Is there a good chemical to quiet lifter in my '51 Lincoln flathead

[1931 flamingo]

Used Rislone back in '61 in the Olds in my '32, worked then, will work now.

Paul in CT

[itsa52]

When I was a kid on hte grease rack, we would add a half court of ATF to it while it was running,, Most times it would quiet right down..

[rotorwrench]

That may have been back when ATF was mostly whale oil. I'm no tree hugger or free Willy kind of guy but a person could see where that was going to go even back then. Modern ATF uses different modifiers in it that may or may not help.

Rislone is the original cleaner that has been around since Christ was a corporal. If the engine has a lot of sludge build up, as many of these old vehicle do, I would suggest short interval oil changes after you put a quart in. They recommend change after the first 100 miles on an extremely crusty engine. Otherwise a lot of crap will be floating around in there and the bypass filter will only catch part of it.

[Hoop]

"The noise appears only after the engine runs and warms. When cold, it's quiet and runs great. I have run lots of Mystery Oil in the crankcase, but no help. I'm now running fresh 40W non detergent oil."

Why Rislone? ATF? MMO? ... or any other thinner?

The symptoms suggest the lifter is pumping up when the oil is cold and thick, but when it warms and thins out, you get the noise. Sounds like a worn lifter.

Straight grade 40 thins out to 40 as it heats up. Cold it is thicker than 40 grade.

Why put thinners in the oil? How about doing a test oil change and put put in Wal-Mart brand 5W-20, or 10W-20 (or 10W-30) ... something less than 40, but multi-grade. It will start cold at 20 (or 30) grade (unless you're out in a blizzard in Rockport) ... it will maintain 20 (or 30) grade viscosity as it warms up ... and the worn lifter should be noisy from start up, or very quickly there after, since it's noisy at warm 40 grade.

Easy test.

[rotorwrench]

On the aircraft engines I work on, the parts have gotten very expensive over the years so some years ago we started using FAA-PMA aftermarket parts including lifter innards during overhauls. They didn't take long to start rattling during start and warm up. They would eventually quit but sometimes a person had to shut down and let it heat soak for a bit. Eventually there were several that wouldn't quit rattling. Learned a lesson on that. Use the OEM parts on tappet follower assemblies. I've changed enough lifters out on them and don't need to do that anymore but they are easier to get to than a 337 Lincoln. The problem is that it is very difficult to find out exactly which one is giving the trouble. A person just about has to take them all out in order to check them. Maybe it's time for a valve job.

I've also had hardened seats come loose and start pounding in the bores. It sounds just like a bad tappet. A sticking valve can make a tap sound if it is an exhaust valve. You can try the Rislone or what ever and maybe it will work and maybe not. If not, some good old fashioned elbow grease is going to have to do the job. If not the owner's, it will be some mechanics job as long as he knows the old flat motors and has the tools.

[Pilot31135]

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I had one sticky lifter, took the intake off, lots of work and got it freed up. But the lifters are not adjusted and are "looser" than they should be. The previous owner must have been ok with it. I plan to reset the valve lash. I do not have hydraulic lifters. My guess is thicker oil/STP is better for your problem. If that doesn't work, I'm guessing you will be adjusting your lifters with a couple 1/2" wrenches and feeler gauge like I will be.
Here is the old girl running, albeit smoky, as I used a ton of PB Blaster TVF and MMO on all the valves.

https://youtu.be/obKvw8u7ZUc

[Pilot31135]

BTW, my 1948-1955 Ford Big Job truck book says hydraulic lifters came in 1948-1949 Ford Truck 337's. not sure how long lincoln used hydraulic lifters...

[flatford8]

Is that a 337? Is that why it looks different?....... Mark

[40 Deluxe]

Originally Posted by Hoop

"The noise appears only after the engine runs and warms. When cold, it's quiet and runs great. I have run lots of Mystery Oil in the crankcase, but no help. I'm now running fresh 40W non detergent oil."

Why Rislone? ATF? MMO? ... or any other thinner?

The symptoms suggest the lifter is pumping up when the oil is cold and thick, but when it warms and thins out, you get the noise. Sounds like a worn lifter.

Straight grade 40 thins out to 40 as it heats up. Cold it is thicker than 40 grade.

Why put thinners in the oil? How about doing a test oil change and put put in Wal-Mart brand 5W-20, or 10W-20 (or 10W-30) ... something less than 40, but multi-grade. It will start cold at 20 (or 30) grade (unless you're out in a blizzard in Rockport) ... it will maintain 20 (or 30) grade viscosity as it warms up ... and the worn lifter should be noisy from start up, or very quickly there after, since it's noisy at warm 40 grade.

Easy test.

The object is not to "thin the oil". It's to get some high detergent additive into the nooks and crannies of the lifter in order to (hopefully) dissolve or flush out the varnish or debris that is preventing the lifter from either pumping up or from bleeding down too quickly. Sure, it may not work, it's definitely a good first step!

