Nissan Repair: Engine rattle, feeler gauge, cam followers

Question
on my 95 nissan XE pickup there is a annoying rattle going on in my engine. Some people say its my lifters and some say my throwout bearing is out.I looked under the hood and it sounds like its coming from the part where you putin the engine oil. somtimes it rattles and somtimes it doesent make a sound.do you think i should take it to the shop or attempt to fix it myself?

Answer
Andrew,

The cam followers are getting either plugged up or the followers need adjustment.  I would first chenge to Mobil 1 5W30 synthetic for a change and see if that quiets things down.  If not follow the sticker on the hood for setting the lash on the cam followers.  You will need a set of valve cover gaskets, a feeler gauge and a small assortment of metric tools.  Get a Haynes manual and it will describe the adjustment procedure.