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  • Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

    I got a couple problems that are driving me crazy :rant:

    About 4 months ago, I seafoamed my 3.8L at 120k miles. Everything went well and the sticky was followed to a tee. About 2 weeks or so later, I fired up my car in the cold and there is a loud "click, click, click" noise coming from the engine bay near the alternator (or so it seems - not saying that it is anyways related to that) and it is also heard from the exhaust in the rear of the car. The performance is diminished while the car is "clicking" and when reving or driving the car sounds like an STI. It takes about 5 minutes for this clicking and performance problems to relieve. Then everything will be fine. So I figured the seafoam possibly caused a nice little clog somewhere in my engine, so I put fresh new oil and seafoamed it again through the crank case. Symptoms resolved for a week and then came back. My car then overheated to around 230, so I pulled over and got her filled up with some dex-cool. Ever since this day, about every 2-3 weeks, I have to make sure my coolant is filled, so I'm losing coolant somewhere. I've put a white sheet under my car for 2 days and there wasn't one spec of coolant dropped and my hose aren't corroded or hard. Just recently, when I fire my car up, during the clicking noise and performance issues, the car's oil pressure will fluctuate from 30 to near 120. If it's idling it's close to 30, if driving it can go up to 120 depending on how long I'm in the gear. After the clicking noises go away, the oil pressure will stay around 60 (usually a little under)

    In short, I'd like to find how I'm losing so much coolant, figure out why my car is clicking and having performance issues until it reaches near running temp, and why my oil pressure is drastically changing until the clicking noise resolves.

  • #2
    Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

    Dex-cool

    Sounds like head gasket went poo. But take that with a grain of salt as Im not expert in this area. Do you or did you see any milky substance in the oil?
    sigpic
    98 Camaro 3.8 M5 Y87 | 99 Camaro LS1 Z28 T56

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    • #3
      Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

      the seafoam caused dirt to clog your lifter.

      from the sound of it, you will probably need to change the head gaskets, and the lifters.

      dont ever use seafoam again unless it is in the gas to through a vacuum line!

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      • #4
        Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

        also stop driving it for now if u can
        sigpic

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        • #5
          Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

          Originally posted by cam98aro View Post
          the seafoam caused dirt to clog your lifter.

          from the sound of it, you will probably need to change the head gaskets, and the lifters.

          dont ever use seafoam again unless it is in the gas to through a vacuum line!
          Theres nothing wrong with seafoam in the engine if used as directed, could be nothing related to using seafoam, look how many people use it with great success. I use it all the time, but if something happened I wouldn't blame it on something I have used for 10 years.
          08' L76 6.0L 4X4 Chevy EXT.Cab LTZ Vortec MAX with Snug top cover, Dynomax exhaust,Hptuners& K&N intake
          96' Camaro M5 to A4 conversion, alot of mods . GT35R Turbo full suspension. Built engine

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          • #6
            Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

            Originally posted by ssms5411 View Post
            Theres nothing wrong with seafoam in the engine if used as directed, could be nothing related to using seafoam, look how many people use it with great success. I use it all the time, but if something happened I wouldn't blame it on something I have used for 10 years.
            SeaFoam is a make or break. I ran it through a van and it immediately blew a head gasket. I know you cant blame it on the SeaFoam, but it will finish off a dieing head gasket or anything else thats about to fail. I blame the Dex-Cool, SF just finished it off.
            Last edited by nimrod.sixty9; 03-28-2010, 03:39 AM.
            sigpic
            98 Camaro 3.8 M5 Y87 | 99 Camaro LS1 Z28 T56

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            • #7
              Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

              Originally posted by ssms5411 View Post
              Theres nothing wrong with seafoam in the engine if used as directed, could be nothing related to using seafoam, look how many people use it with great success. I use it all the time, but if something happened I wouldn't blame it on something I have used for 10 years.
              you are somewhat correct.

              seafoam is a great thing IF and only IF it is used from the begining, or a very low mile engine.

              seafoam breaks up all of the gunk in the oil, when the engine has low miles, there is little to no gunk, when it has high mileage, there is a lot more buildup, and a lot more wear on the engine. This gunk fills up the wear spots of the engine, which helps protect the engine from further wear. When you use seafoam, it removes all of this, and you get more metal on metal contact, which equals more wear in the end.

              This gunk is sucked up by the oil filter, and right into the lifters, causing the very tiny oil passages to get clogged, and the lifter cannot pump up enough causing play in the valvetrain, and the lifter smacking the pushrod causing the ticking noise that i so famous.

              it is the exact reason why high mileage auto transmissions cannot get flushed, same concept, flushing the trans causing all of the gunk to go away and causes a tremendous wear on the internals of the transmission.

              I had a transmission that was drained and had the fluid replaced, the fluid looked like a metallic crystal ball when it came out. After the new fluid was put in, the transmission made it about 1/4 mile before going totally out and being a huge paperweight.

              IMO people need to be educated more on how engines work before they just go and dump a bunch of miracle fluid in their oil. For instance, when people buy "engine honey" to stop oil from coming passed the rings, the only thing that stuff does is increase the viscosity of the oil, make it thicker so the oil cannot get passed, but they dont realize that it is also destroying their engine in the process.

              Im not saying that seafoam is a waste, i like the product, but just in the passed 2 weeks i have seen 2 or 3 members of this forum use seafoam, and made posts on here asking why their engine is ticking, or why the gas gauge quit working.

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              • #8
                Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                I appreciate the input thus far guys. So I did a cooling system pressure test and it help pressure fine.. I decided to take it to a shop for a diagnostic and they said I have bad lifters and a small crack in my radiator. Anyone have any advice on changing out the lifters?

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                • #9
                  Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                  I would put on a fresh high quality oil filter, and add a can of engine flush to the oil. The filter will catch the dissolved buildup and particles, and let only clean oil and solvents to the lifters. Generally lifters tick because they are clogged and stuck in a collapsed state. So before doing a full lifter job, do at least two engine flushes, with complete oil change between the flushes, including the filter. Use cheap oil, but top of the line filters. And like I wrote above, put on a good filter before pouring in engine flush.

                  If after a week of driving on clean oil (maybe even with a little flush in it), it still makes noise, then do the lifter job.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                    Originally posted by jkelley View Post
                    I appreciate the input thus far guys. So I did a cooling system pressure test and it help pressure fine.. I decided to take it to a shop for a diagnostic and they said I have bad lifters and a small crack in my radiator. Anyone have any advice on changing out the lifters?
                    dont replace the lifters...yet

                    like stated, change the oil with new stuff, and drive the car around for a bit, it should clear the lifters out, my car took about a week before the lifters quit making a racket

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                    • #11
                      Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                      Okay guys, thanks for the advice. I'll try that.. and any recomendation on what engine flush I should use? Should I just sea foam it again? How many miles should I drive on the cheap oil and engine flush for each one?

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                      • #12
                        Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                        Originally posted by jkelley View Post
                        Okay guys, thanks for the advice. I'll try that.. and any recomendation on what engine flush I should use? Should I just sea foam it again? How many miles should I drive on the cheap oil and engine flush for each one?
                        NO, DONT USE IT AGAIN!!!! :twak:

                        just change the oil and it will eventually clear everything out, you dont want to cause more problems by using more seafoam.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                          Okay, could you answer the other part about the engine flush =)

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                          • #14
                            Re: Coolant loss, oil pressure fluctuates, clicking noise = YIKES

                            Originally posted by jkelley View Post
                            Okay, could you answer the other part about the engine flush =)
                            you dont need flush, you just need to change the oil and let t warm up until it stops ticking and drive it normally,it will eventually go away

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