head ticking like crazy and then suddenly stops

[SR20drftSX]

today i was driving throuhg hornell ,(my local burb) and...well first of all lemme tell you...the head on my 89 SOHC fastback 5 speed was ticking like it was bout read to blow...and it was ready for an oil change anyways...but it was ticking when i first got it...this time i sed Valvoline 20w-50 for the oil change. well it was still ticking after about 400 miles so i figured it needed a new head...but today i was drivin through hornell about 35 in 2nd gear makin some noise for the local ricers to gawk at with amazment...and i parked at the sunoco gas station and poured some 89 in er and then when i started it back up and IT WASN"T TICKING ANYMORE! !!!! so i drove all the way back home (about 35 miles) and it still didn't tick....and still hasn't all day...maybe it was just the 20w-50 oil that it liked or maybe it just needed to be cleaned out or something? im not really sure..maybe yu guys can gimme an explanation...and by the way the car is FOR SALE....buyin an 87 RX-7 GXL 5 speed off my uncle....well ttyl and thanks

Garrett , NY

[SlidingRPS13]

Not sure if this is the fix to your problem, but it would hurt to read and compare:zerothread/105618

[benemorius]

Is it just one lifter ticking or is it many?

Either way, get that 20w-50 crap out of there before something else gets messed up.

[SR20drftSX]

it says yu can run 20w-50

[benemorius]

Well I guess technically it's up for debate, but your only arguments would be if you lived in weather that never went below 110*F and you drove around at redline all day. If you live in a climate considered fit for human life and drive your car on streets, I'd strongly recommend running 5w-30.

[SR20drftSX]

haha aight , how about 10w40?

[benemorius]

I reckon it wouldn't kill an engine as quick as 20w-50, but still: no.

Running a higher weight than 30 will result in too little oil flow unless you drive hard enough to keep the oil temperature higher than normal. The simplest way to put it for the first number is: the lower the better, because even the lowest weight available is still too thick even at a 110*F startup.

[SR20drftSX]

alrighty...thanks for the advice...ill drive this oil to 1000 miles ,(its at 800 now) and then swap it out for some 5w-30..thanks

Garrett

[smokin240]

Maybe you shouldn't be downshifting to second at 35 with your motor that has a rod-knock, and most importantly, for a bunch of wanna be ricers anyway. Of course that makes you no better, how beefy can a 4 banger SOHC sound? And with stock exhaust I'm assuming, right? I accelerated pretty hard a couple times with my first 240 and it had a pretty bad rod knock. 1 day later it threw a rod through the block..... something to think about.

[benemorius]

A ticking in the head doesn't exactly suggest rod knock. And I'm not sure how your transmission is geared, but for me about the only logical downshift at 35 is 2nd.

[SR20drftSX]

i wasn't downshifting intp second i was puttin around in second around 25-35...and no , actually its a 2.5 inch stainless steel cat back and a 4 inch outletted muffler

[onosqv]

I reckon it wouldn't kill an engine as quick as 20w-50, but still: no.

And why do you say this? Have you done or can link to oil analysis reports showing more wear w/ heavier weight oils?

This article found from the sticky on top of this forum doesn't think so:

zerothread?id=37349

[smokin240]

and no , actually its a 2.5 inch stainless steel cat back and a 4 inch outletted muffler

Oh, my bad. Guess your a professional street racer now huh? I'm sure you impressed them with your mad driving skeelz too . VROOM VROOM.... yeah, thats right, SOHC baby.

[benemorius]

And why do you say this? Have you done or can link to oil analysis reports showing more wear w/ heavier weight oils?

This article found from the sticky on top of this forum doesn't think so:

zerothread?id=37349

Because I don't want to see him harm his engine, of course.

I have and I suppose I could try to find some, but I can't imagine that anyone would argue that. Too thick is bad just like too thin is bad. The difference is this: if it's too thick, you will flow too little oil and will have very little way of knowing it. However, if it's too thin, you will notice how damaged the oil is when you change it. This is why I suggest a "better too thin than too thick" approach. The only true way to make sure your oil is "tuned in" is with an oil pressure gauge and oil temperature gauge, which few street cars have. Many cars certainly do have justification for a heavier oil, but I don't advocate just jumping up because you think it might be a good idea. If your 30 weight oil comes out mutilated or if you run 15 pounds of boost in arizona then I could understand a jump to a higher weight oil on a whim, but not otherwise.

I don't see anything in that thread that says a high viscosity oil can't harm an engine. I HIGHLY doubt Palmer would ever suggest such a thing. Just because he was suggesting higher weight oils to various people doesn't mean everyone can or should do the same without just cause. That thread is a good read, but could create some confusion if you weren't already familiar with the subject. Howstuffworks.com might be a good place to start. I'll bet they have some articles on this sort of thing.

Anyway, all that aside - the main reason for my being so blunt and unrelenting was not the 40 weight part, but the 20 part. Do you know how thick 20 weight oil is at 70 degrees fahrenheit? (aka new york ambient temp right now) I'll be honest - I don't know, but it's way too damn thick for an engine which was designed to run 30 weight oil at 212 degrees.

[benemorius]

@smokin240:

Allow me to give you a small tip, good sir: stop trying to put down the sohc and you won't sound half as dumb.

[smokin240]

@smokin240:

Allow me to give you a small tip, good sir: stop trying to put down the sohc and you won't sound half as dumb.

touche - here's a tip, read closer and I won't have to reply to stupid posts. I wasn't putting down the SOHC. Sure, it's a great motor but it's nothing to show off by reving it when your only mod is an exhaust.

[SR20drftSX]

thanks alot benmorius, deff gonna help..and to smokin...i wasn't revving it...i was PUTTING aroun din second gear...not revvin and tippin my hat sideways and sayinnn yoooo BIOTCH!...there wasn't even anyone on the streets that time of day i just threw that in assuming i wasn't going to get flamed by someone that picks on the underdog....but guess not..but thans bene and keep up the good work

[ricebike]

wellz, the DOHC engine has no hydraulic lifters like the SOHC engine has... checking the valve lash on these things may find that they're getting worn & may need to be reshimmed.

w/ the SOHC, i agree that 20W50 may B 2 thick, since it needs to flow into those lifters...

(my common cents thinking on this; i gotz da SOHC)

using 10W-40 may help quiet them down too. & it's not winter so u r good 2 go!

[SR20drftSX]

aighty...thanks