Valves Tapping

[marquis00]

I have a slight valve tapping in the first 5 to 10 seconds after start up, but only if the car has sat overnight. i noticed that soon as the needle in gauge jumps to its spot, the nosie stops. it happened right after i changed the oil and it's not my first oil change. i didn't use regular oil, i went with Mobile one Synthetic 5-30 and Lucas Synthetic Oil stablizer. i had used this with my prevous explorer and had no problems.

The guy at autozone told me to use seafoam. but i wasn't sure until i got some expert advise. will the combinations of the oil, stabilizer and seafoam cause a problem?

also is it good to use it through the brake vaccuum line??

[shorod]

I think the way the guy at Autozone is suggesting using the Seaform is in the crankcase rather than to decarbon the engine (ie: add to oil rather than through the vacuum line). His thought is probably that you might have a hydraulic lifter that is sticking, and the Seafoam may remedy the sticking.

You may want to check the oil filter that you are using to see if it has the anti-backflow valve. If not, try replacing the oil filter with one that does have the valve and see if the valve tapping gets better.

-Rod

[marquis00]

its a fram tough guard oil filter. model tg2. on the box it has a anti drainback valve.

[shorod]

Well, that should be a decent filter. The Seafoam in the crankcase is worth a shot.

You are pretty sure that it is valve noise rather than a loose heatshield somewhere, right? Does the noise change if you open the oil fill cap during the initial startup when the tapping noise is present?

-Rod

[marquis00]

wouldn't a loose heat shield rattle every time i start up?
i will have to try that when it has sat for a while, probaly tommorrow morning. i will let u know.

[shorod]

Probably, unless when it has just a little bit of heat, it expands enough to wedge itself tight against something. I agree, it's a long-shot, but I'm trying to get a handle on what the noise sounds like. I would expect that the sound of a loose heat shield is distinctly different from the sound of a stuck lifter.

-Rod

[marquis00]

well i tried the sefoam and it stopped the noise so far. i will give a couple of days and see if it comes back. thanks for the input rod.

got another question, i put some seafoam in with the gas and was reving the engine. i noticed that it would not rev over 3,000 rpm's. is there a rev limiter when it is not in drive???

[shorod]

Yes, there is a rev limiter for when the car is in park or neutral. It's usually somewhere between 3000 and 3500 rpms.

-Rod

[marquis00]

thanks again for the info!!!