Quote Originally Posted by SlowPro48 View Post
Dude, I think all that 45mph vibrating you're subjecting yourself to has got you addled!

Our engine can't have "clogged" or sticking lifters - because it doesn't have any lifters! (Thus the Direct Attack moniker) If your valves are tapping/ticking, you just need to have the valve lash adjusted. Are you SURE they checked your valve clearances? Did they pull the valve covers off? If not, you might want to get that checked again. In the good ol' days of rockers with screw adjusters we used to say "a noisy valve is a happy valve" since it's better to be a little loose that a little tight (cost you a smidgen of power but that's better than burned valves) With the VX, however, you wouldn't want to be *too* loose since we have SOB not SUB shims. The Shim is Over the Bucket, not Under it, which makes adjusting the valve clearance easier but the downside is there's the potential that at high revs the shim will get spit out if there's too much clearance. Then you have a disk of really, really hard metal bouncing around in the top end and that's not a good thing. I imagine it would look like a very expensive foosball game, where the ball is the shim and the cam lobes are the little kicker-men. There would have to be a lot of clearance for the shim to make it over the lip of the bucket though so performance would suffer long before you got to the point of destruction. Who knows - it might even be a self regulating thing - i.e., if there's enough valve lash that the shim would pop out at high revs, the engine won't rev that high. Engineers can be smart like that sometimes.

I hope you find that bulletin. I'd like to read it. I think the VX manual stated a valve check/adjustment interval of 60,000 miles but then Isuzu backed off that and said no need to delve under valve covers unless there is a noise or performance issue. Sweet! That means it can wait until timing belt change.

One thing though - you said it was a "hamming-kind-of knocking". Did you mean hammering? Because I hate to tell you if it's a lower pitched hammering/knocking sound, that's NOT valve train noise - and it most definitely won't be helped by that watered-down 0W oil!
Hi Knight7s Thanks for you replay,however it seems you didn't understand the whole thing didn't you ?

I don't know if the 3.2 & the 3,5L comes or not with lifters,actually i never meant to debate that,i appretiate your input & knowledge about engines neither if the lifters/valve train can be clogged or not,as i wrote it was a research done by some well aknowledge people,not me,talking about how the thick or heavier oil can cause knocking issues & what can be done to correct it,i just tried to put it in simple words.

That's why i'm trying to find where i read the articule,so every body,including you can also learn something about it & even applied if you work as a mechanic.

And the answer aboout if the shop did check to see if the valve clearance are within specs is yes,they did;They tear the WHOLE engine to see if the crankshaft had any broken,twisted or bend rods & all that stuff that move the engine,i went several times,every time they guys went deeper i was able to see with my own eyes.

I never had any issues with the engine,but just so curious about it,even though,another guy went saturday morning at the shop while i was changing the VX's differential fluids,the guy drives a 2001 3.2L rodeo with the SAME tapping on the same bank,the mechanic placed both trucks facing each other,runned the engines just for all of us to listen the tapping,it was like an orquestra playing a nice melody TAPI-TAPI-TAPI-TAPI-TAPI

The guy neither had any issues with his engine,but also intrigued about it.

My toy just hit 48K so if is about adjusting the valve clearance then i'm way far from having that done.

The mech say : Gustavo,i think you may have to live with it or get a new engine,which in many cases end up be worst then the old one,you truck run just perfect,no oil pressure loss,no hesitation,no knock engine light.

So what ? i've been married for 34 years with my wife & she never learn how to cook good Am quite sure yo can handle this he quoted