Famous CA ticking or something to worry about

[dhen]

Trying to get opinions. Starting up for the first time. Idling rough but I'll get that fixed. Anyway is this the CA ticking or should I be worried?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRx0VnHkPj8

Thanks,

Darian

[mdb4879]

Personally, I think it's just a little bit of lifter tick. But I think a few more opinions are in order.

BTW, replace the "m." with "www." in the link.

[dhen]

OK, I fixed the link. Any other comments are welcome.

Darian

[Sideways s12]

I had the same issue when I first started mine after a rebuild turns out my injectors were really loud for some reason.... Here's my start up vid...See if it sounds similiar

http://s154.beta.photobucket.com/user/R ... 6.mp4.html

[float_6969]

Sounds like lifters or injectors to me. Regardless it's not a sound to be worried about. I've given up trying to stop the noisy lifters in my CA. I've put 3 sets of rebuilt lifters in it, one set of BRAND NEW FROM NISSAN LIFTERS (that's what in there now) and they still make noise. They seem to be REALLY sensitive to oil pressure.

Are you on stock engine management? I can also tell you that depending on the EMS you're using, if it's batch fired (I'm running an SDS EM4-F) and since you're firing the injectors in pairs, they tend to be louder as well. Part of the reason Nissan went to side feeds for a while was to cut down on the noise.

[dhen]

OK, thanks. I'm going to check he timing because that's why I think it's running rough. Hopefully, I can drive it soon...

[cbh148]

when I first put my ca18 together (with a brand new oem oil pump) it made a loud roaring lifter tick 2 minutes into the first test drive. It was way more violent than yours sounds. A friend swore by that Marvel Mystery oil stuff that you can get at Autozone/O'Reillys, so I tried it, and almost immediately the sounds went away and never came back.

And I even hand bled every lifter in a bucket of fresh oil while I had the engine apart. Dunno if that helped me at all or hurt me.

Good luck

[andkorn]

Guys, let's eliminate the guesswork and find the source of the noise. If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, for $4 you can get one of these babies:

Mechanic's Stethoscope
http://www.harborfreight.com/mechanics- ... 41966.html

If you don't have $4 just get a long screwdriver and place the end on the engine (NOT on a moving part!) and the handle of the screwdriver on your ear and listen around. Works pretty good actually, but because the valve cover is hollow underneath there will be some echo inside there, making it more difficult to pinpoint. In that case listen on the engine block right below the valve cover.

Be careful that the screwdriver doesn't get caught in a belt or something, smacking you in the face and destroying your car.

Cheers!

[boost_boy]

Darian,

Did you do the test on the lifters that I spoke to you about? It's two hydraulically challenged lifters on the intake side that's giving you the "spooks" when it comes to your CA.

[dhen]

Thanks, Dee. How did you know it was on the intake side? (It is, I'm just surprised you can tell that from the video.)

By the way, I sent you an email about a part request.

Thanks,

Darian

By the way, oil pressure seemed good. I let it warm up a little to 170 and it was at 25 PSI. Running 15-40 diesel oil right now for break in.

[boost_boy]

I did get the email and will respond via email. Don't idle this engine too much or you will miss the break-in period which is in small window. Don't know how much you've been letting idle, but you need to put load on it ASAP or all that work I did will be a waste.

[DALAZ_68]

no lie, i kinda wanna cry right meow, i started up my CA after a month or so of it being parked, to move it and charge the battery, mind you its been rebuilt and broken in and tuned, didnt have a noise, all of a damn sudden loud a** tick, ill post a vid tomorrow...but it has me severly worried since it didnt have that noise last month...

ive run out of funds, i cant rebuild it, i dont even have money to fix it...and im borderline thinking of selling it all if this is a big issue...

[float_6969]

ticking sounds aren't usually bad sounds. It's the knocking and banging sounds that you need to worry about. Lets see that vid.

