1998 Ford Taurus lifter test

It isn't so cut and dry with hydrolic lifters. There is a test procedure you can do and you will need a feeler guage to check them. Here is how it goes. Get number 1 cylinder on TDC compression stroke. Now colapse the intake lifter and measure gap between rocker and valve stem should be .085 to .185 if not then it is valve stem problems and that is the noise. Now as for the lifters the clearence should be .00007 to .00027 that is all the lifter should colapse. Lifters don't cost that much if more then one is bad I would replace them all.

how long does the engine have to run before the lifters will be completely full of oil?

Thanks so much.

Once the oil light is off or the oil pressure guage is up to normal.

Thank you ! This is helpful.

If I may ask - what is the flag in your avatar? I can only make out the colors.

Thanks again.

It it the flag in the shape of Wasington state. It is from the Inland Northwest Mustang Club which I am a part of.

I have a 97 ford taurus i think the lifters may be bad. car runs pretty good but there is a ticking/squeaking sound coming from the top of the engine. It is not near the belt(left) side but the right side/center. i cant find anything loose, it sounds internal. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

If you think it might be a sticky lifter, then I recomend you pick up a bottle of marvel mystery oil and put in the oil and see if it will help. Let me know how it goes.

thanks for the info, I will try that next oil change(hopefully!), I just changed the oil and used 25% lucas oil treatment. That did seem to quite the noise a bit. Is lucas comparable to marvel mystery oil?

Yes however marvel is more for cleaning then stabilizing.

What is your opinion on replacing 2 quarts of oil with 1 quart of lucas and 1 quart of marvel? Thanks again.

It is not a good idea you will add a stabilizer then a cleaner to many additives at one time in my opinion. I would at the correct amount of marvel to you next oil change and see how that does.