Lifter Tapping? and how do I quiet it?

[XtremeVette]

first off this is not my vette...thank god...lol...but my 3.1 V6 sunbird seems to now be doing it....motor has 65,000 on it (or so I think but can't be sure) I bought the motor from a junkyard 1 yr ago and was told it had only 50,000 on it....so who knows....since then I have put 15,000 on it...

With the cold weather I have noticed a tapping noise from the engine and can't determine what it is...lifter, fuel injector or something else....tough to determine....especially since this noise has no effect on performance at all except for maybe a little rougher idle....no biggie though....

any ideas how to attempt to rid the car of it....

so far this weekend my plans are:

1. fuel injector cleaner and clean the throttlebody
2. motor flush the engine
3. oil change with new filter (gonna continue to use Castrol GTX dino oil 5W30)

we'll see what this does....

feel free to give me ideas if I forgot something
thanks

 

[Eagle85C4]

You might try adjusting the lifter....

 

[TWINRAY]

I wouldn't use motor flush - that might even create new problems.
I'd also try adjusting the lifter. Not sure if it's done like small blocks or not - back off till it clicks, slowly turn in one turn. I personally do a half turn. Check how to do it for your specific motor.

 

[jmccloud]

Noisy clicks

If you have more than 3000 miles on the oil, change oil and filter then listen. That may quiet it down.
To isolate the source of the noise, get a 4' or so long piece of hose (garden hose, vinyl, etc.) and hold one end in your ear. Then hold the other end at various points of your engine, taking care to avoid getting the hose or your hair in the rotating engine parts.
Another technique is to use a wooden dowel (or an old broom handle, etc.) againts your ear while touching various parts of the engine.
If it's a fuel injector, one of these methods should isolate it. Lifters are more difficult to isolate unless the lifter covers are off (sometimes a messy job).
Good Luck