I've had the 300zx (UK TT) for a few weeks and it's been running fine until today. Driving it back from work it didn't seem to be down on power and was running fine, but while I was letting the engine run down on the drive I thought it sounded very tappety.

 

Just had good listen and it's definitely in the top end at about camshaft frequency - I peered down the oil filler - and rises with engine revs. It sounds just like my diesel Passat now!

 

I haven't given it a blast recently, in fact just a gentle drive to work and back each day.

 

I had planned to do an oil service on it this weekend anyway, but is it easily fixable, expensive? Any thoughts?

Wots the oil pressure gauge saying??

It sits anwhere between 30-60 when driving and around 15-20 on tickover (about 1000rpm)

 

It has to be said the oil pressure gauge seems a bit 'sticky' which I'd put down to the gauge or sender. It never drops below 30 psi when driving though.

Good oil pressure is a good sign. If your sure its coming from the top end of the engine then id put money on the hydaulic lifters, a couple went on my old zed and it sounded bloody awefull. TBH i have no idea what causes the lifters to become noisey, youll have to ask someone with a bit more knowledge than me, but without hearing it, thats what id put my money on

 

Quite and easy job, but time consuming.

 

HTH

 

nick

Lifters become noisey because the one way valve in them clogs and stops being a one way valve lol. They rely on the one way valve to stay 'jacked open' to do their job. Hard to explain without a drawing.....

i seem to remember it was something like that. Does no one do uprated lifters for the zed, or at least modify standard ones to prevent it further andy???

It definitely sounds like it's one valve noise, but I haven't isolated which side or position yet. I'll wait until it's light!

 

If it is a lifter, some dumb questions.

• What's the approx cost each and where from?
  
• How much have I got to rip off to get to them?
  
• Anything else worth doing while it's apart?
  
• Is it worth changing them all (err.. depends how much the are I guess)
  

It definitely sounds like it's one valve noise, but I haven't isolated which side or position yet. I'll wait until it's light!

 

If it is a lifter, some dumb questions.

• What's the approx cost each and where from?
  
• How much have I got to rip off to get to them?
  
• Anything else worth doing while it's apart?
  
• Is it worth changing them all (err.. depends how much the are I guess)
  

 

the only one i can answer is Q2. alot. Plenum and all the gubbins connected to it (coils, boost pipes etc) CAS, rocker covers, cam shafts. Without an engine in front of me i can give a detailed answer, im acting on a 2 yr old memory. It may seem like alotm but as most will say, its a pretty straight forward job if you just take your time.

 

Nick

Oh and yes, i would change them all. Its not worth doing a job like that and not changing all of them, when it is just as likely another one will fail as soon as you start the thing back up

i seem to remember it was something like that. Does no one do uprated lifters for the zed, or at least modify standard ones to prevent it further andy???

 

Unfortunately, no. TBH it would be near on impossible. Its not the lifter failing thats the problem. The one way valve is basically a ball bearing over a hole - the reason thay become noisey is a bit of grit gets in there and stops the ball bearing seating correctly. This allows the oil to escape, the lifter compress and then the gap between the cam lobe and the lifter to increase, causing the tapping noise.

 

Dave:

 

Cost each $37 from the states, can be had cheaper if you shop around

 

Upper intake off, cambelt off, rocker covers off, cams out.

 

Replace cambelt, tensioner, idlers and water pump. Obviously also rocker cover seals. Consider doing TB coolant bypass. Replace PCV valves and hoses.

 

For the work involved, YES I'd replace them all while you're there...

Or if your feeling like a gamble you can take them all out and clean them, I did this as time and spending 2 days cleaning and polishing them was all I could afford, I did have 3 that refused to seal properly on checking them after cleaning I binned those and cleaned up a few more spare second hand ones.

 

I found this on youtube and it's exactly the noise mine is making

 

Can anyone suggest a good supplier for all these parts Andy suggested?

Blimey!!.. That sounds more than a sticky lifter to me :confused:

It sounds like a diesel engine :confused:

 

Hope you get it sorted without too much expense mate.. All the best

Another thing to try, which worked on mine before doing anything expensive is go down to harry Halford and get some lifter lube, about £6 and try that. it may take a few hundred miles to work but it did the job on mine. I just add some more each time I do oil change.

Blimey!!.. That sounds more than a sticky lifter to me

It sounds like a diesel engine

 

Gotta agree that sounds a bit more serious than the usual lifter noise, more of a knock :( .

 

If yours sounds like that I'd get it looked at pronto before any serious damage is down, deffo wouldn't be running around in it

that vid sounds more like big end bearings, and really shagged ones at that

I'm pretty sure it's a top end noise. Plan is to strip the top end off this weekend and have a nose around before buying anything.

Its pretty difficult to see whether a lifter is dead or not, as i think im right in saying that the one way valve is inside the lifter. Try putting a screw driver down between the gaps in the plenum and onto the rocker cover. Stick your ear to the end of the screwdriver and have a good old listen, you should be able to hear the lifter rattling very clearly, and saves you having to take it to pieces to find its not them

None of the lifters I had were faulty due to debris, 1 had an oval round where the little ball seals against the piston, and 2 were just sticking due to the build up of glazed oil on them, several had the tiny holes in the top washers half blocked.

OK my second Zed made that exact same noise, and three days and 150 miles later the passenger side exhause cam seized. Pop went the engine.

 

Dont drive any more or even turn it on untill its sorted whatever the problem is dude!

I won't be driving it until I know the damage. The shame is I bought it off a friend who's had it from new with a full Nissan history and I know the car well and how it's been looked after. OK it's done 144K, but when things needed doing they were done.

 

One of those things I guess. I'm not planning to give up on it cos it was one of the last 9 to be brought into the country by Nissan for UK sales. The plan is to restore it to it's former glory - it's just I hadn't figured on starting on it just yet!

I've had the 300zx (UK TT) for a few weeks and it's been running fine until today. Driving it back from work it didn't seem to be down on power and was running fine, but while I was letting the engine run down on the drive I thought it sounded very tappety.

 

Just had good listen and it's definitely in the top end at about camshaft frequency - I peered down the oil filler - and rises with engine revs. It sounds just like my diesel Passat now!

 

I haven't given it a blast recently, in fact just a gentle drive to work and back each day.

 

I had planned to do an oil service on it this weekend anyway, but is it easily fixable, expensive? Any thoughts?

Try adding some lifter treatment!