[DriftLife240]

Dee my buddy said to come on here and find you since your in florida like me and you know tons about the CA18. Just blew my KA so im considering going CA know any good places i can find one? and any tips on the motor and what i should check once i get it. Looking at a few online for a good price plus they are in america not canada. sorry i had to pot this here cant message you just made this account to get in touch with you

[DALAZ_68]

ticking sounds aren't usually bad sounds. It's the knocking and banging sounds that you need to worry about. Lets see that vid.

apparently my phone is to broken to allow me to even upload over to youtube or Facebook...

s*** on me i guess... ill get my engine building mech to come over and take a look, if its anything bad, that cost to much, im sadly gonna have to end this venture...its too much and im too poor...savings is drained, and a s*** art time job while going to school...selling this thing in pieces and making some cash on it doesnt sound to bad...


but i know ill regret it....

[float_6969]

Well I hope it's something simple. Let us know what you figure out.

[DALAZ_68]

so pretty much confirmed i have valve/lifter tick...

i was told to try running some 5w/30 (currently on 10w/30) and see how the thinner oil treats it...

[float_6969]

5w/30 is only thinner when it's cold. Have you let it warm all the way up and it still does it? So far, what I've found with these lifters, is they are very sensitive to oil flow and pressure. If the flow is too low, they tick. If the pressure is too low, they tick. I'm running Mobile 1 0w-40. The only time I get any ticking now is a little on startup, but it quiets quickly, and if I beat on it and get the oil thinned out enough that the pressure starts to drop at idle below about 13psi.

If you don't want to drop the coin on the 0w-40, a 5w or 10w-40 would be OK too. I wouldn't run anything with a 30 on the end unless it's really cold where you are and the oil never really warms up. You WANT the 1st number to be as low as possible.

[boost_boy]

Dee my buddy said to come on here and find you since your in florida like me and you know tons about the CA18. Just blew my KA so im considering going CA know any good places i can find one? and any tips on the motor and what i should check once i get it. Looking at a few online for a good price plus they are in america not canada. sorry i had to pot this here cant message you just made this account to get in touch with you

What's on your mind? Feel free to contact me via your own thread or leave me your email address and I'll contact you.

[DriftLife240]

[email protected] email me anytime mainly i just want to know what im getting into when i drop this motor in and anything i should check out or replace before trying to run it just ordered one hopefully its here before the weekend.

[DALAZ_68]

5w/30 is only thinner when it's cold. Have you let it warm all the way up and it still does it? So far, what I've found with these lifters, is they are very sensitive to oil flow and pressure. If the flow is too low, they tick. If the pressure is too low, they tick. I'm running Mobile 1 0w-40. The only time I get any ticking now is a little on startup, but it quiets quickly, and if I beat on it and get the oil thinned out enough that the pressure starts to drop at idle below about 13psi.

If you don't want to drop the coin on the 0w-40, a 5w or 10w-40 would be OK too. I wouldn't run anything with a 30 on the end unless it's really cold where you are and the oil never really warms up. You WANT the 1st number to be as low as possible.

well ill get some some 0w - 40...just gotta wait for weather to get back to normal, right now its been 30 degrees in the morning warmest is about 70... so ill wait for Cali weather to get back to..well cali weather...lol

[dhen]

OK, it was running way too rich but I fixed it now. Let me know what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lKvb3aGXCM

It backfired a bit when I revved it earlier. I haven't adjusted the CAS and TPS, so anyway...

Darian

PS Am I getting this right? 11 PSI is normal at idle? That seems pretty low.

[float_6969]

The way it's running in that vid looks good, although you need to get those coils bolted down ASAP or you're going to damage them.

As for the oil pressure, 11psi at warm idle is correct. If my oil gets over 200°F, it will start to drop. The oil pressure is REALLY dependent on oil temperature, although I'm still on cheap break in oil right now, so that may improve once I switch to synthetic.

I can also tell you, that once the oil pressure drops below 11 psi, the lifters will start to get noisy again. If after I switch to synthetic, I'm still having this low oil pressure issue, I'm going to have to invest in an oil cooler setup so that my oil pressure will stay consistent.

[dhen]

Thanks. I think an oil cooler is overkill for me, since I'm not running much boost.