takeitezee

Went to the exhaust shop today to get a few leaks fixed.. I had thought that maybe a gasket or something related to the headers was bad. The guy calls me up 20 minutes later to say that yes I had a couple of small leaks but the "ticking" noise I hear is a valve. The car has only 48K miles. Have used Mobil 1 from jump..and of course the car is now out of warranty. Could this be?? And if it is a valve am i looking at an obscene amount of labor to fix this?? Now i'm terrified to even drive it..Any ideas???

takeitezee

ttt

Q45tech

The 24 bucket lifters all have shims to set the lash. These shims come in tiny increments so you must measure existing and order the correct replacements to compensate for wear [cam/shim/seat].

You just replace the ones that are out of spec. Do you store and crank/warm up car on an incline?

forced_04

iTrader: (1)

good **** man. I have always wondered why some older motors are just louder in the valve train area. I am always paranoid that i messed up something. BTW what is the service interval to keep the lash in spec

takeitezee

Actually yes....my spot is on an incline....a mild incline but an incline nonetheless...is it dangerous to drive this way?..can this lead to a srious issue? Thanks for your help

takeitezee

bump

takeitezee

http://www.nissanhelp.com/Ownership/.../NTB06-042.htm

I checked out the bulletin and this may very well be the problem...Today, when i went to start my car it didn't start. Seemed like it wasn't getting any fuel. Tried twice and no dice. Somehow, it started the 3rd time. I'm hoping these two things are related. I've combed the internet trying to find the part..but to no avail..Can I even buy this part of does the dealer have to take care of this?

Spike100

Worst case scenario here (valve ticking sound) would be a lack of seal at the head gasket (something’s warped). Along with the ticking sound, difficulty when starting could be a symptom. But, in this case you should also see “white smoke” coming from the exhaust.

Does the “ticking sound” increase when you accelerate?

The TSB you reference is a different problem than what I describe.

--Spike

takeitezee

I don't see any white smoke...but the ticking does increase..it seems to be louder though when it's cold...as it gets hotter it seems to quiet down a bit but it's still noticeable... Can this potentially pose a bigger problem? I'm shiznitting in my pants about this...this has $$$$$$ written all over it.....the worst part is I don't really have anybody I trust to look at the problem. The last thing I really want to do is take it to the dealer. I've never really had any mechanical issues thus never needed a mechanic..
Anybody know any mechanics in SouthFla that they recommend i take it to?? Just don't wanna get ripped off

G

Spike100

^^ It could be “colon cancer.” The only way to know is taking it to a shop that tests the individual valves. That also tells you if your camshaft is shot. The cost should be around $100 for a complete evaluation on this specific problem.

Do it… and do it now… you will sleep better knowing.


--Spike

takeitezee

Would I feel a difference in the performance?..the car runs great..just sounds horrible... is this just bad luck?...geez, i've always taken great care of her..Mobil 1 every 3500 since around 7K....don't really beat on her...don't get me wrong i drive her, I just dont do stupid shiznit. Only 48K miles...just seems unusual....grrrrrr...frustrating.
Gonna go see a guy tomorrow who specializes in Nissans. Keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for your input man..appreciate it

Spike100

^^ You won't feel enough difference in performance to really know. 280-300+ hp (give or talk a few hp) covers a lot of sins.

Your guy (the person you are taking your car to tomorrow) will likely run a couple of tests, but the only way to know for sure is pulling the valve cover and doing a visual on the valves and the camshaft.

--Spike

takeitezee

Well...got it checked out...the mechanic told me it was a stuck valve. He also went on to say that it wouldn't get worse. I asked "If it was your car, what would you do"?....he replied "nothing".. He was recommended by a good friend. The guy specializes in Nissans (saw several at his shop)..he seemed honest and knowledgeable...gonna try to get another opinion. I'm not a mechanic by any means but I would imagine it would get worse and potentially cause further damage. He said it wouldn't..I dunno....lets see what happens
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Spike100

^^ If you only have a “sticky” valve, your problem is mostly a loss of performance. But, I would look beyond this single problem towards a larger failure. I believe that is what your technician is telling you.

--Spike

takeitezee

Do you think putting an additive might help? Have a friend who said to change the oil and use some Lucas Synthetic Oil Stabilizer and see if it helps. I figure it's worth a shot?. The mechanic told me I should be using 5W30 not 10...been using 10 from the beginning...I dunno...she's on the shelf right now..not gonna drive her until I decide what to do.....the sound is freakin annoying...grrrrrr

james840a

iTrader: (7)

This is good. ^Im having the same exact ticking noise problem with my Z. The ticking is coming from the passanger side valve cover in the back. I have 80k. the dealer mechanic recommend a engine flush and that Lucas additive and should clear it up.

takeitezee

My valve ticking is on the passenger side but to me it seems closer to the front. I got some fresh 5W30 Mobil 1...gonna use the Lucas and keep my fingers crossed. I'll keep you posted.

james840a

iTrader: (7)

Thanks for the update.

james840a

iTrader: (7)

any new updates?

SchoolZin

Yeah, I'm curious too. I'm about to do an oil change and am considering using the Lucas additive. I also have a valve ticking and figure it is worth a shot.