Lifter knock?

[oldmako]

Gents,

Started the BB up this afternoon after repairing the spark plug/coil "anomaly" and the darn thing was KNOCKING for the first few seconds. I just about unloaded the contents of my lower GI tract in a violently spasmodic and malodorous manner. Fortunately the noise dissipated shortly. I checked the oil and it was a bit low, but nothing heinous...right at the base of the index. I added a half a quart and fired it back up. Then I took it for a short spin (liquor store). When I shut it down all sounded normal.

I frequently leave the BB parked for a week or two while away on bidness, and this has never happened. WTFO??

The current oil is synthetic and has about 4000 miles on it.

I have had other cars do this over the years and it has been an annoyance, but has not freaked me out like this.

Now about the (puny, barbie) engine. I bought the car one year ago with 120K. (Ebay special!) It's now got 140K. Yes it shows signs of PO abuse (varnish deposits inside the valve cover). Since then I have changed the oil every 3500-4000ish. This time I went with synthetic so I could 'slightly' delay the change interval (I don't want to schlep under the car every 4-6 weeks in winter). M1 filters. Tomorrow I am going to change the oil since it's 'posed to be near 70 degrees here.

I am fully aware that it's original owner could have trashed the engine the first year in any number of creative and destructive ways and that once metal bits are shorn no product hawked on an infomercial can restore alloy. Until this week, the car ran like that chick who lost her olympic gold for steroid abuse so I think that the motor is reasonably healthy.

I had no luck finding anything in the archives. Thoughts/Ideas/Prognostications/Suggestions/Scathing Commentary/PC Monitor Spittle-Splattering Rebukes?

Entertain me, I'm bored.

[unknown007]

I have the same problem when i go up a hill at 2rpm+ it's annoying and sounds like metal rubbing.I hear its best to buy 2cheap filters,adn type of brand or i dunno if cheap for the filters.Before changing oil change oil run it change oil again and run then finally put the filter and oil you'll using after flushing both of those.Suppose to lubricate the lifters.If not you gotta get up in there.

If my info is wrong slap me.

[Infinitiguy19]

If you both have the same problems why not flush your engine with the BG quick clean?

And you are sure that its the lifter and not else where-007?

[unknown007]

If you both have the same problems why not flush your engine with the BG quick clean?

And you are sure that its the lifter and not else where-007?

I researched and people with similar problems all the similar problem when it starts knocking.There we go thats the stuff i was trying to remember BG quick clean.On my next oil change im looking foward to flushing the engine twice just to be safe.

[Infinitiguy19]

You know how to use it correctly right, Otherwice you might be looking for a new engine sooner if you don't follow every letter of the directions on the bottle and on this board.

[unknown007]

Im planning on swapping in a JDM VH45DE later maybe when this one dies but i hope sooner So i can build the one i got at the school i maybe attending but first i gotta find a good deal like one i had to pass it was$300 for a JDM with transmission..Other than that once i get it I will most likely post on here and read the directions but i think i got an email from goody94q45 about using this product.Its somewhere in my inbox.

[bullittandy]

If the sound was an actual "knock" then that can't be good. Did you start it up a second time? If it makes that noise on every cold start then you're doomed. On the other hand-what the hell can you do about it? Just wait for it to die. I see complete engines all the time for $500-$700 on ebay so its not a killer.

But maybe it was just a one time thing, I've noticed that since I've reached my thirties that my body does all kinds of weird sh*t that it never did before, creaks and occasional pains and I'm taking the same approach(above)-waiting for a slow, writhing death.

[maxnix]

Pretty common for knowledgeable VH series engine owners to pull the fuel pump fuse and turn over a few seconds to prime the HLA which have bled down.

[oldmako]

Andy,

So far it was one time. I fired it up last night and there was no noise evident. I allowed it to warm and then took it for a drive and there was no abnormal noise evident when I shut it down.

It was just a very nasty surprise since the engine has been silky smooth and quiet since I purchased the car. I agree with you that there is very little one can do at this point. Considering what the car is worth, if it dies I'll just start looking for another one and perhaps keep this one for parts.

Off to change the oil.

[goody90q45]

........So far it was one time. I fired it up last night and there was no noise evident........

A few months ago I let the 94Q sit for a couple of weeks without being started or driven. At first startup the lifters rattled loudly for at least 10 seconds and diminished in steps over the next 5-10 seconds as each HLA lubed up. I'm with you- it was a bit scary to hear the noise go on for so long. All's been well since though.

