Oil Issues and tapping sound

[snotty]

1996 Blazer 4wd

When truck gets warm, I hear a little tapping from the engine. If I put it in park and rev to 2K, it gets a little louder. Hard to hear tapping between idle and 2K and also after 2K.

Last time I got an oil change, the guy asked me if I was sure I was ready for one. He put the dipstick in and pulled it out and the oil was still honey colored. Usually the oil would be dark in color. Also, I'm regular changer at 3K give or take a couple hundred miles.

Also, the oil pressure when cold at idle is around 40 on the guage (yes, the dash guage, sorry don't know how to use a manual one), but when it gets warm the pressure drops to 10-15.

Engine does not run hot. Even here in Florida it is not getting but around half way from the first mark and the middle mark (190 ish?)

So, could something (oil pump) be keeping the oil from circulating properly? Not sure if that makes sense or not.

I hope it's not my engine, I rather like my little blazer.

Thanks

[MT-2500]

If you have oil pressure you should have circulation.
Is the tapping from upper engine or lower part or could it be coming from front or back of engine?
Can you short out tapping by pulling plug wires off?

Strange on the oil color.
After 3K it should be getting black colored.
Could it have some dexcool coolant pink in it making it look that way?
Are you losing any coolant?

[snotty]

I'll have to check the oil color again tomorrow morning as well as coolant level.

I really can't tell where the engine tapping is coming from. I'll spend some more time on that and try to nail it down.


Thanks for helping.

[Rick Norwood]

Light tapping noise can come from sticky lifters, which usually goes away after warming up. Lifter knock can get pretty Loud. If this is your culprit, you might try a crankcase flush. My 2000 Jimmy started with a loud liter knock and a crancase flush solved the problem.

[snotty]

The Oil isn't pinkish; it just looks like a thinned out regular oil color. Also, there are some bubbles in it, but it doesn't seem frothy. Loosing some coolant. The tapping is coming from the lower part of the engine, but I can't tell if it is front or back; I don't have a good place to park it and get under it right now.

[laxman21]

Originally Posted by snotty

The Oil isn't pinkish; it just looks like a thinned out regular oil color. Also, there are some bubbles in it, but it doesn't seem frothy. Loosing some coolant. The tapping is coming from the lower part of the engine, but I can't tell if it is front or back; I don't have a good place to park it and get under it right now.

Get a pressure check.

[snotty]

Silly question, but coolant pressure?




Thank you.

[laxman21]

yes. Oil thinned out, bubbles in it and losing coolant.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by snotty

The Oil isn't pinkish; it just looks like a thinned out regular oil color. Also, there are some bubbles in it, but it doesn't seem frothy. Loosing some coolant. The tapping is coming from the lower part of the engine, but I can't tell if it is front or back; I don't have a good place to park it and get under it right now.

If oil is thinning out it is getting coolant or gas in it.
Gas you can usually smell.

On the coolant put some coolant dye in rad and check the oil with the dye check light for coolant in it.
Good luck
MT

[Sparky1349]

Hey,

Lifter ticking, coolant lose, thinned out oil with bubbles. Is there a lot of condensation on the inside of the oil fill cap? Is there some dark brown mud on the inside of the radiator cap? Definitely sounds like there is coolant in the oil, the brown mud on the radiator cap would indicate oil in the coolant. Do you make a lot of short trips? If the crankcase doesn't get hot enough to boil off the coolant on start up the coolant sinks to the bottom of the pan and it likes to collect in the lifters making them bleed down too fast. If you want to be sure send an oil sample to testing house to verify there is coolant in the oil but it sounds like all of the usual symptoms are there. Either head gaskets or Intake manifold gaskets most likely is IMG.

Good Luck

Sparky