Miata ticking noise

I started to notice ticking noise on my '96 Miata engine. A quick search on Miata.net pointed me to lots of discussions on HLA noise which is annoying but not damaging and some suggested to use Rotella T6 to help reduce the noise. I used Mobil 1 10W-30 at the last oil change. It was less than 3kmiles ago since the last oil change but since it's cheap to change oil I might as well change it again if it helps reduce the noise.

Question: Should I stick with Mobil1 10W-30 with NAPA gold oil filter or should I follow the suggestion to use Rotella T6 which is a diesel engine oil? What say the Miata experts here...

In reply to ea_sport: There are many wise Miata gurus on this board, but my thinking is that the high detergent level found in diesel oils might be just the ticket for flushing the gunk out of the lifters. One change cycle on the Rotella then back to Mobile One the next change.

I run T6 in my spec miata and in my street miata. Its been good to me so far, and the price is hard to beat at a little over $20/gallon. There are people that don't like it being a "diesel oil" but if you read the label you'll find that it is API-SM rated which is suitable for passenger cars. It is higher in ZDDP than most oils these days. I'd say give it a try. If you want to read lots of stories about this oil, head over to bobistheoilguy.com

When my lifters tick, it usually means it's time for an oil change. Your mileage my vary, of course.

I cured my lifter tick by running seafoam in the oil for 500 miles and then changing to motul 5w-30 full synthetic.

Even with happy lifters, a number of short runs (pulling a car in and out of a garage, for example) will bring on some noise. It's often a sign of the need for an oil change, as David has said. I haven't tried Rotella, we tend to mostly deal with the solid lifter engines these days.

I had the same experience as David when I had a Miata. Lifter tick always coincided with being on the high end of the oil change interval. It always went away after an oil change.

My Fiero's 3.4 DOHC V6 would always tap like hell when it got hot, and after I switched to Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 it never did it again. I think the 5W-30 I had been running was getting too thin and letting the lifters pump down. Rotella T is a great oil if 5W-40 works for your motor.