88 Dodge Van - V6
I have lots of noise (loud clickety), coming from the passenger side top end,only when just starting from a stop. All other times it’s quiet. Will replacing rocker arms stop this??
Van or Caravan? I’m assuming Caravan based on the complaint and these engines use small lash adjusters which can be prone to wear over time; especially with irregular oil changes involved.
It’s always worth a shot to try an additive such as SeaFoam or Berryman B-12 in the engine oil. Sticky lifters can possibly be freed up this way. If the lifters, or lash adjusters, are worn then they must be replaced as a set.
It’s a B-150 (1/2 ton) Van with a V6. As I understand it, the valves are not adjustable. I just did an oil change, which I do regularly (over the last 2 yrs of my ownership) because of the small oil filter size, and added a quart of Lucas oil. I only drove around the block since then, but it did’nt seem to quiet at all.
I’m not that big a fan of many additives, and Lucas is one of them. My preference is for SeaFoam or Berryman B-12 because I feel they have what you could call a much better cutting action to it.
Rattling lifters are generally caused by their being gummed up, low oil pressure or clogged oil passage, and in some cases cam lobes going flat. The last 2 are serious but my feeling is that probably not the case with your fan.
About you can do is hope the additive clears it up. If it doesn’t then it needs to be gone into for a lifter replacement.
If the rattling is loud enough and constant then it’s possible over time for the valve lifter to start mushrooming the valve stem and/or beating the cam lobes down, which just makes the rattling worse. Cam lobes hold up very well but once the hard coating gets beaten through they can go pretty quickly.
At this point I would not worry about flat cam lobes; just pointing out the what-if here.
I was leary of using any additives, but a friend spoke highly of Lucas… I took it out for a longer drive and it has quieted down a bit.
This has been bothering me for a little over a month. I have been busy so have been trying not to think about it, but yesterday I finally took the doghouse off and to hear it uncovered really alarmed me…
It only happens when idling along with a little pressure on the gas - or slow exceleration from a stop. Give it any real gas and it goes away.
Oil pressure is good now, was a little low - it really amazes me how small the filter…
Thanks for your input