Should I buy?
 

92 SVX with 110k miles. Drives good, runs strong, a few dings and scratches + wear on seat. BUT engine make tap,tap,tap noise. $3600. Yes or No?

No!
 

Definitely not for that price. It sounds like engine needs lifters as a mininum and maybe more. Unless you do the work yourself that could be a costly proposition. As I recall each lifter costs over $30 and there would be 24 of them if you replace all not to mention the labor. Of course if you can identify exactly which ones are bad--you might need fewer.

Always consider the worst case when buying a car. Assume the worst of any identified problem. Like I would assume bad engine if I was considering buying this car.

Lee

I say yes. Seems like a good price for a 92 in good shape.

As long as the ticking is not very loud, I wouldn't worry. All Subaru engines tick to some degree. What you should listen for is a gradual decrease in the volume of the ticking as the engine warms up. Once fully warmed, the ticking should be barely noticeable from inside the car with the windows up.


Dave

Depends where the tap is coming from. It could also be the flexplate.

Very true. That's why it's important to know whether the tapping gets softer as the engine warms. Start the engine when its stone cold and have a listen.
My 92 has a rather loud tick at start up but at normal operating temp it almost completely dissapears. If we passed on buying our 92 just because of that tick we would have missed out on a nice car.

Dave

is this something my local Subaru shop could tell me with relative ease, or would it require tearing into the engine to be sure if it were a lifter, etc?

I got rid of my lifter tick when I switched to syntetic oil. :o otherwise it depends on how bad the tick is.... for the average joeschmoo thats probably too loud. and always try to talk them down.

I read that somebody could use a thicker oil to get rid off the tick, tick, tick noise.

If you're not sure and love the car, why don't you ask a good mechanic to check it out for ya.

Yeah, we tried that too. No luck.


Dave

A good tech should be able to narrow down the cause of the noise without too much of a hassle. But figuring out exactly how to stop the noise can be tricky without disssasembly.



Dave

I drove an 89XT and an 86 GL before that. Risilone oil additive stopped the tic-tic-tic of the lifters completely. Of courese I later replaced the lifters entirely...not to complicated a job for the mechanically inclined. Also, I switched to a heavier weight oil in the summer (30hd) and a lighter weight in the winter (10w30).

I just flew from Atlanta to DC to buy a 92 SVX. I paid close to what you are considering. I also put another $500 into fixing all the maintanance issues that had been neglected.

For me $3,600 would be a little much for a car with noisy lifters but you have to consider the whole package. You could always use the noise as a negotiating point and ask them to lower the price. Good luck!!! These cars rock!

Sound Definition
 

There is a difference in my use of sound definition between ticking and tapping. It is true that nearly all SVXs have a slight ticking sound, but if you are getting lifter "tapping" that is a potential serious repair problem in terms of cost. Unless you can do it as I said. I agree that if you are really seriously thinking about buying it that you should have a mechanic check it to really define the problem. I still say that $3600 is to much for a 92 with that many miles. Compare this price with other sources such as Ebay. You can see what they actually sell for and not what someone wants for them or thinks they are worth.

Lee

With the noise, I would not want to buy it at that price. It seems a little high in that situation, but maybe you can negociate on the price. :) Good Luck. :)