Alright, so my truck has been making a LOUD ticking sound, which I hear is pretty common on the ka24e engines, so I took it apart and I'm pretty sure my lifters are seized. The only thing is I don't know if they're fixable or if I should replace them. I took them to a local Nissan dealer and he said just get all new ones and that most of them were burnt and it's worth replacing them all.

I saw a forum post on here though in the 240SX one that should him taking the lifters apart and cleaning and rebleeding them. The only thing is I can't figure out how to take them apart! It seems like the lash (I think that's what it's called) is stuck inside the rocker arm on all of them. The dealer also said it's a common defect on the 91 models in particular that the bleed valve was designed too small and it's just worth replacing them all anyways because then I should never have that problem again.

Any advice on what I should do or how to take the lifters apart is much appreciated. I attatched to pictures of them below to show my situation and see if someone can tell me if they're all shot and burnt. Thanks!

The lifters in your 1991 KA24E are hydraulic and are therefore self adjusting based on oil pressure.If the oil passages are blocked, which can and does happen on older KA24E engines the lifters start ticking and banging. When the engine is cold the noise can be quite loud but can subside as the oil warms up.

You parts guy was right. You would be better off just getting new lifters and never have to worry about this issue again. BUT if your camshaft is worn out you may want to consider changing it as well. Here's the stock Cam-Shaft specs out of my Haynes Manual for your engine.

KA24E Engine (1990-on)JOURNAL DIAMETER..................... 1.2967 - 1.2974 in (32.935 - 32.955mm)END PLAY..................................... 0.008in (0.20mm)CAM LOBE HEIGHT....................... 1.7653 - 1.7728 in (44.839 - 45.029mm)CAM LOBE WEAR LIMIT................ 0.0098 in (0.25mm)

I'm kind of new to how engines work and fixing them. If it's suspension I'm the man but when it comes to motor work I haven't been in the game that long. How do I test the camshaft to see if it's worn? Do I take it out? How do I get such precise measurements too? What do you use? Man there's so much for me to learn lol

Well I can't advise you to take the cam shaft out without you knowing how to reset the timing if the chain slips out of place.

So in that case I suggest you buy some new rocker arms and put it back together. There doesn't appear to be any serious wear on your old ones so chances are good that your Cam-shaft is ok.

Do your self a favor and invest in the HAYNES manual for the Nissan/Datsun Pickups & Pathfinders. Covers years 1980-1995. The book has all the torque specifications which you will need to re-assemble the engine with any level of confidence.

Most automotive parts places have Haynes manuals but a Chilton's version will work as well. The books are quite easy to comprehend and the pictures are fairly decent which is important because a picture really is worth a thousand words.

There's room for maintenance on this truck.Flush that engine.After the repair I suggest running A.T.F through it twice with oil filters until operating temps.Dont drive it while doing this.Just run it around 2500 rpm until it gets hot.This will break up the deposits in the oil galleys and flush them out.The H.L.A's are the last to recieve oil.

The KA in my 2wd frontier developed a ticking sound which seemed to come from the back of the valve cover. It seemed to subside if i added a little LucasOil, but would return after a day or so. (starved for oil maybe??) I just took it on a 500 mile road trip through some steep windy roads, and when i got back, i noticed that when the engine is under load, as in moderate acceleration, low rpm starts...I hear a rattle/knocking sound. Has anyone had to deal with this?Any input is appreciated!Thanks!

Pre-ignition causes knocking but a bad lifter can also do this. When the oil passages in the lifters become clogged they can't maintain the hydraulic pressure required to maintain proper valve lash. Sounds like you have a lifter or lifters that are giving you trouble.

Pull the valve cover and start checking the top end of the engine. If it is a lifter(s) you should change them all.

THanks BigBird! Is there a way to flush the oil passages to clear them? or is it just a better bet to replace the lifters? I have a set of cams from an s13 and s14 (248i,232e) that are due to go in anyway, with those in mind, is it necessary to upgrade the lifters to cope with higher lift/duration?Thanks!

You could try a seafoam treatment to see if that helps.

What is a Seafoam treatment? Can you give a link? thanks!

do you know where i can get some new lifters for my truck? i keep looking online everywhere and just cant find any.

Contact a local engine rebuild shop or call the dealer. Those about your only options.

I have a '92 2.4l 5 speed 4x4I had a restricted oil passage on one of my lifters, the engine would shake a lot at idle and tick. Then after keeping the rpms high for awhile it would go away. It would tick alot when accelerating in 2nd or 3rd gear if I gave it too much gas. Anyway I had my mechanic flush it and change the oil to a thin 5wieght and its running great.
Modified by Arizona Hardbody92 at 10:03 AM 5/24/2009