Pontiac Repair: One Sticky Valve, ac delco oil filter, synthetic motor oil

Question
QUESTION: 1998 Pontiac Firebird 3.8 Liter Type II. Changed oil on time every 3000 miles. Faithfully! Engine is at 150000 miles. On cold starts one valve knocks for approximate two minutes then quiets down. One qt Lucas oil worked for a while. Someone else suggested SeaFoam. What do you think? Funny, I had a Cutlass 3.1 did the same thing at the same time. Thanks

ANSWER: Hi Kevin:

do you mane a knock or a tick noise there is a difference. if it's a knock ther is nothing you can pour into the crank case that will fix it short of a engine repair. if it's a ticking noise you may be able to nurse it along.....?? Buy a can of marvel mystery oil It's in a red can or bottle with black writing on it. Pour it into the crank case and follow the directions as to what to do once you add it to the oil. dump the oil mixture after you ran it for the determined amount of time. Then what I would do is use an AC delco oil filter which this car uses a pf47 and by some synthetic motor oil designed for higher milage cars and use a heaver lower number then what you usually do. If you use 5w-30 buy 10w-30 and see it that works. the mystery oil will sometimes free up a stickey lifter and then the synthetic oil flows better when it's cold so it will reach the top of the engine sooner than conventinal motor oil. The ac delco filter has a check valve in it so the oil that's up in the top of the engine can't drain back down and into the crank case after you turn the engine off. Give it a try if nothing else your down the cost of the motor oil and filter and the mystery oil. good luck and send me back a reply if it works for you  I'm interested to hear if it indeed did.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well I'm going to guess it is a ticking sound. A knock or a double knock I believe would come from the bottom of the engine. I used a large screwdriver to my ear. I'm pretty sure it's comingfrom the top. Should the Mystery Oil solution work quickly or over time? I will do it today.

Answer
It works pretty quickly Like I said follow the directions but I would let the engine get good and hot after I added it take it for a long drive maybe down the interstate at higher engine sppeds the stuff will work better it it's under higher pressure. If it says to leave in in the crank case and drive it again cold tomorrow before you drain it. It may be a case where the londer you leave it in the better the results I can't remember how to use the stuff but I worked for me on an old GMC pick up that actually had a valve sticking in the valve guide in the cylinder head. It's really good stuff that no one has ever heard of..