My 1998 Disco I w/ 129,000 miles has a lifter that is making a lot of noise. I did an
engine flush on it last night and it did not help. Any chance it might clear up if
I drive it a few days? How hard is it to get to the lifter? I think it is on the driver side.

Thanks,
Mike

 

What kind of engine flush did you do?

 

ATF for 20 minutes.

Mike

 

Are you sure it is the lifters? More often it is the rocker shaft that is causing the noise.
Does you oil light come on at an idle?
I would suggest you pull the valve covers and do a visual inspection.

 

Not sure it just sounded like a lifter. I will pull the valve covers and see what I find.
Oil light does not come on.

Thanks,
Mike

 

I performed the same maintenance on my Rover, flushing the motor with ATF for 15 minutes and proceeding with a normal oil change. My lifter tick (cold starts especially) is gone. The absence of lifter tick allows me to hear other noises which were otherwise drowned out by the ticky lifters. You're situation depends on the level of care and maintenance of the previous owners. Pulling the valve covers is an excellent way to tell the condition of the valvetrain short of a top down engine disassembly.

Cheers,

Pete