leak is bad enough, you will hear some chuffing munder the hood also.
If you are hearing the noise on the passenger side, it is possibly man EGR tube burned through and just starting to leak. (unless yours doesn't have egr)

Nick

Is there a way to tell if it's an exhaust leak instead of a noisy lifter?
 
Sea Foam

If the leak is bad enough, you will hear some chuffing munder the hood also.
If you are hearing the noise on the passenger side, it is possibly man EGR tube burned through and just starting to leak. (unless yours doesn't have egr)

Nick

No EGR on the 90. Also, I just ran some Sea Foam through the motor.
  • 1 full can in the gas tank with a full tank.
  • half a can in the Crank Case.
  • half a can sucking it through a vacuum line in the intake.
After doing the crank case, I put it through the intake and let it sit for an hour. Then I drove it down to the gas station and filled the tank and added the full can into the tank and drove it back home. Round trip was less then 5 miles. Valves are real quiet now.

I'll drive it around the block once a night for the rest of the week and then change the oil on Saturday and I'll let you all know how it goes.
 
No EGR on the 90. Also, I just ran some Sea Foam through the motor..... I'll drive it around the block once a night for the rest of the week and then change the oil on Saturday and I'll let you all know how it goes.

Doesn't appears to be a build up problem. Tapping still on going.
 
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