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1991 Town Car Engine Noise Update….

Hi Bill –
Thanks for the encouragement on the 70 Mark III. Hope to have most of the immediate mechanical work done and have “Ms C” in the body shop by the end of May, lots to do.
About the Town Car, I took your advice, and my mechanic and I have come to the conclusion that what we are listening to is a hydraulic valve lash adjuster on the exhaust valve of the last cylinder on the driver’s side bank. We have put Rislone in on the last three oil changes and the tap seems to come and go, and when the engine is warm that’s when it seems to quiet down, but is still noticeable if you know what to listen for.
I’m wondering what the next step is.
My mechanic and I talked about replacing all of the adjusters, however I’ve been wondering about going ahead in say six months and rebuilding the engine completely. It has 152,000 miles and doesn’t use oil between changes, but I’m inclined to head in the direction of a complete rebuild. Would you care to offer a take on the situation?
Thanks for being there.
Gregg
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Gregg –
Congratulations on 152,000 miles with no oil consumption between changes. My thoughts are that 6 months is a long time to wait with an engine noise that may possibly develop into other damage if left unattended.
If your technician is confident, and is familiar with these engines, could he be persuaded to replace the offending hydraulic valve lash adjuster at this point in time? At the same time, he could replace the valve stem seals if this has not already been done on your engine.
Performing a much smaller repair now may save much added expense at a later date. Good luck on a proper decision that only you and your technician can make.
Sincerely,
Bill

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