# Noisy lifters **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 18, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621 "2009-05-18T13:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dlkaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@dlkaus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlkaus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/1 "2009-05-18T13:18:39Z")
1999 tahoe v8 with 95,000 miles. Lifters are noisy at start up for about 5 minutes. Do you think it can be adjusted out of it, or will more expensive repairs be required? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/2 "2009-05-18T14:05:23Z")
No I don’t think a manual adjustment will help as hydraulic lifters have a form of self adjustment by design. I don’t like to carry over to today what was common 30+ years ago, but, we mechanics used to say Chevrolet small blocks had “Macdonalds cams” as many of them ended up “ground round”. ---
**Author:** ![1981.911.SC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/c6cbf5/32.png) [@1981.911.SC](https://community.cartalk.com/u/1981.911.SC)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/3 "2009-05-18T14:15:41Z")
Google " noisy lifters ATF ". The recommendation is to add a Qt of ATF to the oil about 500 miles before an oil change. The idea is ATF has a high detergent level and will clean out the oil passages so the lifters will pump up more quickly. ANYWAY, I used it on a 3.2L Isuzu engine and it helped. Did absolutely cure it, but helped. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/4 "2009-05-18T14:20:13Z")
The ATF idea does work…Or at your next oil change…replace a quart of oil with a quart of Rislone. It works GREAT. ---
**Author:** ![dlkaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@dlkaus](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dlkaus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/5 "2009-05-18T14:32:08Z")
I failed to mention that I did use some Rislone last year and it seemed to help. But this year the noise is back and seems louder. I was hoping for an inexpensive fix, but the cam situation sounds logical. Great vehicle and I want to run it for another 100,000 miles. Anyway, thanks for the input. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/noisy-lifters/30621/6 "2009-05-18T16:05:03Z")
Try adding a can of SeaFoam or Berryman B-12 carburetor cleaner to the engine oil and see if this clears it up. Those products have a very good cutting action to them. They may do a better job of clearing up any gunk condition that may be responsible for this problem. SeaFoam has taken a drastic price jump upwards lately but Berryman is still pretty cheap.