The ticking.... it's... it's gone!

[Plays_With_toys]

Woohoo! $50 and 2.5 hrs later, that annoying, sounds like a diesel engine noise my 2.2 made is gone. Here's the breakdown:

$25 for Hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA) (P# 13230)
$25 for set of valve cover gaskets (both sides)

Doing this "repair" was super easy, and could probably be done for just the cost of gaskets. Also, I am a slow worker, and had to wait for the engine to cool, so I believe this could take most people about an hour from start to finish.

First, remove the valve cover on the side that is making the noise. To do the driver side, remove the windshield washer reservoir and the battery. To do the passenger side, you will have to remove the air box and some of the air intake tubing. There are 3 bolts holding the valve cover on, and they are all in a straight line across the face of the valve cover. Also remove the vacuum line that feeds into the valve cover. You can remove the spark plug wires, but afterwards, I didn't feel that that step helped all that much. If the valve cover doesn't come off, don't pry it off, take a small piece of wood and a hammer and gently tap near an edge.

Next, remove the vacuum line from the other valve cover (unless you've taken both off). Rotate the crankshaft (car has to be in neutral), its the big nut in the center of the pulley in the center/front of the motor. Rotate this clock wise. You will see the lifters start to move. You want to feel just a little slack in each of the rocker arms.

Next, loosen the bolts of the rocker assembly evenly starting from the inside and working out. There are four bolts in the middle, and 2 on each extreme end of the rocker assembly. They all go straight into the engine block. There are two angled bolts, do not remove these. Once you have removed the bolts, pull the rocker assembly out horizontally (there are guides for the number 1 and 3 bolts) keeping the top of the rocker assembly always at the top, even in storage.

Next, find the collapsed HLA. This is really easy. At the end of the rocker arms are little nipples, squeeze this nipple in towards where it is seated in the rocker arm. If it does not move, it is filled. If the nipple compresses, it is collapsed. Use a small flat head screw driver and gently pull it out. (Mine came out very easily).

Next take a 12mm socket and place it over the end opposite the large nipple. You will see a tiny pin hole with a ball in it (like a ball point pen). Fill the 12mm sock with oil, then depress this ball using a paper clip or safety pin (something small and hard). When you depress the ball push down on the HLA so the nipple compresses. Air bubbles should come up through the oil, then release the nipple. A vacuum will suck the oil from the 12mm socket into the HLA. Now test to see if the nipple compresses. If it still compresses even a little, then repeat the process until the unit is nice and solid.

Next insert the HLA into the rocker arm using your fingers, be nice and gentle so you don't wreck the o-ring. You can buy the o-rings seperately, and might be a good idea to use a new o-ring when doing this, but mine didn't appear damaged when I removed my old HLA. (The only reason I used the new one was the instructions I had didn't say to compress the nipple, so I thought my old one was defective when it didn't take in any oil, then I got the new one to fill after a few failed attempts and it was unreturnable at that point)

Now its time to reassemble. The bolt order to attach the rocker assembly is as follows:


1---5-7---3
-4--8-6--2-

First, tighten down 1-4 until the rocker assembly is seated against the head. Next, tighten 5-8 to 96-106 in/lbs. Then Tighten 1-4 to the same specification.

Using new gaskets for the valve cover and valve cover bolts reattach the valve cover and install the battery/washer reservoir or airbox assembly. *Don't forget both the vacuum lines you removed. For a better seal on the valve cover gaskets, I rubbed oil along all the gaskets before installing them to get a better seal.

Start the engine and check for oil leaks. And you're done!

I hope this helps anyone that might be experiencing this problem and I hope this write up is clear enough. It isn't hard to do, I just wish I had known how to fill the HLA before I started.

Now for purposes of searching, I'm just gonna add some words:

tick ticking noise clack clacking hydraulic lash adjuster valve valves HLA 2.2 liter 1996

[abosworth]

Nice write up. I didn't think it was that easy. But i have never done it either

[Teh Legacy]

Which ticking is this? The one upon a cold startup?

[sha_zapple]

Could you do this from underneath the car?

[suby2low]

nice write up. very impressive thourough.

[Teh Legacy]

Which ticking is this? Did it happen only while the engine was cold? Mine has a terrible "diesel" sounding tick when it's cold. Any help? Don't mean to hijack...

[Plays_With_toys]

Sorry, been spending all my time at SLi since this place was not getting anybody coming through.

The ticking is the ticking noise many people experience with the engine cold, however, mine was persistent no matter the temperature of the engine. It came in for a few days and then would leave. But the last time it came in, it stayed for a month, so I went ahead and fixed it. The only downside? Now I can hear a very very light tick in the passenger side. I'll save that for another day though. From what I've read the cold engine noise should go away, and I have no idea what the cause for that is.

Shazapple, I would recommend coming in from the top. There is that cross member that goes under the motor, so reaching the bolts would be quite difficult. I don't really see a necessity to do it from underneath either, considering pulling the rocker assembly out, it'd be easier to pull it out and up, instead of trying to squeeze it past the fender/motor and risk dropping it.

[Dodik]

Hey guys I know this is kind off subject but does anyone has ever fixed same problem on EJ 25??

[subielicious02]

Originally Posted by Teh Legacy

Which ticking is this? Did it happen only while the engine was cold? Mine has a terrible "diesel" sounding tick when it's cold. Any help? Don't mean to hijack...

that sounds like collapsed piston skirts

[Plays_With_toys]

Ok, so I was annoyed because I thought I'd need to open up the valve cover and take the assembly apart and do all that I described here and also clean out the oil passages. Instead, after reading about someone running 15w40 diesel oil in their 91 legacy, I did some research and decided to try it.

