A couple of problems

[muddevil01]

I just got a 91GL the p.o. said that he thought it had a burnt valve and said it wouldn't start I bought it to do a b6 swap since I have one anyway.I got the car home and I got it to run but it won't idle I checked for a good vaf connection I didn't turn the idle up on it I figure it is another problem also there is a faint tick coming from the valve cover could the two problems be related? The car had sat for a while. I plan on doing the swap anyway but it would be great be able to drive it and get any other bugs worked out before I do the swap and then I would have an extra engine for one of my other cars as this one has lower miles and better compression than my daily driver any ideas?

[perucho]

The tick coming from the valves is most likely a stuck HLA (or several for that matter). Run some seafoam in the crankcase, drain the old oil (along with the seafoam), add new oil/filter (I would use 15w-40). How's the timing?

[muddevil01]

I haven't put a timing light on it yet. Could the HLA problem be causing the idle problem? Or is that a different problem? It needs a valve cover gasket anyway. Is there a way to fix it once the cover is off? My next question is it ok to drive it? I need to drive it about ten miles to my shop I just don't want to hurt it. I can trailer it if I have to but it is hard to get a truck and trailer into where my shop is sorry for all the question I'm just trying to get pointed in the right direction. Thanks in advance for the help

[91_festy_Gl]

If its just a tic and not a knock, then you will be okay to drive it. B3's are stout little engines. Mine hasnt had a oil change in about 7,000 miles and it still runs strong and quiet.

[muddevil01]

It is a tick it sounds like it is coming from the middle of the valve cover the car had set for 2 years and the p.o. said that when he started after sitting that it was making a "noise" and thought it was a burnt valve and he didn't want to mess with it and I have only ran it long enough to drive it off of the trailer so for about 5 minutes I had to winch it on the trailer because I couldn't get it to start but when I got it home after cranking on it for a while it started it starts fine now I didn't want to run it too much due to having old gas in it tomorrow I'm going to drain the fuel put in fresh and change the oil maybe it is just a stuck HLA and it will free up

[challe1]

Yes it's a HLA..I bought a 91L it had the same problem with the tick..So I replaced all of the HLA's with a set from a parts car.. My idle problem was from a mouse nest that plugged the air cleaner up...

[perucho]

Replace the gas filter, put new gas and add a fuel system cleaner. Your injectors may very well be gummed/clogged up.

I doubt the valve is burnt, most likely it's just an HLA. I would put seafoam in with the old oil and run it for a while before draining and refilling with new oil. That should clear up any stuck HLAs.

[econoaddict]

If it was a burnt valve you can hook up a vac gauge and you wuold see the needle steady bouncing back and forth, a burnt valve will usually cause a low compression reading as well.

[zoe60]

Whenever I replace a HLA, I just run it till the ticking stops. They seem to need some time to pump up with oil. You may be able to just run it untill the ticking stops. Especially if it has been sitting for that long.