Hi,

I have a 1984 380sl, that makes a ticking noise on start up but goes away after minutes. I've replaced all the lifters, rockers, cams, oilers and cam towers. Since then the clicking started. I have tried switching weight oils went from regular to synthetic and back to normal and the clicking continued.

I would like to know if this is normal for this type of ticking to go on with not just cold start but also start ups after 3 1/2 hours and the engine is still warm?

Please help any advise would help including suggestions.

Thanks

ticking is normal on solid lifter engines,you can increase weight of oil to cushion lifters.I never run stock oils as I drive hard.I run diesel 15w40 in my gasser.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

Did you check the lash with the tool and adjust the roto caps accordingly?
Maybe you have too much lash?

Mike:

Even after replacement with new hydraulic compensators (aka, "lifters") there exists the possibility that one or more of them may be leaking internally. There is also the chance that, due to manufacturing tolerances, a compensator is at the end of its travel. There is a procedure for checking and adjusting the initial position of the compensator plunger that can be found in the Service Manuals. It involves the thickness of the distance piece, which is a shim in effect, that sits in the valve spring retainer between the tip of the cam follower and the end of the valve.

Addendum: All aluminum block (and some iron block) M116/117 engines were equipped with hydraulic compensators. Ergo, 1984, being an aluminum block engine, is of the hydraulic type. The shim mentioned above is also known as a "lash cap", although in this application it serves to set the initial geometry of the compensator/cam follower/valve tip.

Did the 84 have hydraulic lifters or were they solid with shims?

It is a hydraulic compensating element (ball stud) that one side of the rocker arm operates against and a shim (lash cap) that sits on the top of the valve stem upon which the other side of the rocker arm operates against. The lash cap is available in various thicknesses to preload the hydraulic compensator within a specified range so that valve lash will be 0 at all operating temperatures and for an extended period of valve train component wear. Mark

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Does this car see lots of short trips / engine starts - stops? I've seen lots of Euro engines ( VW for example ) not tolerate this very well.

If the lash adjuster / hydraulic compensator / "lifter " is a hydraulic cylinder with a check valve at the bottom. Oil pressure extends the hyd cylinder to take up clearance and ,when the cam presses on the rocker, the check valve closes allowing the system to go solid.

The post above speaks of different thickness lash caps, this is done to keep the hyd cylinder in mid travel, if the cyl is fully extended, you may get valve noise, If the cyl is fully collapsed, a engine valve may stay open.

Somewhere in the shop manual there will be a measuring procedure.

The other question is , if there was no noise prior, why were the parts changed?

I used to run 20/50 castrol and this was before I did all the repairs I do run 15/40 in the car right now

I have not done that yet I do have the shim measurement tool, but haven't got around to that yet. As for as checking the roto caps I had my mechanic do when he installed all the things stated, but I will have him double check it while it is the shop this week.

They were the hydraulic lifters I bought the new ones from febi, speaking of which is that a good brand of part?

The car does do a combination of short and long trips. The noise I narrowed down to the passenger side bank towards the fire wall. The noise was there prior to the repairs that were made, and now it is still making the noise from the exact same area as stated even after the repairs. I'm taking the car into the shop tomorrow to get an oil pump installed hoping that may solve the issue. If not then I'm going to change out the engine, The question that I have is if that doesn't work will a 500 engine work in this car or should I stick with a 380 engine?