[Davida Moore]

Curious if anyone has had a similar problem, bought this vehicle a couple weeks ago and has a lifter tick as to what the old owner was a rod knock. yay me lol, engine has a lot of oil sludge build up, going to flush the engine real good and see if maybe its stuck. If not then going to replace the tappets and timing chain. Im mechanically inclined so ill be doing the work. Haven't really heard of the 3.5s having major engine issues.

 

[jolt2]

You do not state the mileage on the Sorento. If sludge in the oiling system is an issue, I would take it that the car was not taken care of. Be careful of "Flushing" the sludge out. Sludge needs to be de solved slowly over time. If done fast in one shot, you could damage the engine and cause other problems. The VVT system and oil pump pickup can be plugged from loose sludge.

 

[Davida Moore]

Car has 206k, and im already prepared for other stuff to go wrong. i cleaned out the oil pan with most of the sludge but im sure theres ton more.

 

[Davida Moore]

your right also this car definetly hasnt been taken care of, its had wal-mart oil changes from its previous owner and who knows what else. just trying to bring the car back to life.

 

[ron1004]

Haven't really heard of the 3.5s having major engine issues.

I Haven't heard anything of that sort either, which suggests that yours was inflicted by the previous owner.

Its hard to predict the outcome of engine flushes, but if done right there's a chance you could recover it - whatever flushing method you chose, solvents etc., be prepared to make make a good few oil and filter changes at very short intervals until you don't see any further clean-up.

 

[jolt2]

A mild solvent for flushing is Marvel Mystery Oil. I add this to my engine oil about 500 miles before I do the oil change and it keeps the inside of my engine clean. I do mostly short drives, so condensation builds up in my engine oil. Marvel's help dissolve that white gunk from inside the engine.

Marvel Mystery Oil Store

 

[Davida Moore]

Added some lucas oil stabilizer and it goes away and comes back, im thinking the intake cam has lobes that are worn down. which would explain the marks i seen on the camshaft. also found out these engines dont use lifters, they have tappets but there pretty much only for setting valve lash.

 

[Davida Moore]

Also flushed the engine twice and needless to say its pretty clean now!!!

 

[jolt2]

If the valve lash clearance is to great, it can make noise. You may want to check the valve clearance to make sure it is within spec.

 

[Davida Moore]

@jolt2 if the valve clearence is not in spec would the head just have to be re done?

 

[ron1004]

I suggest that you first confirm if you have hydraulic lifters.

Curious if anyone has had a similar problem, bought this vehicle a couple weeks ago and has a lifter tick as to what the old owner was a rod knock. yay me lol, engine has a lot of oil sludge build up, going to flush the engine real good and see if maybe its stuck. If not then going to replace the tappets and timing chain. Im mechanically inclined so ill be doing the work. Haven't really heard of the 3.5s having major engine issues.

Neglected engine = hydraulic lifters trashed.

 

[Davida Moore]

if i replace the hydraulic lifters, would i need to still get the head to the machine shop or is it basically R&R @ron1004

 

[ron1004]

Replacing hyd lifters is typically part of a head overhaul.

You don't need to refurbish the rest of the head, and just replace the hyd lifters, but not the way I'd go.

How to Detect and Repair a Faulty Hydraulic Lifter - CarsDirect

 

[Davida Moore]

Oh okay, Ill have to call around and see if any parts are available. Thank You! @ron1004

 

[ron1004]

Haven't really heard of the 3.5s having major engine issues.

Any engine will suffer when maintenance is neglected.

Is it a 3.5L or a 3.3L ?

 

[Davida Moore]

it was definetly neglected from the previous owner, its a 3.5L i dont know why it put 3.3L

 

[Trackerrrr]

If your rig's been that neglected I'd just go thru and do all the 200K maintenance. Plugs, PCV, filters, valve cover gaskets, and whatever fluids need it.

 

[jolt2]

@jolt2 if the valve clearence is not in spec would the head just have to be re done?

Here is a link to video showing how to check valve clearance and how to find the right thickness of tappet that is needed. If you looked up the parts, you would have seen dozens of tappet part numbers with a "T=x.xxx" at the end. This is the thickness of that tappet. If the clearance is off the tappet must be removed and it's thickness measured, then use the formula in the video to figure out what thickness tappet you need to replace the old tappet and get the valve clearance back within spec.

V6 Engine Valve Clearance Adjustment on KIA and Hyundai