Stuck lifter or something worse?

[waveridin1959]

I know there are a couple of problems that need to resolved that may be effecting this. I can hear faintly in the engine bay a taping( not high pitched and goes with the rpms of the engine).

-The sound is much lighter than the sound i get when i start the truck and i can hear everything taping till the oil pressure build up.

-I can also here a sound coming though the exhaust. same rhythm as the faint tapping in the engine.

I know i have to redo the head gasket since i have coolant slowly disappearing and I have a little oil leaking onto the manifold. (second time this will be done in 4 years) Ever since i blew oil cooler lines, any hint of smoke or burnt oil concerns me.

Besides this, the engine runs smoother than ever since i got the carbon cleaned out of the manifold.

I'm moving to Raleigh, NC soon so I don't think I should drive for 3 hours at 75 with it like this. Any thoughts?

[evilfij]

Go for it. Sounds like a rocker arm to me.

[waveridin1959]

I am thinking it is a rocker arm, but it is much more faint than what i am used to hearing when i start the truck. Hearing it through the exhaust is what is throwing me. Its enough to notice with a Flowmaster! The engine has almost 150,000 on it so it probably could use some work done to it in various places.

[evilfij]

Run her 'til she blows.

[Hans]

Could also be an exhaust leak somewhere. Bad head gasket, had that happen to me 2 years ago. Lifter, or rocker. Partly loose spark plug.

Could also just be hearing the injectors firing, they do make audible clicking noises and they all fire at the same time.

-Hans

[mikeslandrover]

Flushing oil - get the muck out of the hydraulic tappets :)