SR20det Lifter Tick
07-08-2006, 05:05 AM
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SR20det Lifter Tick
I have a semi loud ticking coming from the valve cover, and when I took the valve cover off to check the lifters for air, two of them were mushy I guess you would say. Is there any way to get the air out without taking my cams off and manually pumping up the lifters? Also does anyone know if it would cause and internal damage to the motor if I were to drive it to a shop and have them fix the problem, or hurt anything just running it in my driveway?
07-08-2006, 09:46 AM
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Re: SR20det Lifter Tick
Taken from here (in case hotlinking of the image doesn't work)
Short answer, if there is air in the lash adjusters you have to take them out to get rid of the air. As long as you don't rev high or push the engine hard everything should be fine. It's not unheard of people leaving the adjusters alone for years and living with the ticking, but I personally wouldn't suggest doing it.
Does your SR20 have a "TAP-A-TAP-A-TAP-A-TAP" noise? The most likely suspect is air in the lifters. If you look at my finger location in the picture, I'm pushing down on the back of the rocker arm on the section that rides above the lifter. While pressing, if you feel any movement, you have air in that specific lifter. SR20 lifters are hydraulic but can not bleed themselves like most hydraulic lifters. To bleed your lifters you must remove your valve cover, the cams, and rocker arms. Pull the lifter out of its sleeve making note not to tilt it sideways, submerse it in oil, and insert a thin piece of rigid metal inside the hole on top of the lifter. Keep in mind, entire lifter must be completely submersed in oil. You will feel a groove with your metal probe, if you press down it will compress the internal mechanism. Do this repeatedly, many times, or until it doesn't depress anymore. Carefully insert it back into the sleeve without tipping it so that air does not enter it. Reinstall the rocker arms, cams, and valve cover and listen to see if the noise persists.
Short answer, if there is air in the lash adjusters you have to take them out to get rid of the air. As long as you don't rev high or push the engine hard everything should be fine. It's not unheard of people leaving the adjusters alone for years and living with the ticking, but I personally wouldn't suggest doing it.
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07-10-2006, 11:24 PM
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Re: SR20det Lifter Tick
Well thanks for all your help guys, but even better, I check for air and its in two of the lifters. I started the car after I had checked and yesterday Im taking everything apart and right before I go to loosen the cams, I checked again to see which ones have air and they are all hard as a rock?? So I put it back together and start it but its still making the noise....Is it possible they have air but it just felt hard then, or maybe its the timing chain?
07-11-2006, 01:31 PM
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Re: SR20det Lifter Tick
Originally Posted by H22Hatch
Is it possible they have air but it just felt hard then, or maybe its the timing chain?
My guess (since you said they were mushy before) is that you ran the engine long enough to heat up whatever air was in the adjusters which caused it to expand and made them more difficult to depress. Try that test again a few times to make sure it is or isn't air in the adjusters before you decide to take the head apart.
The injectors are another common noise maker you can look into.
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