Ever Solved a Ticking Lifter in an ALH with Chemicals?

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
I am just curious if ANYONE has solved a tapping / ticking / clicking lifter in an ALH motor with a chemical like...


Marvel Mystery Oil
Sea Foam
Rislone
ZDDPlus
THIN motor oil
or what?


Thanks for taking the time to report your experience.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Ticking in an ALH usually means the cam and/or lifters are worn, not sticking. Additive isn't going to fix that. And they're not that expensive.
 

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
Thanks, Indigo. I am thinking that since the oil is always contaminated to some degree with diesel, varnish does not form in the lifters like they might in a gas engine. The crank case is self cleaning. Bummer, because I would love a solution in a bottle for my son's ALH.
 

Mongler98

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Location
COLORADO (SE of Denver)
TDI
98 Jetta TDI AHU 1.9L (944 TDI swap in progress) I moved so now i got nothing but an AHU in a garage on a pallet.
you cant solve a mechanical problem with a chemical solution.
 

Bengoshi2000

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Location
Triad NC, USA
TDI
2002 Golf (0M1)
I'll throw this in FWIW...

Try a tank (or two) of b99 or b100 biodiesel. If you've never done so before, change your fuel filter afterwards.

No, this won't cure a mechanical problem, but higher concentrations of biodiesel, in my experience, will clean out the fuel system.

Anecdotally, my '91 300d turbodiesel (when I bought it) was nailing and generally loud and clacky. I ran two tanks of b99 through it. Nailing was gone and much of the excessive clacking was gone. Had to change the fuel filters though... the clear prefilter turned an oily black. The new Prefilter has remained clear ever since (almost two years).

I know the ALH is an entirely different animal from the om602, but my '02 golf loves biodiesel. It runs its best (and quietest) with a biodiesel level around b20-b30.
 

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
Hello from the west end of the state. I ran some B99 a few years back in my 1998 Jetta....ran great, but within a year or so my injection pump seals started leaking...I think the bio caused it. I might run one tank, but I do not want to deal with the leaks on my son's car as he drives 4 hours to college regularly. But, thanks!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Running one tank is the problem. If you run bio consistently you likely won't have any issues with seals because the aromatics in the bio keep the seals tight. But if you stop the ULSD pulls the aromatics out of the seals and they shrink and leak. I love running bio, but it's not readily available any longer where I live so I don't, because I don't want to switch back and forth.

BTW, I live in MA but am writing this in Brevard. Visiting friends down here.
 

fatmobile

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2019
Location
north iowa
TDI
an ALH M-TDI in a MK2, a 2000 Jetta, 2003 wagon
I've read about EOS helping with lifter noise in old MK2s.
Engine oil suppliment,.. from the chevy dealer.
 

Bengoshi2000

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Location
Triad NC, USA
TDI
2002 Golf (0M1)
Hello from the west end of the state. I ran some B99 a few years back in my 1998 Jetta....ran great, but within a year or so my injection pump seals started leaking...I think the bio caused it. I might run one tank, but I do not want to deal with the leaks on my son's car as he drives 4 hours to college regularly. But, thanks!
Good point... I ended up replacing all of the ip seals and fuel lines with viton on my ALH golf. Eventually, I'll have to do the same on my 300d (ip seals sitting in a box ready to go... fuel lines already replaced).
 

Blacktree

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Location
Central FL
TDI
'02 Jetta 5-spd
I'm sure somebody somewhere got lucky with engine oil treatment. But that doesn't mean you will. :p
 

turbovan+tdi

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Location
Abbotsford, BC.
TDI
2003 TDI 2.0L ALH, auto, silver wagon, lowered, Colt stage 2 cam, ported head,205 injectors, 1756 turbo, Malone 2.0, 3" exhaust, 18" BBS RC GLI rims. 2004 blue GSW TDI, 5 speed, lowered, GLI BBS wheels painted black, Malone stage 2, Aerotur
If the noise is due to varnish etc, then Sea Foam etc can work. Most times though, its caused by a cam going flat.
 

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
Fixed Ticking ALH - Found a Bad Lifter....

