how to free or prevent sticky valves and lifters

[spstan]

Is there a chemical (oil ) additive or other product I can use to prevent/free valves and lifters from sticking? I really don't want to remove valve covers and heads. My mechanic suggested Marvel Mystery oil in the oil. Any other products that work?

What causes a sticky valve or lifter? Paul

 

[mikedrini]

Is there a chemical (oil ) additive or other product I can use to prevent/free valves and lifters from sticking? I really don't want to remove valve covers and heads. My mechanic suggested Marvel Mystery oil in the oil. Any other products that work?

What causes a sticky valve or lifter? Paul

Some of us add this after each fuel refill to aid with lubing the top end. It has an additive that is safe for our older engines. I believe you add 1 oz per 5 gallons of gas. I've had luck with it and @detmatt was the one that told me about it.

 

[spstan]

you add oil to the gas? Paul

 

[live4theking]

you add oil to the gas? Paul

Yes

 

[detmatt]

you add oil to the gas? Paul

To the fuel. I put in no less than 1 ounce per every 5 gallons of gas at the pump prior to filling. It is mainly necessary if you are running fuel that has any ethanol in it. It will help negate the negative effects of the ethanol. I wouldn’t be able to say that it would benefit sticky valves or lifters.

 

[mikedrini]

You can always go with either of these as well:

 

[CBODY67]

There used to be many "top oil" gas additives which were supposed to lube the valves and such, back in the 1970s and prior. With the advent of exhaust emissions "things", many of them have disappeared for one reason or another. Bardhal was one brand. I remember one WWII guy mentioned that in the military, in getting ready for an inspection, they would get some of the top oil additive and use it to polish the Jeeps with. Said the oil in it shined things up very nicely.

Think of Berrymans as a varnish remover, more than anything else, but more specialized in the varnish which could be the result of oil and fuel mixing, rather than something put on wood furniture. Worked well with the soft varnish which would form from gas fumes out of the carb too, from evaporating fuel vapors.

As 2-stroke fuel oil, it could well be that it is doing some of the same things as MMOil does? Adding a bit of added lubricity to the gas and what it might touch. Whatever works!

Putting gasoline in oil is never good. But putting OIL in gasoline can work well, IF not too much and of the correct type.

Enjoy!
CBODY67

 

[Big_John]

Is there a chemical (oil ) additive or other product I can use to prevent/free valves and lifters from sticking? I really don't want to remove valve covers and heads. My mechanic suggested Marvel Mystery oil in the oil. Any other products that work?

What causes a sticky valve or lifter? Paul

While I'm not a fan of additives, probably Marvel Mystery oil is as good as anything.

Usually that clicking you hear is the lifters need to fill with oil. Dirty oil is often the culprit. What I would do is to put whatever you're going to put in the oil, take the car out and run it until it's well up to temperature. Bring it home and immediately change the oil while it's still hot. That should help some. Key thing is getting it to operating temperature... And by that, I mean actually driving the car at that temperature for longer than just a trip to the store.

 

[413]

Prevent? Easy! Change your oil regularly, get it up to operating temperature when driving.

 

[Reliabilityman]

I have had good luck with Rislone, but havent used it since the 80's. It worked on a ford mustang with a sticking tapping lifter/valve. Worked well. Normally Im not a fan of liquid snake oil fixes but this did work back then.

 

[commando1]

I'm a confirmed fan of Lucas DEISEL oil additive.

 

['66 Fury I]

In '73, I had a '63 Windsor with a 383. It had been sitting for a couple years and had sticky lifters and probably stuck rings. I used a product called "Bardahl Tune-Up" in the oil. Ran it for a few days, changed the oil and repeated. I was pleased with the results. Ran that car for four years and wish I had kept it!
The stuff was probably naptha or something similar. FWIW Lindsay

 

[Ripinator]

View attachment 600630

Some of us add this after each fuel refill to aid with lubing the top end. It has an additive that is safe for our older engines. I believe you add 1 oz per 5 gallons of gas. I've had luck with it and @detmatt was the one that told me about it.

This is what I use - $19.95 / gallon:

 

[mikedrini]

This is what I use - $19.95 / gallon:
View attachment 600717

Same thing essentially, just cheaper given the Wally World Super Tech Brand, to each his own.

 

[Outsider]

I would advise pulling at least one valve cover and see what it looks like. If it's just has a coffee colored film over everything, that is better than if it has a heavy caked deposits filling most of the valve cover, (usually from only adding oil and never changing it). If really heavily caked, it probably would be best to accept it needs to be torn down and overhauled to give reliable service.

If not too caked, in years past working on old motors I have had success with two methods, one by draining a quart of oil and adding a quart of ATF, or the second method by draining two quarts of oil and adding two quarts of kerosene. In both cases run the motor in the driveway for at least half an hour to fully warm it up, periodically revving the motor to 3k rpm or so. Then drain the oil while hot, add new oil and filter, drive street speed for a couple hours, and drain hot, replace oil and filter.

 

[shooter65]

I'll be grateful to others who chime in regarding older engines but I had a 96 Intrepid 3.3L that I was getting a noisy lifter. My mechanic at the time, now retired, told me to put 1 quart of ATF in the crank, run it for 200 miles, then change the oil. Worked like a charm, drove the car for another 70k (160k total) miles without a noisy lifter or any other problems.

 

[Knebel]

I use mystery oil and seafoam sometimes on our daily drivers. I only put it in if we go on a long drive where we run the whole tank through. I used mystery oil in an old hyundai we had and it did solve some lifter noise!

 

[66 Monaco 500 365]

I've heard 1 quart of ATF in the oil, run it easily for a short time then change the oil.
The huge amount of detergent in ARF can free up lifters.

 

[pomonamissel]

marvel mystery oil works

 

[Justin Plant]

Project Farm on youtube, he did one video on Seafoam both in the crankcase and gas tank on his Ford Ranger. Results were surprising.