If I had a liner issue I would just live with it.

 

I will defer to others here as the experts, but mine is quiet at start, ticks at idle when it warms up and silences when the RPMs go up. And mine is a slipped sleeve (actually it was a slipped sleeve - now it is two). If you have overheated at some point it does increase the odds that the expansion of the block led to a slipped sleeve.

I have heard of folks driving for years with the ticking. I am a year in with it and it still performs fine. But loose parts in the block must lead to trouble down the road at some point. I have also heard some folks say that hairline cracks will eventually form in the block near the cylinder with the slipped sleeve. Not my personal knowledge - just hearsay and I am sure the experts here can comment further.

 

 

Yeah, I always liked this one where the guy puts a LR block on a gas grill, heats it to 210 degrees and pulls the sleeves out of the block to show how heat loosens them.

 

That is a very good idea. I will check where it starts this evening.

 

OK, the temps are as follows:

ever so slight tap at 159 degrees.
temp increases at 162 degrees.
settles into a steady rattling tap at 175 deg.

It is loudest on the driver side.

 

Wow. Those temps are LOW.
People always report 212 Degrees F.
When you get a really hot day, it will really tap.

You may as well pin the liner.
You could try to pin it with the piston all the way up
and without taking the oil pan off.

You can drill in carefully and note aluminum filings.
The aluminum will drill easy.

The liner will drill more difficult.
You could just put a nick in it with the drill and have the screw hold it.
You would want to get a grinder and flat off the end of the screw.



The fact that it starts to tap at 174 degrees F is really a low temp.
You will be above that temp most of the time when the engine is running.

 

yup, roughly the same as mine although mine are, mine has been tapping now for the last 10K miles, started at 88k and still does it at 97K. If I have been towing then it will dissapear for about month then restart again with daily driving. Next time I tow it goes away. I have fitted the 180 T/Stat and it still does it so hey ho, wait for it to go bang and will replace with a turner from the UK. In the mean time I keep driving and don't worry about it

 

If the liners are moving I should see evidence on the head gaskets, right?

 

Do not open it up, just drive it, there is nothing you can do.
Checking the head gaskets for signs of liner hitting them is just wasting money.