hi,

Thank you for reading! sorry if this has been asked before! I just finished rebuilding my z’s suspension and now when I start the car she has a tick that lasts about two seconds and goes away. I’ve tested the battery and it’s fine, along with the fuses, if anyone has any guidance I’d be grateful.

 

Sounds normal to me, that is, if it appears to be coming from the motor. Oil obeys gravity, heat expands things such as valves, and then there is the issue of age (read: wear and tear). If it hasn't had an oil change recently you could add some oil additive such as Lucas, STP, etc. Being the age it is a high mileage oil will add some extra zddp which can help.

 

It is probably the lifters ticking until the oil pressure gets built up. When I rebuilt my Z31 engine I took all of the lifters apart and cleaned them out.
ZDDP isn’t good to use on cars that have catalytic converters.

 

1980 era motor oils contained 1000 to 1400 ppm zddp. Today's oils usually have 880 or a bit less. This additive is essential for maximizing engine life. I say it's full speed ahead and don't worry about our 40 year old cats.