I just ordered parts for my engine this morning.
I am going to stop the tick this coming weekend...I hope
04 with 122k miles, run great, does not heat, knock, smoke, steam, ect.
100% sure head gaskets/liners are good.
Did c02 test to cooling system too, just to make sure.
Waterpump and thermostat are new.

I will be replacing, valve cover gaskets, upper/lower intake gaskets, lifters, pushrods, both rocker shafts, oil pump, front cover gasket and front crank seal, oil pan gasket, and new servicable front driveshaft.

If I find a walked cam bearing, or damaged camshaft, I'll pull the engine. Then have block hot tanked, cam bearings pressed/line honed. New crank and rod bearings, and look at head condition/valve job.
From the sound, I'm betting on a lifter (s).

I just did a seafoam and oil change(Rotella 15w40 and Risolene addative, quieted it down some), and was going to use a bottle of engine flush before draining for the engine tear down. Clean oil went black and was thin from the flush as expected, no sludge came out.
I will also clean the oil pick up when I drop the pan.
Am I correct that the new water pump can stay bolted to the timing cover?

Did I miss anything else that I should replace now?
Any particular advice?
Now I just need to download the service manual for torque specs.
Thanks

 

I also bought a timing chain.
I plan on reusing the crank and cam gears, assuming they are ok.
I bought all these parts not knowing what I'll find when I open the engine.
But, given what I can assess from how good it runs, and what I've read, I have high hopes.

Also have spark plug wires, and a motor/regulator for passenger front door.
Can't afford the power steering pump yet, but if all goes well, that should fix everything for now.

 

Found it.
Broken oil pump gear.
The timing cover is not damaged, and the rest of the engine looks really good inside.
It will be about a week before I have time to start putting it back together, but it was nice to find an obvious problem.

 

Wow, the housing isn't even scored? Scoring can cause a pressure drop also even if it's not gouged or anything.

Also, what is that Risoline oil additive? It looks like a zinc additive but I can't find anywhere that tells you online. I wouldn't use it any more. Rotella already has the right amount of zinc in it. Too much zinc will cause wear just as quickly as not enough.

 

Nope, no damage to the timing cover at all.
As clean as the engine is inside too, I doubt any oil passages are/were gummed up.
The Risolene was a bandaid I tried, just like the Marvel Mystery Oil I put in on the last oil change.
I was curious to see if they would help the tick, by pumping up a failing lifter. They did quiet the ticking some too. The lifters in it show zero wear, but I will be replacing them, as well as the pushrods, rocker shafts, timing chain, and spark plugs and wires.
I wasn't sure what I'de find when I opened it, and thought all the above, including oil pump, were worth doing. Even the rocker arms look good.
There is carbon in the intake side if the heads, but it's not bad enough for concern. The engine looks like the oil was changed regulary.
I'm happy with what I found. I think I got a great buy on this thing. I'm about $4k into it, and when I'm finished, everything will work. Aside from 2 door lock actuators (I can repair), head light washers don't work (havent checked them out yet), and a crack in the washer resivoir.
I think all the money in other new parts the previous owner spent, then the ticking, scared him off.
Worked out good for me!

 

I have used it for my tick as well. It does help for a while.

 

Can you describe your tick? By that mean when does it tick, when does it stop. Mine is intermittent, and if i bring RPM's above 850 it goes away.

 

Yes sir, that was it.
Cold start, no noise. Once it warmed up, thermostat opened, ticking started (100% ruled out head gaskets/slipped sleeve before and after opening engine).
As it got to around 1200, then 1500 rpms, it stopped.
It would come and go. That had me thinking it was a lifter. In the last week or so it started ticking at all rpms.
I noticed when I parked downhill it went away, or came and went more often, which had me wondering if it was the oil pump. Sure enough, it was. Fortunately it did no other damage.
Definately a ticking, tapping, metallic sound. Not a knock.

 

If yours ticks, and the oil pump has never been changed, then it's worth replacing.
Apparently it's not if, but when, the oil pump gear breaks.
So it may stop the tick, and if not, it's cheap insurance.
If you just change the oil pump, it's under $100 for pump, gasket, oil pump gasket and a gallon of anti-freeze.

 

Slowly getting it back together, lol.