Bad Lifters On 96 Firebird Is their A test To See?

[Chris]

I am looking at buying a used 96 firebird It is a V8 5.7L. The car has'nt been started in a month and it was very cold out (Below freezing the past month.) It started right up the first try and ideled fine but i heard a quite ticking noise when i opened the hood. Just wondering what test I can have done to it to see if its bad lifters or other problems. I also heard it could be low oil pressure or not heavy enough oil? Thanks

 

[golden rider]

Check and see if there is enough oil in the engine before you start it. If there is enough oil in it, then I would recommend changing the oil and going to a lighter oil, like 10w40. If the car has been sitting a lot then the oil is getting real thick and it makes it hard for the engine to pull it to the top and lube the valves and lifters. Try also waiting until a warmer day to listen to it and let it sit and run once you start it up for at least 20 to 30 minutes. This will give the oil time to warm up good and get circulated throughout the engine. If it is full of oil and you run it that long and it is still making noise then you may have to do a valve job on it. I drove a car for years with noisy lifters. You can still drive it, but you will need to get used to ignoring the noise.

 

[Zimgxp]

In my opinion, 5w-30 would be better for cold weather operation.