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Not this again, which engine oil?

D

devilly

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all depends where you live,at the moment im running 15w. but because its getting so hot 40 plus.i noticed the changed on my oil pressure gauge the other day, and thought i might change to 20w and put in the lifter additive because then it would be like 15w.as the additive is like water thickness.when you add and additive does it change the thickness and viscosity
 

VR38

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I run 20W-50 but mine is a buick, 101xxxklms, I do notice a difference on start up if I run anything 10W-xx or 15w-xx summer or winter on the east coast. FWIW when I go to the snow I do drop the grade and run a 10W-40 or similar for the duration of the trip.

At the end of the day, it could be a weak valve spring, worn rocker, bearing noise, cam wear, lifter wear etc etc or a combination of 2 or more.
This is where the economics of "just replacing lifters" come into play.
 

shadetreemechanic

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What Skydrol said is the best comment so far. Most important thing is full synthetic oil as it resists breakdown thus not gumming up the lifters. As for getting new lifters installed various people here have replaced them only to find the same noise still there. As mentioned, unless doing a full rebuild just doing lifters is pointless.

Also dont put in any additives as they can adversely affect the oil chemistry. I run Mobil 1 5w50 which is an excellent oil with heaps of sports car manufacturer approvals to back it up. Engine runs smooth and clean inside. The 50 weight gives plenty of safety over the course of our hot summers and the 5w gives great performance right from a cold start.
 

NeddyBear

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Thanks Steve and when you take off the valve cover why doesn't the oil go everywhere.
I know nothing of the internals of a modern V6 and after a quick look in the Max Ellery is it the intake manifold part that needs to come off to access the lifter parts.
 

Skydrol

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Just a small side track to state how critical is to follow the manufacturers recommendations.

My wife's 07 Beetle has an 2.5 5Cly Engine and is recommended by VW/Audi specs 0W40 with 10,000 miles or 1 year (whichever comes 1st) changes. The crankcase holds 6 Liters; so far, no a single drama with the car. Even the dang coolant comes on different colors with a G letter and number designation. Some can be mixed, some cannot.

GM Dexcool is a great coolant, left unattended creates havoc; seen how it turns on a nasty brown goo (rust like color) that plug the radiators. Well, my 03 Impala uses Dexcool since new, 170,000 miles later, the radiator is clean as whistle. Is not rocket science, keeping the cooling system serviced properly works wonders.

Now, even the cooling system can make your lifters rattle. How? By not cooling properly heat builds up and thins the oil. Thin oil does not cushion well, therefore lifter rattle happens. Have you heard the awful sounds an overheated engine makes?

Your best source of info is in your glove box, a book called Owner's Manual, live it, learn it, know it.
 

shadetreemechanic

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GM Dexcool is a great coolant, left unattended creates havoc; seen how it turns on a nasty brown goo (rust like color) that plug the radiators. Well, my 03 Impala uses Dexcool since new, 170,000 miles later, the radiator is clean as whistle. Is not rocket science, keeping the cooling system serviced properly works wonders.

The problem with Dex-cool has been known for a while. It reacts badly when exposed to air. So if your cars cooling system is fully airtight then its an excellent coolant. When air gets in it turns to muck.
 

edals

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This lifter noise, Put a bit of load on the engine, does the noise go away and reappear when you lift off ? Im only asking as i went through the process of changing the lifters, and still the same noise, to find out that ticking sound is slack in the cam chain.
 

Skydrol

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The problem with Dex-cool has been known for a while. It reacts badly when exposed to air. So if your cars cooling system is fully airtight then its an excellent coolant. When air gets in it turns to muck.

Give the man a cigar... That is true; that is why I said service the cooling system properly.
 

TI3VOM

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Some time back guys here told me to start using 15W40 in our 270,000 VX Accliam for the lifter noise and overall performance.
Just reading another post about lifter noise and the guys say use 5W30 and 10W30.

I doubt a thinner oil will fix anything. If anything try a thicker oil. I have been running Nulon 15W-50 in my VT for years & haven't had an issue.
 

BlackoutSteve

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Opposite. :)
Roller lifters and V6/LS crank driven oil pumps are designed for 30 weights and light winter grades.
Even Penrite with their backward "extra ten" way of thinking will still tell you to use a thinner grade if your lifters are ticking. Because if flows to the lifters better.
30 grade has been the GM standard for decades. In the owner's manual, only if 30 is unavailable, is there the suggestion of 40 or 50. In other words... 30. Why all these toffee grades as first choice?

Summer and winter is irrelevant. Unless you've pulled out your thermostat, your engine will run at almost exactly the same temp all year around.

GM LS Hydraulic Roller Cam Bulletin - Driven Racing Oil

I think I'll post this again. Motor Oil 101 - Bob is the Oil Guy - Bob is the Oil Guy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6-fYeZpfco
 
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