Q: Clicking engine noise after low oil

asked by on August 18, 2016

Clicking in engine when you reach about 3000 rpm or higher. Mechanic wants to replace small block, but I think it is a lifter. Huge price difference for repair. Would Piston issue click constantly, and not consistently at a certain rev range?

My car has 42000 miles.
My car has a manual transmission.

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If you ran the engine low on oil then you may have damaged all the bearings in the engine and the noise may be in the camshaft lobes as they can get worn from lack of lube. Your engine used solid lifters that need to be adjusted periodically, so it’s unlikely that the clicking suddenly developed from a lifter. There are no specifics as to when pistons or bearings will make noise, so it’s possible that the noise you’re hearing is due to a damaged piston or bearing. I would recommend getting a second opinion from a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, to diagnose the noise in the engine and verify the cause.

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