After 600 miles, the lifter has inflated itself. It came back to life in the last 200 miles after lots of highway driving.

I researched alot about the diesel oil. From what I've read it is safe to use on gas cars. The difference between gas oil and diesel oil is that diesel oil has detergents and additive packets to suspend flow contaminents out. This is because of the high soot content of diesel vehicles. So it'd make sense these detergents could also clean out the rocker passages, and provide a thicker oil. Idle is nice and smooth, and most of all the lifter tick cured itself.

Oh, swing by advance auto if you want to try this out. They discontinued the 1qt sized Chevron Delo400. It's $0.95 a quart. You'll have to ask where their discontinued items are.

[sachilles]

Originally Posted by Plays_With_toys

Ok, so I was annoyed because I thought I'd need to open up the valve cover and take the assembly apart and do all that I described here and also clean out the oil passages. Instead, after reading about someone running 15w40 diesel oil in their 91 legacy, I did some research and decided to try it.

After 600 miles, the lifter has inflated itself. It came back to life in the last 200 miles after lots of highway driving.

I researched alot about the diesel oil. From what I've read it is safe to use on gas cars. The difference between gas oil and diesel oil is that diesel oil has detergents and additive packets to suspend flow contaminents out. This is because of the high soot content of diesel vehicles. So it'd make sense these detergents could also clean out the rocker passages, and provide a thicker oil. Idle is nice and smooth, and most of all the lifter tick cured itself.

Oh, swing by advance auto if you want to try this out. They discontinued the 1qt sized Chevron Delo400. It's $0.95 a quart. You'll have to ask where their discontinued items are.

This is a pretty common fix for a lot of higher mileage engines. Worked in my 200k mile land rover pretty well. I use shell rotella 15w40. Wal-mart even carries it. Info from the rover boards indicates its the zinc content of the oil that helps matters. Who knows, it could be snake oil, but it seemed to work well for me.

[12Voltking]

Dodik, this will fix the same issue on the 25.

Another reason the engine does this, particuarly on older motors is that the O-Rings inside the oil pump harden and flatten up allowing air into the oil...Subaru released a kit to replace the O-Rings that solved this issue.

[Radeon]

Hm, there are 2.5 with HLAs? That's news to me...
On 2.5 one just has to adjust valve clearances once every 100k.

[Plays_With_toys]

Originally Posted by Radeon

Hm, there are 2.5 with HLAs? That's news to me...
On 2.5 one just has to adjust valve clearances once every 100k.

Yeah, the 2.5's also make a ticking noise, but to my knowledge they use spacers for lash adjustment. Post 1996 2.2's also stopped using HLA's. The ticking in other motors is related caused by something else, though somewhere in that area I am sure.

[Outback Jack]

Originally Posted by Radeon

Hm, there are 2.5 with HLAs? That's news to me...
On 2.5 one just has to adjust valve clearances once every 100k.

1996 EJ25 had HLAs, and the rest had solid lifters.

[fobzy]

lol if thats easy i dont wanna see what hard is...

[Dodik]

ok this may sound like vodoo but it happened as far as i know one of my lifters was knocking after my mechanic broke one of the headbolts while changing gaskets. so he put a little bigger diameter bolt. the lifter knocked at either hot or cold. but then one day i was going to work and this guy tells me at red light that he can fix this problem within 5 minutes with a magnet. and it did go away kind of. when the car is hot and i add lucas oil stabilizer its silent but when its cold it still knocks. I am not sure what is wrong exactly wrong with the lifters and im not a mechanic, and i dont think im going to fix this problem completely without spending a fortune. so im just gonna pray that car goes for another 30k to get to 300k and then it may rest in peace. but magnet thing kind of works.

[KD7000]

Originally Posted by Dodik

this guy tells me at red light that he can fix this problem within 5 minutes with a magnet.

Did he slaughter a chicken and chant some weird spell, too?

[Plays_With_toys]

I don't know how a magnet would do it... Do you just keep the magnet permanently attached to the valve cover? I'd feel weary of having a magnet on my motor with all those moving parts. Even a neodymium magnet could dislodge some how.

Like I said, it's super easy to do this. You could have your feed line to the HLA's clogged up. Put some seafoam into your oil about 5-600 miles before your next oil change. Remember not to over fill, because you're adding fluid to your oil, and you wouldn't want to blow any seals. Seafoam will clean your oil components like crazy.

[janikphoto]

my 1986 mazda pickup used to sound like a deisel engine (though it was unleaded gas). It had a ticking you wouldn't believe!!!

[Sneeky Pete]

They were solid lift intell 97...97 is the first year of the HLA in the ej25's

[Wiscon_Mark]

Originally Posted by Sneeky Pete

They were solid lift intell 97...97 is the first year of the HLA in the ej25's

Other way around. Completely backwards. '97 was the first year of solid lifters. Less friction overall, but need adjusting every 100k or so.

[Sneeky Pete]

Originally Posted by Wiscon_Mark

Other way around. Completely backwards. '97 was the first year of solid lifters. Less friction overall, but need adjusting every 100k or so.

Mybad.....misread a bit....I stand corrected

[Dodik]

no the magnet is not attached to anything he used an adjustable magnet to pull lifters or push i dont really know what he did cause i was inside the car starting and shutting it off. i dont think seafoam will do much for me i think i probably going to need new block with new heads to fix the all other problems as well. and another reason for knocking is i was cheap and bought gaskets off internet instead of dealership and they are little bit thinner and i think that kind of infuences the ticking, and probably a different diameter headbolt add something to all this.

I will though try to get one of the guys in my unit to explain to me a little more about how lifters work and maybe ill be able to fix it in spring when it gets warmer.

[88rxn/a]

posting for future reference