For what its worth I had a Ford Explorer that had a sticky timing chain tensioner and sticking lifters. My neighbour - an AA mechanic suggested using one of the proprietary cleaners that you add to your oil (available from Repco & Supercheap) to save on an engine out job to replace one of the tensioners (it seems one is on the rear of the Explorer engine!!)
Anyhow I tried some and although it made things a bit better it did not solve the problem entirely.
ThenI remembered an oil thread on another site, posted by an oil company chemist,that said that oil for diesel engines was fine for petrol engines but was high in detergents so I grabbed a 4 litre pack, left the old filter on but drained the old oil and poured that fresh (diesel engine) oil into the engine in place of normal Mobil 1.
I ran it for about 200 kms and it was amazing the difference - the lifters stopped ticking and the tensioner pumped up straight away. My wife wanted to know what I had done to the Explorer as it was the quietest it had been since we bought it. I sold the Explorer shortly after with about 500km running on the oil for diesel engines and other than being real dark from all the crud that had been loosened it was running fine.
I told the new purchaser that it needed a new filter and fresh oil and why and he was quite happy to take it and do the change himself.
So if you are having trouble with sticking lifters then maybe you could try a drain and fill with engine oil for a diesel engine...its pretty high quality and I doubt would cause any problems other than maybe you will burn more oil if your compression is being maintained by all the carbon on the piston tops.
As always...you are on your own if you try this and it turns to custard.
NOTE: the oil is lubricant for diesel engines NOT diesel oil itself.
