i have no idea whats wrong

[whitey2007]

my 240 (1991) has bad lifter noise and is extremely sluggish until i get to high rpms. it has about 180k on its engine. its been ran alittle hard in its day but its still fast and runs strong. i can't even burn out. the last guy that owned it had a racing chip (generic chip, plug-n-play) in it but fried it. i was wondering if u could give me some ideas on why it is so sluggish, and y there is so much lifter noise and what i can do to fix both. the lifter noise only happens (or i can only hear it) when ur holding a steady speed with the gas pedal, not accelerating or decelerating. thx

[NISTECH]

You sure its lifter noise and not detination?

[whitey2007]

i don't know, how would i tell the difference?, i had alot of lifter noise in my previous car and a thicker synthetic oil cleared it up, it sounds the same on this like a rapid tapping, i was told it may be chain clatter from my timing chain becuase the little **** under the valve cover that covers the chain, that is in my mind semi useless, snapped off so i took it out, now it doesn't have one, but i didn't notice it until after i put a synthetic oil in it

[NISTECH]

I re read your first post and I do not believe it is detination as you say it only does it on steady throttle. Detination typically occurs under moderate to heavy load.

It could be a lifter or more then one, you are going to need to do a oil pressure test. Does it do it at idle too?

[whitey2007]

it doesn't do it at idle i can only hear it at about 3k rpms give or take bout 3 hundred the rest of the time i either can't hear it or it stops

[NISTECH]

This could be chain related, maybe tensioner or possibly a guide broke. Really hard to say. do the oil pressure check any way and see what you got at the rpm it happens.