Lifter noise in a '88 80q...

[ORSOPERS]

Hello all, I have been lurking on the list for several months since I bought
my first Quattro.  It is an '88 80q in very nice shape.  Runs and drives
excellent.  Passes our Oregon smog test with numbers so low that the guy
doing the test did a double take.  I have been getting about 22 mpg around
town and 26 or so on the highway.  Interior looks new and the body is very
straight.  Picked it up pretty cheap and except for tires and new Bilstein
struts I haven't needed to do anything to it.  Oh, and I am only the second
owner and the guy I bought it from saved ALL the receipts.  It does have an
exhaust leak at the manifold that goes away as soon as it warms up a bit,
but that will get fixed here shortly.

Anyway, when it hit 130k miles I changed the oil with Mobil 1 15w-50.  I
don't know what the previous owner had used.  He had the oil changed at
Firestone.  A few days after I changed it I noticed that when it decelerate
in gear it sounds like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle.  I assumed
that it was the exhaust leak, but now I am not so sure.  Tonight when I
started it up to go out with my wife there was a definite lifter tap.  It
was in the garage and the windows were down so I could really hear it.  With
the windows up and the radio off it was hard to hear.  It went away after a
minute or so but it seemed like the 'card in the spokes' noise on
deceleration sounded more metallic than before.  I am thinking of changing
the oil again tomorrow (it has been about 500 miles) and using regular
20w-50 oil.  So my question is:  Might this help?  Will I be replacing
lifters soon?

The Bentley manual says that 'Unusual noise form valve lifter while starting
is normal' and then implies that it isn't a problem as long as the unusual
noise stops by the time the fan comes on for the first time.

Oh, I should also mention that I used to be a professional mechanic until I
hurt my back about 20 years ago, but I never had the pleasure of working on
an Audi.  I do enjoy this car.


Any and all information or experiences are greatly appreciated,

Rand Soper
Milwaukie, OR

'88 80q