96 855 Loud clashing tappets quiet now :)

Post by **JimBee** » 23 Jul 2014, 21:21

Having stored the 855 since last October and just recently started it up to a chorus of clashing tappets, I felt disheartened. My beautiful (139k) engine that used to purr.

Well, it's purring again. I used a half of a can of Seafoam in the crankcase and drove it around the neighborhood. This is totally unscientific—was it actually the Seafoam or just driving it around a little that got the galleys cleaned up (if that was the problem)?

I will admit to fussing over what to add to the oil. The local service station manager doesn't like Seafoam but didn't tell me why. He recommended I add some Lucas to the oil. A few forum posts later I nixxed that idea as it seems to be heavy oil.

This thread helped me decide:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ub ... /1876471/3

I plan to change the oil in a couple hundred miles (to what? Pennzoil Platinum?), but as of right now the engine is back to its old (thrumming, not clashing) self!

Post by **erikv11** » 23 Jul 2014, 23:17

Glad to hear this one is solved, I was scratching my head when you posted it up.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 24 Jul 2014, 07:54

When my whiteblocks have been parked for an extended period of time they are always noisy and it can last for several days. It never seems to hurt anything and I don't get terribly excited about it anymore.

...Lee

Post by **jblackburn** » 24 Jul 2014, 08:05

^What Lee said.

The Volvo once sat for 2 months. It started in a cloud of blue smoke and lots of tapping from the top end. It quieted down to a nice purr in 5 minutes or so and a quick drive around the cul-de-sac.

Post by **erikv11** » 24 Jul 2014, 08:10

5 minutes sure. But I think OP was looking at like a week or something.

Post by **JimBee** » 24 Jul 2014, 10:28

Actually, the time that passed was 4 or 5 days, I think. During that time I only ran it for maybe half an hour, comprising a couple of warmups and a slightly longer period. I really didn't want to run it with all that noise. I envisioned dry steel parts chafing around in there. After adding the Seafoam, at least I had some hope that with SF circulating there would be some chance of improving oil circulation. From what you guys are saying, maybe the Seafoam didn't make a difference—just had to run it.