Car is an 89 951.

So a while back i noticed subtle ticking under the hood at idle. Just for a second. But i kept hearing it now and then. Nothing to be worried about. Likely just lifters ticking.

Vent out for a drive and going up a hill. Semi fast, the engine starts missbehaving. Studders and just as i manage to pull in to a parking lot. It dies on me. I try a restart. And its dead. Never happened before. Had to get my kid home so i return in 30-ish minutes. Car starts just fine. But i have massive ticking from lifters.

Pretty sure its lifters. Ran the car on idle until warm. And i cant get the lifters quiet. Open the small holes in the cam tower. Oil seems to be flowing. In there

Oil level is good
Checked belt tension
Pulley is nice and secure.

 

Had similar issue this spring. I’ll spare you the details but the lifter center had broken out and over- stroked the valve because it’s travel was not limited... at high revs (lots of oil pressure it Really overstroked the valve to the point it bent and I lost a cyl... do compression test.. mine was kissing the piston at low revs and at high revs it was smacking it to the point where it bent... it actually ruined the valve guide as well made an oval out of it...

 

Well, not sure of the cause. But you are quite close in your assessment And OFC it is one of the stainless Ferrea valves...

I'm going to push it in to a lake now...


nr 4 :/

 

Look for this...