Intermittent lifter tick on 5.3??
02-16-2018, 07:57 PM
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Intermittent lifter tick on 5.3??
Hey y'all, kinda stumped on this one. i recently bought a 2007 classic RCSB with the L59 5.3 (flex-fuel) with 103K miles
well on day 2 of owning it i came to a red-light and thought i heard something, turned my radio down and yup.... tick tick tick... sounds exactly like a sticking lifter.
I have investigated some and it only happens when up to temp and low rpm. stop and go traffic is almost a sure way to make it happen. it DOES NOT happen all the time.. if i notice it happening i can shift to neutral and give it a couple slight revs and it goes away. i have used M1 5-30 and rotella T6 5-40 in it and it has occurred with both, I have flushed the motor once with seafoam and once with MMO, Oil pressure at hot idle is ~37 PSI, while cruising its at 40-42 psi and climbs to 60 PSI at WOT.
my question is... am i dealing with a bad roller on one of the lifters or is it a oiling issue? oil is clean when i change it so i don't believe it is a sludge problem.
should i bite the bullet and replace (upgrade) the cam and lifters or am i dealing with a weak oil pump?
any help is much appreciated. Thanks
well on day 2 of owning it i came to a red-light and thought i heard something, turned my radio down and yup.... tick tick tick... sounds exactly like a sticking lifter.
I have investigated some and it only happens when up to temp and low rpm. stop and go traffic is almost a sure way to make it happen. it DOES NOT happen all the time.. if i notice it happening i can shift to neutral and give it a couple slight revs and it goes away. i have used M1 5-30 and rotella T6 5-40 in it and it has occurred with both, I have flushed the motor once with seafoam and once with MMO, Oil pressure at hot idle is ~37 PSI, while cruising its at 40-42 psi and climbs to 60 PSI at WOT.
my question is... am i dealing with a bad roller on one of the lifters or is it a oiling issue? oil is clean when i change it so i don't believe it is a sludge problem.
should i bite the bullet and replace (upgrade) the cam and lifters or am i dealing with a weak oil pump?
any help is much appreciated. Thanks
02-16-2018, 08:16 PM
#2
Welcome to a LS engine.
Either deal with it like 90% of us do or replace the parts and have it still do it later on. Heck even brand spanking new GM lifters will tick right out of the box at idle.
It's not an oil pressure problem, you are have far more pressure than the GM minimum specs to keep the engine alive and healthy. Factory lifters are just noisy, the sewing machine and lifter tick sound are just the way they are.
Either deal with it like 90% of us do or replace the parts and have it still do it later on. Heck even brand spanking new GM lifters will tick right out of the box at idle.
It's not an oil pressure problem, you are have far more pressure than the GM minimum specs to keep the engine alive and healthy. Factory lifters are just noisy, the sewing machine and lifter tick sound are just the way they are.
02-16-2018, 08:25 PM
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I know about the piston slap and "sewing machine" valvetrain. this is sometimes a LOUD tap... bad enough that i can hear it clearly over road / tire noise.
i have just never heard a healthy LS be quite that loud. lol but hey.. if i can use it as a excuse to the wife to throw a cam, springs and long tubes on it then so be it.
i have just never heard a healthy LS be quite that loud. lol but hey.. if i can use it as a excuse to the wife to throw a cam, springs and long tubes on it then so be it.
02-17-2018, 12:05 PM
#4
Welcome to a LS engine.
Either deal with it like 90% of us do or replace the parts and have it still do it later on. Heck even brand spanking new GM lifters will tick right out of the box at idle.
It's not an oil pressure problem, you are have far more pressure than the GM minimum specs to keep the engine alive and healthy. Factory lifters are just noisy, the sewing machine and lifter tick sound are just the way they are.
Either deal with it like 90% of us do or replace the parts and have it still do it later on. Heck even brand spanking new GM lifters will tick right out of the box at idle.
It's not an oil pressure problem, you are have far more pressure than the GM minimum specs to keep the engine alive and healthy. Factory lifters are just noisy, the sewing machine and lifter tick sound are just the way they are.
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