Some information to hopefully benefit someone in the future....
- 2000 Jetta ALH manual 300k+ miles - ticking since we got it about 3 years ago.
- Oil pan had been cracked, but we did not know how much it had been driven with low oil pressure.
- Ran great except for the constant tick.
- Ticking was steady and did not change with engine load or with oil changes/ RPM, temperature etc. Very noticeable off throttle coasting down hill when the injectors and pump are quietest.
- Slowly got louder over 3 years.
- Multiple attempts with a mechanic's stethoscope and neither my son nor i could pinpoint the tick.
- 6 months ago, removed valve cover and pressed on all lifters....all felt the same, no signs of uneven wear on lobes or lifter faces.
- When we replaced the timing belt and oil pump chain, I verified no play in the rod bearings.
- 1000 miles of Marvel Mystery Oil (1 qt) in the oil did nothing for the tick.
- Found a deal on some INA lifters so removed the valve cover again.
- Visually everything looked consistent and decent.
- Pressing on all the lifters, they were firm.
- BUT, we used a strong magnet to pull up on each lifter when it was off the lobe....BINGO one lifter that looked fine was flat / not springing up enough. Without the magnet, we might have missed it again. It was the last lifter on the number 4 cylinder. (Thanks to [486] for suggesting that I may need to lift up on the lifters!)
So, we removed the timing belt cover, rotated the engine to align properly at TDC, marked everything in case we had to take the belt loose. We also removed the lower turbo hose to make turning the crank easier.
Removed the top roller of the timing belt to give some slack or at least lower the tension.
Removed the vacuum pump...pulled it away a little to disengage from the camshaft.
Removed the cam bearing caps after marking them.
Carefully tilted the camshaft and lifted out the bad lifter with a magnet and fingers.
Disassembling the lifter, we found the inside clean, but the top of the inner piston/plunger was worn away and slowly eating its way up through the inside of the main lifter body towards the lobe. Eventually it would have gotten through and ruined the lobe and more.
Coated the sides of the new lifter with fresh engine oil and the face with a little assembly lube. Dropped it in and assured smooth rotation in its bore.
Now carefully placed the camshaft back in its bearings tightening multiple caps a little at a time. Had to gently push the cam pulley toward the vacuum pump because the belt tension was pulling it out of position.
Last cam bearing cap installed was the one at the pulley....paid special care to the oil seal...back straight in its original position as I placed the cap on.
Evenly, slowly torqued all of the bearing caps.
Triple checked the timing marks....nothing moved, no teeth ever disengaged. Reinstalled the top roller of the timing belt.
Replaced vacuum pump then valve cover.
Turned the engine with a ratchet several rotations.
Cranked the engine....tense 30 seconds to one minute as the new lifter pumped up....was missing pretty bad. But, it then quieted down...no tick.
Replaced the lower turbo hose and went for a test drive to reach full operating temperature. Success....smooth and quiet...for a TDI.
I am sure that the lifter/lobe will wear unevenly compared to the others....but this fix should get my son back to college. We can replace the camshaft and all lifters at a later date if the rest of the vehicle survives! (Turbo seems to be passing some oil.)
Thanks so much to all members of this forum for the thoughts and information that allowed us to make this fix for $13.
Scott
 
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[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
Nice!
Always satisfying to fix major things for less money than most have in the cupholder.
 

scurvy

Good Ol' Boy
Joined
Feb 21, 2006
Location
Chicago IL USA
TDI
2006 Golf
I love hearing an oddball issue get a good diagnosis and cost-effective fix. Thanks for posting the solution.
 

jackfolstam

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2016
Location
CA
TDI
MkI Rabbit ALH swap
My friend ran 0W oil as opposed to 5W to try and eliminate the second or so of ticking on startup; no change. Even with an oil filter with the plastic tube in it I think they just do that.
 

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
I heard that a few seconds of lifter rattle in the morning is almost a good sign that the oil in your lifters drained and is now being filled with "fresh" oil each day. Does make some sense...should never form varnish. But, I don't think these diesels tend to form varnish anyway. My AHU has lifter rattle every morning for 5 or so seconds, but my son's ALH with more miles has almost none. I am not sure why they are different.
 
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BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Great explanation and instruction, but I'm lazy. Could you summarize $13 fix?
thanks!
 

rallywagon

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2007
Location
Western NC
TDI
'98 Jetta, '00 Jetta
Bob, I found a single INA lifter (part # 420 0043 100) for $13 delivered, then located and replaced the damaged lifter in about 1.5 hours.
 

[486]

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Location
MN
TDI
02 golf ALH
I heard that a few seconds of lifter rattle in the morning is almost a good sign that the oil in your lifters drained and is now being filled with "fresh" oil each day. Does make some sense...should never form varnish. But, I don't think these diesels tend to form varnish anyway. My AHU has lifter rattle every morning for 5 or so seconds, but my son's ALH with more miles has almost none. I am not sure why they are different.
ahu has a normal cannister filter that will drain back easier because the anti-drainback valve is a flap of rubber in the filter itself
alh has a cartridge filter where the anti-drainback valve is a permanent part of the filter housing on the block, so it is built to a much higher standard
 
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