That's good advise we got to do the first startup with the fuel pump fuse removed.

What's a BB?

[oldmako]

I am not in the habit of pulling the fuse even if the car sits a week. It's not a habit I will start at this point in the cars life either. I'm too lazy, and any damage done to the engine has most likely already occurred.

I have done it with my boat for years (Ignition lead on the coil) but that tends to sit a bit longer than my cars engine. I can't imagine that the engineers at Infiniti expect their customers to lift the hood each time they let the car sit for a week. I'd like to believe that they have taken this into account when they design the engine.

I have been very impressed with the cars engine in particular. I have never seen the oil psi light, nor have I ever heard anything other than sewing machine sounds immediately after start. I limit the rpm to 2000 until the T needle stabilizes and then it's off to the races.

What I will do is pay more attention to the cars oil level. I typically don't add oil between changes and I also don't add oil until the level nears the bottom of the index....which is where it was the day this occurred. But after hearing that racket, I will not allow the level to get below half at most. I am leery about overfilling a crankcase as well so I tend to err on the low side. I'd rather have occasional lifter noise than have to replace a main seal. Somewhere there has got to be a happy medium. It's a very nice car and I will take the time to find it. As I started before, I've never heard a peep out of the engine so my alarm was understandable.

The BB....

Well, my car is jet black. My car is expensive to maintain, like a woman. My car is nice to look at, like a woman. My car is nice to mess around with, like a woman. My car can sometimes exasperate and frustrate me to no end, like a woman. I call it the Black Bit@h.

I'm not too PC.

ps... I changed the oil yesterday and made sure it was full. I first ran a cup of kero through the case for 5 mins at idle and then let it drip for an hour. The mother is quiet now!

[maxnix]

I am not in the habit of pulling the fuse even if the car sits a week. It's not a habit I will start at this point in the cars life either. I'm too lazy, and any damage done to the engine has most likely already occurred.

Always a good idea to check fluid levels at least once a week!

The fuel pump fuse is in the cabin fuse box.

Maybe you need to treat her like a lady?

[qship96]

A kerosene flush? Not sure that is effective at doing anything except diluting the oil? Modern top shelf oils have plenty of detergents, both as additives and as properties of the base oil itself {poly-ol-esters}

[oldmako]

No question that today's oils are far superior to those of just a decade ago.

I once had a high mileage GTI with a sticky lifter that would not shut up after a few minutes after starting. My buddy was a service tech at the local VW shop. He recommended some super jizz from VW. He said that it was mostly kero plus some inert goodies and a fancy package to drive up the cost, but that it was mostly kero. I had a kero heater in my garage. You can see where I am going here right? I mixed a cup of kero with a cup of engine oil and slowly poured it in while it was idling. Within a minute the lifter was silent. I allowed it to idle till warm and shut it down. Pulled the plug, drained for an hour or so and then changed the oil.

Now this is the total smoke and mirrors part: After doing that the car ran better. I cannot 'splain it, and I cannot quantify it. It just ran better, smoother and quieter.And I never heard from the lifters again.

This was a very hi mileage car which I had bought used. So, I have no idea how often the oil was changed. It was obviously a bit sludged up and seemed to fix the problem.

Worked for me then, and I swear to whomever you like my Q idles more smoothly today than it did before I did this.

Disclaimer: Do not try this at home.

[qship96]

Back when I was in college a buddy of mine had a old plymouth duster, and the slant six engine kept overheating while we were on a trip.....he kept pulling off the highway and opening the hood to cool it....after about 5-6 times of that nonsense, he finally opened the hood, and pissed all over the engine {I was in tears laughing soo hard}- the somofabitch made it the rest of the trip without overheating again.

[Infinitiguy19]

Back when I was in college a buddy of mine had a old plymouth duster, and the slant six engine kept overheating while we were on a trip.....he kept pulling off the highway and opening the hood to cool it....after about 5-6 times of that nonsense, he finally opened the hood, and pissed all over the engine {I was in tears laughing soo hard}- the somofabitch made it the rest of the trip without overheating again.

Thats how he kept his "Woman" inline.

[Skibane]

What kind of oil filter are you using?

Some brands have an anti-drainback valve that tends to be leaky - After the engine sits for a while, all the oil in the filter seeps back into the sump pan. Next time you start it, the oil pump has to completely re-fill the filter before the rest of the engine gets any lubrication.

[oldmako]

Last 3 were M1