sasjzl

Hi all,

I have a 1995 e320 that has developed an irritating valve tick since I replaced the head gasket to fix the infamous leak (after about 190k, I am at 210k now, I finally could stand no more of the stinky smell and constant checking). My best guess is that some microscopic piece of gunk has stuffed up one of the hydraulic valve lifters and instead of pumping up it is just bouncing around in there embarrassing me when I am driving around a parking lot.

My question is if it is a reasonable plan of attack to add various cleaning stuff for the top end (ie SeaFoam) and if that doesn't do anything, which it has not for the last few days, then I open the valve cover and start examining lifters.
If it becomes obvious that a lifter needs to be replaced is that something that someone who somehow managed to replace a head gasket would be capable of doing?

Of course if anyone has any other suggestions on what this annoying ticking could be I am all ears on that.

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee
1995 e320 wagon

Quicksilver500

yeah if you can do a headgasket, lifters are no problem, just pop the cams out and pull them out with your fingers. Run a quart of ATF or something through right before your next oil change see what happens. Drive the hell out of it, get the oil pressure up.

sasjzl

Quicksilver,
I have got the valve cover off and am staring at the cams and lifters. I would rather not replace all lifters. Do I just remove the torx bolts that hold the cams down and remove the cams then press down on the lifters to see which one is bad? Or do I have to actually run the engine first to find out what lifter is not lifting?

Also, is there any diy doc about removing the cams on this engine?

Thanks very much,
Jim Lee

Quicksilver500

Sorry, not on here too much. There are tons of docs on cam removal. I don't know how to just diagnose one lifter tho. You can look at the tops and replace the most smashed ones. Lifters are cheap tappets/buckets are expensive.

The lifters aren't pumped up till the engine is running to build pressure so pressing on them won't do anything I don't think.