Click at 3200 RPM

"First let me say that this bo

"First let me say that this board has been extremely helpful and i thank those who post.

I have a 1990 Tiara 3300 with Crusader 454's. When I cruise at ~3200 RPM for anywhere between 15-30 minutes, the starboard engine will suddenly make a loud click noise...up until the other day, there would be no power loss or hesitation in the engine, but it started clicking more than once and hesitated with every click. When I drop down to ~2900-3000RPM, the click goes away.

I will also note that the starboard engine runs ~10 degrees hotter than the port at ~175 degrees and that the voltage is slightly less than port at ~12V and my oil pressure slightly less at ~20-25 (I have checked oil level and it is OK)...all at ~3000-3200 RPM.

Finally, my port engine will go up to ~4000RPM WOT, but the starboard engine will not go above 3200 RPM.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mike"

"Uh-oh! That's not a lot o

"Uh-oh! That's not a lot of oil pressure for that rpm. I suspect what's happening is that low oil pressure is causing the lifters to collapse (the clicking sound) and that is causing the uneven running (as the valves aren't operating properly with the lifters collapsing). Reducing rpm might cause this to go away, which fits my prognosis.

First all (I'm gonna sound like a broken record!) buy a laser pointed temp gage (40 bucks) and see if the temperatures are correct--that bad motor might be WAY hotter than you think (like 230 degrees. The temp sensors don't read right when water is not present.)

Next, get the temp down to where it should be and, if that doesn't cure the problem, go to a high viscosity synthetic oil--15 W 50 Mobil One.

I hope that allows you to make it through the remaining baoting season, which is slipping away quickly.

Jeff"

"Jeff,

Thank you for the pr

"Jeff,

Thank you for the prompt response. Never good when post starts with 'uh-oh'! Forgive my ignorance, but how would the high-temp relate to the low oil pressure? I am not extremely mechanically inclined, but I am capable enough to do diagnosing and minor repairs.

Again, many thanks for the help.

Mike"