[G.M.]

I doubt your problem is the type of oil. Does it sound OK some of the
time when first started? This sounds like lose of oil pressure. I had one
that the lifters would get louder as the oil pressure got lower. Problem
was a weak spring in the oil pump bypass valve. I put a shim made of
1/8" pipe about 3/16" long on top of the spring and the problem went
away and never returned. G.M.

[Hoop]

"I doubt your problem is the type of oil."

I hope you did not read my comment as suggesting it is an "oil type problem."

Oil pressure, yes. Oil viscosity changes ... or does not change ... depending on the grade/multigrades of the oil.

The test I suggested may help confirm what is going on.

What would be the effect of worn out main bearings on an engine? Would oil pressure change as the engine warms up?

Lots of possibilities ...

[G.M.]

Originally Posted by northeastcarnut

I'm still trying to solve my problem with a noisy lifter in my '51 Lincoln flathead. Is there a good reliable chemical I can add? The noise appears only after the engine runs and warms. When cold, it's quiet and runs great. I have run lots of Mystery Oil in the crankcase, but no help. I'm now running fresh 40W non detergent oil.

What is the oil pressure cold right after startup? And what is the
pressure when it warms up and the noise starts? Also does it get
louder as the pressure gets even lower? G.M.

1- oil pressure at startup--
2- oil pressure when noise starts--
3- oil pressure when hot--

[Pilot31135]

Originally Posted by flatford8

Is that a 337? Is that why it looks different?....... Mark

This one??

[Pilot31135]

Originally Posted by G.M.

What is the oil pressure cold right after startup? And what is the
pressure when it warms up and the noise starts? Also does it get
louder as the pressure gets even lower? G.M.

1- oil pressure at startup--
2- oil pressure when noise starts--
3- oil pressure when hot--

Why is it assumed that these are hydraulic lifters? To tell for sure, you can pop off the oil fill tube, shine a flashlight in there and take a look. It would change the approach to getting the lifters quiet.

[Pilot31135]

Originally Posted by northeastcarnut

I'm still trying to solve my problem with a noisy lifter in my '51 Lincoln flathead. Is there a good reliable chemical I can add? The noise appears only after the engine runs and warms. When cold, it's quiet and runs great. I have run lots of Mystery Oil in the crankcase, but no help. I'm now running fresh 40W non detergent oil.

Any luck figuring out your noisy lifters??

[big job]

I smoked my brain trying to find a lifter to help you out; seems there are none on this
planet...My parts book list them for truck but no info on what year (trucks).. I hate
noisy lifters maybe take the suspect out and check it out in a bucket of oil. Reminds me
back in the day a quiet Oldmobile V8 was 1 in a million. Myself (hate to say) think I'd
put in solid lifter, those are around. I have two 1949 F8s that are quiet no clue if they
are hydraulics or solids, meanwhile I'll keep on searching

By the way I have a 13,000 mile one both ex manifolds cracked (how??) took a year
to find two good truck ones

[Chris Marshall]

I had a noisy lifter in a 337 a few years back. No amount of rislone/atf/etc would quiet it. Found a guy selling new hydraulic lifters for the 337 on ebay. I cheaped out and bought two. Installed them and life was good!! Quiet engine again - for a year then had another get noisy. Basically they were worn. My advice is to purchase a full set and replace them all. BTW - these lifters are two piece and he sells the inner with the check valve assembly that wears and allows oil to bypass and the lifter to clatter.

Here's a link to his ebay ad: http://www.ebay.com/itm/16-New-Valve...0J1NTw&vxp=mtr.

[5851a]

Just passing info, no experience. A old friend that was a mechanic at a Ford dealership said there was a TSB for the noisy Lincoln engines and that it was the replacement of the cam and lifters on the Lincoln 337 with solid lifters and cam from the later truck engines which I assumed to be the 50 or 51 trucks. So it may have been a problem from the start with the older oils and the type of driving a Lincoln might encounter.

[Pilot31135]

Originally Posted by big job

I smoked my brain trying to find a lifter to help you out; seems there are none on this
planet...My parts book list them for truck but no info on what year (trucks).. I hate
noisy lifters maybe take the suspect out and check it out in a bucket of oil. Reminds me
back in the day a quiet Oldmobile V8 was 1 in a million. Myself (hate to say) think I'd
put in solid lifter, those are around. I have two 1949 F8s that are quiet no clue if they
are hydraulics or solids, meanwhile I'll keep on searching

By the way I have a 13,000 mile one both ex manifolds cracked (how??) took a year
to find two good truck ones

If you are so inclined, Reds Headers sells exhaust headers for the 337 flathead, for around the same price I was quoted for one used (could crack at any moment) manifold.