Lifter problem - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

imbest123 · 12-05-2005, 03:09 AM

ok so let me start from the beginning. i ran my engine dry like a year and a half ago, when i first got my car basically. since then ive been getting a clicking noise from my engine and it clicks louder and faster when i accelerate. when i took my car for a tune up a few years ago the mechanic told me i might have a problem with my lifter so he checked it out and surely enough it was. he asked me if i ever ran my engine without oil and i told him my story. i didnt want to pay $2,500 to get that fixed so i stuck with the problem. last week it took my car to get my oil change and the guy asked me about the clicking and said the same thing basically. he told me i should get it fixed asap because if i dont my whole engine can go. i was wondering if you guys can tell me exactly what a lifter is, ive never heard of one and also if $2,500 is a reasonable amount to save my engine. i have a 97 i4 camry. OH one more thing, when the guy doing my oil change took my oil filter out it was practically dry! i did my oil change 1,000 miles late but thats nothing! i know thats not right and my oil level was where it should have been. am i screwed or what?

Phat Devil · 12-05-2005, 08:09 AM

do you check your dipstick? Are you losing oil somewhere coz oil dont just disappear.

Dunno really how to explain the lifter so i'll wait for someone to do it properly =P

Luckynumber5 · 12-05-2005, 08:23 AM

For 2500 get a new engine or get yours and the tranny rebuilt, even for a valve train rebuild thats ridiculous.

RedPhoenix · 12-05-2005, 08:26 AM

get a new engine

jhbhatia · 12-05-2005, 10:15 AM

What you have is a 5sfe (engine code). For 500-700 you can buy a low milage 5sfe engine. The engine install would cost you another 500-700 dollars. Meaning for 1400 you could have a 30K mile engine!! Rather than paying for any lifter or any other replacement parts in your existing motor, i'd highly suggest you to start looking for local shops that do engine installs, (at times they too can get a low milage engine for a decent pricing - cus they know they make their money on the intall).

Mike Gerber · 12-05-2005, 02:04 PM

You don't say how many miles are on the engine. That said, the 5SFE engines have mechanical lifters (not hydraulic). That means they need periodic adjustments. If you want to try anything, have a mechanic you trust try to adjust the lifters back in to spec. That may quiet the noise you are hearing. This should run a couple of hours labor and the cost of a new cam cover gasket. If that doesn't help, I would just drive the car until the engine fails. When and if that happens, you could then price a used or rebuilt engine as the others have suggested. I would however monitor the oil via the dipstick periodically to see if the engine is using oil and if so how much oil.

As far as the oil filter being almost dry, it probably means your filter didn't have an anti-drainback valve in it or if it had the valve, the valve simply didn't work properly. On the 5SFE engines the filter sits downward on the front of the block at about a 45 degree angle. This happens a lot and is not a big deal. I did oil changes on my 2 5SFE engines this past Saturday (and boy was it cold outside in the Chicago area). On my wife's 98 5SFE engine the oil came out all over the place when the filter was removed. On my 94 5SFE engine no oil came out when I removed the filter. I have had both cars since new. It's about 50-50 whether oil comes out when the filter is removed or not. Some people say it depends upon how long you wait after shutdown to remove the filter. I wouldn't worry about it.

Mike

imbest123 · 12-05-2005, 03:33 PM

thanks everyone. the thing is im a 19 year old college student in debt :-/ so i dont have money to do much to my car other than maintain it. ill see if i can milk some money off my parents to do this but i doubt they will since they are going through a divorce right now. i have been checking my dipstick (i didnt know thats what it was called. ya im a hardcore n00b. i just new it as the oil level lol) and its been at the right spot everytime and i thought oil was disappearing because of the dry filter. well since its normal i guess im just worrying about that clicking. is http://www.car-part.com/ a good place for engines? also if i do replace the engine would it be worth getting another 5sfe or would i be better off getting the 1MZFE. i dont want to spend so much money for the same thing. i figure if im going to spend that much i might as well do the job right, right? but then again changing to a 1MZFE would cost a lot more since i have to change more parts in my car right? sorry im really new at this. thank you again =]

*edit*
i forgot to mention i have about 100,700 miles (just hit 100,000 2 weeks ago!)

Cyorke · 12-05-2005, 04:40 PM

If you are going to replace the engine jsut put another 5sfe in it. You will need everything associated with the engine, trans, wiring ECu and more if you want to go to a 1mzfe engine. I have never bought from car-parts.com but I think others on here have and said it is a good place. You can also check ebay for an engine. Or talk to your mechanic or a mechanic that you trust and see what he can get you a low mileage engine installed for. He may have sources that he can get one fairly cheap. If he cant get one then check into getting your own and having it installed. Like others have said you can probably get a 5sfe for 500 or so and then about that much for labor to install. Then you will ahve to count ona couple of hundred more for misc. fluids fitlers timing belt, tune up parts etc, etc.

As for what a lifter is, technically you dont have lifters in the 5sfe. but in the case of the camry engine. the cam rides on top of a bucket that has a valve underneath it. when the cam pushes on the top of this bucket it opens thevalves or closes them to allow for the different steps in the combustion process of the engine. Normally you only hear of lifter in an over head valve engine. they do basically the same thing except the ride on the cam and push a rod attached to a rocker that opens and closes the valve. THis is a very very basic explanation of waht a lifter is. Just so you have an idea of what they are talking about.

imbest123 · 12-06-2005, 04:09 PM

so im taking my car to the shop today. ill come back and give the estimates he gives me for all this work. i really dont want to spend more than i should, like i almost did in the case with the toyota dealership (you can stop laughing now lol).

imbest123 · 12-06-2005, 06:24 PM

ok so i was going to go to the mechanic just now but my car wont start

stir_fry_boy · 12-06-2005, 07:24 PM

Just call him. Mechanics can usually tell you how much it is over the phone.

Cyorke · 12-06-2005, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stir_fry_boy

Just call him. Mechanics can usually tell you how much it is over the phone.

That it like asking a doctor waht is wrong with me and how much to fix it. He hasnt even taken the car to the mechanic to get it diagnosed. He has no clue what is actually wrong with the car. All the mechanic can do is give him a ball park quote based on a diagnosis taht has been made by someone other than the mechanic.

When you say it wont start, waht is it doing or not doing?

imbest123 · 12-06-2005, 08:13 PM

ya im going to change the battery tomorrow (i really really hope thats it) and if that doesnt work i guess im forced to fix it. it might have to be towed

i really love my camry, im already getting withdrawl.

stir_fry_boy · 12-07-2005, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyorke

That it like asking a doctor waht is wrong with me and how much to fix it. He hasnt even taken the car to the mechanic to get it diagnosed. He has no clue what is actually wrong with the car. All the mechanic can do is give him a ball park quote based on a diagnosis taht has been made by someone other than the mechanic.

When you say it wont start, waht is it doing or not doing?

Of course you are right. He can give you an estimate on that exact procedure of replacing the engine before he starts, but if it takes him longer, then obviously he will charge more and things like that.

imbest123 · 12-13-2005, 10:53 AM

ok well the new battery was working fine but problems again *sigh* last night i started my car up and the second it turned on it stalled. it took like 3 tries and my foot pushing the gas for like 5 minutes for it to get started. apparently my dads cousins are mechanics and they rebuild engines. he says they charge around $600 to rebuild an engine. i really dont know if i will get a discount because my dad hasnt seen them in years but my engine will be fixed for sure somehow. is $600 worth it? like i said the problem WILL be fixed, i just dont want to get ripped off too bad. also when they rebuild an engine does the engine come cleaned? =D thanks guys!