ticking noise, valve lifter noise questions

[Juggernaut929]

hello everyone

i got a 91 subaru legacy SS, its been having a few problems lately and ive been trying to fix all of them as they happen, im a amateur mechanic but i can figure most things out, just lack of experiance i think

just recently my engine (ej22t) began making a ticking noise, several of my mechanicly inclined friends have heard it and have agreed its a sticky or bad lifter, my mechanic agrees as well, he suggested i use a detergent motor oil in the car, so i put in mobil clean high milage, which said it had good detergent properties for fighting sludge and grim buildup. its been a week now and ive put a few coutious miles on the car, driving it around town, and not beating on the engine, but the ticking noise returns, it will ususal show up after 10-15 minutes of driving, when the engine has warmed up, and will varry from somewhat loud, like a deisel, to very loud, making me not want to drive it.

i was hoping this might be a sticky lifter otherwise one might have collapsed

when should i start to worry that this is not a sticky lifter and that i should go in and see if any have gone bad?

i saw this persons awsome post

https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=4 ... king+noise (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?t=406&highlight=ticking+noise) so im

fairly certain i can do the work, but im not sure when to start worrying.

is it bad to drive the car for long periods of time with a lifter problem? ive herd some mixed thoughts

should i get used lifters from a junk yard or should i buy new ones?

[Plays_with_Toys]

I would try adding some marvelous mystery oil (its in a red bottle), but make sure not to add too much so that your over all oil level is too high. I imagine this is also what your friend had in mind when he said a detergent oil. Anyway, it is supposed to work wonders for stuck lifters.

As for driving around with it. Almost all subarus make the noise periodically, and I would not be worried about it. Get it fixed when you can (like I said in that post, you probably won't need to buy a new HLA, its just that I couldn't figure out how to load the oil at first and opened the new one).

The key for the lifter noise is making sure your oil is always topped off. If mine gets like .25 of a quart too low it'll start making the noise again.

[Juggernaut929]

ill consider it, my mechanic did recomend not to use additives or solvants, because they might break down the buildup in my engine, and i might loose compression, my engine is 16 y/o come november. i will double check my oil level. ive been reading repair directions from my haynes manual, but id have to say your post helped me the most.

this is suppose to be the car i can rely on, im just worried about it. im a newb, so im worried when i hear something that i dont understand.

ill try the oil, if it doesnt seem to do anything i may proceed with the sergery, im having a hard time figuring out which side its comming from, so unless i have multiple bad lifters on both sides, it might be the oil level indeed.

thx again