'96 1.3 liter lifter noise

[jnuckols]

I just changed the oil in my '96 1.3 liter Metro, and now I get a lifter tapping every so often. Sometimes it'll start tapping while I'm moving 40 mph or so, and then after a minute it'll stop tapping. Sometimes it'll tap while it's idling and then stop tapping after little while.

I have Mobile 1 10W-30 synthetic oil in it. I had either 10W-30 or 5W-30 Mobile 1 in it before. I have a Fram oil filter. I put 3-1/2 quarts of oil in it because that's what the owner's manual says it takes with a new oil filter. The oil is just below the full mark on the dipstick, so it's just about right. I also, as always, disconnected the lead from the coil to the distributor so I could crank the engine to prime the new oil filter before starting the engine after the oil change.

Now, before the oil change, I have heard a lifter tap once in a while, but very infrequently and I think only when the engine was cold in the morning. Now it's quite often.

One other thing is that I parked the car with the lifter tapping, turned off the engine and took out the oil dipstick right away. There are small bubbles in the oil on the dipstick. Not real foamy, and not milky like if coolant was in there. I've never looked at oil on any car right after shutting off the engine, so maybe that's normal. Is it possible that the oil pump is drawing in some air even though the oil level is okay? Is it possible that something is keeping the oil from draining back into the crankcase as fast as it should?

Thanks for offering any advice that you might have.

[Crvett69]

might try some lifter quiet additive, might have one thats a little gummed up, there are several decent size oil drianback holes so don't think the oil is getting trapped in the head unless the engine is very very sludged up. another thing i have found on the 3 cyl metros is when you have a noise that sounds like a lifter tap is the piston skirts crack. hope thats not your problem

[jnuckols]

Thanks Crvett69. I still think it's odd that the tapping has gotten more frequent right after the oil change. Must be coincidence. I don't think there's sludge in there -- it looks pretty clean inside the oil filler opening. Mine has a 4 cyl., hopefully they don't get the piston skirt cracks.