Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hey all, I just took my '53 Clipper out to the weekly cruise night, and when I got home I noticed all my lifters were making noise. If anybody remembers about a year ago I had a problem with plumbing, well it sounds just like it did with no oil to the lifters... Oil pressure is good, 25lbs at idle, around 40 at speed. Oil level is good, not full but about 1/4 way below full mark (she burns oil so this is normal after a long drive). Temp is good, between 190 and 200 which is decent for a 100+ degree day. I revved it up to see if the noise went away at higher rpm, but no go.

I am 99% sure I have hydraulic lifters. Engine number is L403316, out of a Cavalier I believe... I also just did an oil change yesterday, did fine on my commute to school (40 miles round trip, plus a little cruising around downtown). I notice a bit more smoke than usual as well. Is this a catastrophic problem, or is it just from being a hot day? Could the oil temp be too hot, making the oil too thin? Switch to 40w? Valve job time?? This is my only car at the moment, so I'm hoping It's not serious. I'll fire it up in the morning to see if it still makes noise.

Two likely suspects - dirty and pitted valve guides and stems, or worn lifters.

If you decide to do one then do both. However, you can disassemble and polish the stems. That was a standard for the old timers.

Since you just did an oil change did the same type oil as before go back in. With the hot day, too thin an oil could have contributed if the engine is worn. That would be the cheapest and quickest thing to rule out. As a quick test you might try a bottle of snake oil -- something like a viscosity enhancer or worn engine product and see if that helps. If it does you could change the oil to something heavier. 20-50 was not uncommon to find used down here with our hot summers.

I vaguely remember with your filter there were some plumbing issues or questions. Hydraulic lifters should have the the little U shaped jumper tube between the two ports feeding oil directly to the lifters. Is that tube present and in good condition -- not mashed or restricted in any way -- or does oil go thru the filter and then into the port above the sender.

If it goes thru the filter before the lifters the extra heat could be thinning it out considerably. Completely sending the lifter supply thru the filter first was also a cause of insufficient quantity and the subject of a service letter or two re noisy lifters. The plumbing was rerouted on some engines to avoid the lifter supply going thru the filter.

Thanks for the replies! The more I think about it, the more I think it must be a viscosity or supply issue since its all of them at once.... But I'm not ruling anything out. I'm not running a filter currently, just the line to the lifters. It's in good condition, no kinks, smooth bends... I'm about to go fire it up and see if it makes noise when the oil is cold. I am also running a can of "Restore" in my oil to see if it actually helps with smoke, added the last oil change.

Maybe its just time for an overhaul.... This motor I don't think has ever been opened up aside from me dripping the pan to check bearing clearance and clean out the sludge on the bottom. I have no idea how many miles it has.

I guess it must be temp related... I fired it up, no noise. Drove it to the store, no noise. Today is only 85 out, maybe it just can't keep the oil cool when its over 100? I should invest in an oil temp gauge perhaps... Has anybody ever played with installing an oil cooler on one of these motors?

Forgot to add, oil pressure was higher this time, 30 or so at idle almost 50 at speed.

You said the oil level was not full. If it's low enough the pump will draw oil and foamy froth which guaranteed will result in noisy lifters so make sure the oil is never more than 1 qt low. And you also might think about giving SAE20-50 oil a try.

If it's burning a lot of oil then it may be so full of carbon that it's detonating when hot.

I'm using turbo-diesel engine oil 15W-40 CH-4/SL.

Tom

Just an update... I've been doing body work on the car so haven't been driving much and therefore haven't tried thicker oil yet. A little while ago I took the car to an out of town show (Midnight Mass in Woodland). About 30-40 miles one way. A bit more than half way there the lifter noise started again. Temp gauge read right under 180, it was a cooler evening. After the show there was no noise until about half way home again. I have a good oil cooler that was on my VW when I bought it (I went back to a stock cooler), what are some thoughts on plumbing it in? I'm also going to pick up some Motor Honey or something later on to see what happens.