Valve tick or normal sound?

[jdwood1111]

Hey All,

As part of my ongoing slow maintenace I finally had time today to change the belts and pullies (AC Delco kit from RA). It went very smooth and got the AC stretch belt on with the zip ties no problem. After I started it up it sounded a little different than normal but I have not run it with the hood open in a while so I wanted to post a video and see if this is normal sounding operation. It was not cold but not hot. Temp was on the colder side to in the middle as I had run it a bit earlier today and it sat for a couple hours. The ticking sounded did not sound like it was coming up but rather from the bottom. Let me know your thoughts if you don’t mind. This is more first ever truck and GM product so I don’t have a lot to compare it to. I took it for a ride after and it rode fine! Actually felt a little peppier. All I hear inside the cabin is the exhaust (stock) and airaid for the most part.

No check engine light, 45PSI oil pressure, good voltage, Range AFM device, no other known problems. 95k miles and I have already cleaned the throttle body, mass air flow sensor, new air filter and all other fluids except coolant & transmission (working on both of those).

Thanks!

EDIT: Here is a video of it after i got back with a hot idle but the fans were on so its harder to hear.

 

[swathdiver]

Lifter tick or exhaust leak that kinda goes away as she heats up is my guess.

 

[OR VietVet]

Agree with @swathdiver, look at the exhaust manifold mount bolts and check if any will just pull out, like they are broke inside there.

 

[tom3]

A loose spark plug will cause a tick too. I have an old stethescope that I use for stuff like this, pin down the noise.

 

[swathdiver]

A loose spark plug will cause a tick too. I have an old stethescope that I use for stuff like this, pin down the noise.

Man, when that happened to me I swore my motor was broken! LOL

 

[B-train]

It sounds like more of a metallic noise, like a lifter. From above it sounds pretty normal, through the wheel well it's much more noticeable

I agree with prior mentioned options, but I'd like to add that running 1/2 quart of ATF in the oil for 200-500 miles before a change might help. If the lifter is sticky and varnished up from years of dirty oil, this can help clean it up and make it move freely again. It's a cheap test.

 

[jdwood1111]

Thanks for the opinions! B-Train, that is what I thought as well! I heard the noise more while getting in the truck and noticed it was louder from the wheel well than it was up top. I thought up top it sounded relatively normal from my minimal experience. I will try and check the exhaust bolts carefully, so I do not break them! I guess just throw a socket on them and try to loosen gently and see what happens. The plugs and wires were replaced by a shop a few months prior to me buying the truck can try and again, gently pry the wires off and check for torque on those as well. I was debating about a lucas type fuel treatment but get nervous with what others have said about loosen up crud with the AFM.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@jdwood1111 One thing I have noticed is that because the lifters are in the center of the motor you can hear them better from the wheel wells and might be mistaken for exhaust leak or vise versa.

2 Things you can do to help us help you is to rev the motor while the camera is in the wheel well and then put the vehicle in drive and hold the brake while you give it gas, when the engine is under-load a leaky exhaust manifold should get louder.

 

[B-train]

Don't worry about the crud. ATF isn't super-duper aggressive and works wonders on varnish, etc. Make a note of oil color before hand and during to see if there is a change like its cleaning stuff. I'd recommend more of an extended trip vs a bunch of short trips for best results.

I've used it for noisy lifters, sticky fuel injectors, etc over the years and it has never disappointed.

 

[jdwood1111]

So i didn’t actually have much time to drive the truck or check it out but did take a video. However it was late and dark so I’ll get a better one in a couple days. However, I threw in a bottle of Lucas injector cleaner in the gas tank and a half quart of ATF in the oil to give it a try. Could be I’m hoping for good results so it felt a little quieter and slightly higher oil pressure but who really knows. I did check the exhaust bolts and all seem tight and are present. I did not yet try pulling the wires off to check the torque on the plugs but that is next.

I’ll get a video per Dustin soon!

 

[jdwood1111]

So I haven't had time to video the truck in the day light but wanted to put this up until this weekend even though its dark but you can still listen. This was warmed up and then revved a couple of times. The ticking seems to stop when revved at least in this video. The noise is definitely a little louder at startup.

I had put half a quart of ATF in the oil about 100-120miles ago and plan on driving it around and then changing the oil with 6 qts of Valvoline Syn and a PurolatorBOSS filter. I also added a small amount of Seafoam Trans Tune since I am having the fluid and filter changed next week. I will cover that in my other tread.

If time permits, I may try and check the torque on the spark plugs, just don't want to damage the wires when removing them.

I'll upload a newer video this weekend post oil change.

 

[Geotrash]

Are you the original owner of this truck? Are you 100% sure that it still has the factory cam? That's valvetrain noise, but would be normal in a cammed engine. If you're sure the valvetrain is all original, then I would wager you have a lifter that's not yet failed but on its way. Factory valve trains are usually pretty quiet. I'd be tempted to pull the rocker covers and make sure everything is still buttoned down and torqued properly up top.

 

[jdwood1111]

I am not the original owner. I just bought the truck used in April/may with 92k on it and now have 95.2k. I do not recall hearing this noise much at all until I changed the drive belt and pullies and that’s when I noticed it. I also changed the ac stretch belt and turned the engine with the crank pulley to get it on and hope that didn’t do anything. It turned relatively easily. The rest of the truck is 100% stock from what I can tell. The exhaust sounds a little throaty but appears stock. I have not had much experience with v8s or GM products to compare to. Mostly a Honda guy. Just nervous based on research on this forum with AFM etc. And still owe some money on the truck.

I am pretty handy and have done quite a few items myself but never really opened an engine other than valve cover gaskets on my Miata back in the day. So the thought of having to replace lifters, rods, cams, etc is a little intimidating to me. Watching a few videos it doesn’t seem terrible but just time consuming, especially since I haven’t done it before.

 

[Geotrash]

I am not the original owner. I just bought the truck used in April/may with 92k on it and now have 95.2k. I do not recall hearing this noise much at all until I changed the drive belt and pullies and that’s when I noticed it. I also changed the ac stretch belt and turned the engine with the crank pulley to get it on and hope that didn’t do anything. It turned relatively easily. The rest of the truck is 100% stock from what I can tell. The exhaust sounds a little throaty but appears stock. I have not had much experience with v8s or GM products to compare to. Mostly a Honda guy. Just nervous based on research on this forum with AFM etc. And still owe some money on the truck.

I am pretty handy and have done quite a few items myself but never really opened an engine other than valve cover gaskets on my Miata back in the day. So the thought of having to replace lifters, rods, cams, etc is a little intimidating to me. Watching a few videos it doesn’t seem terrible but just time consuming, especially since I haven’t done it before.

Okay, that helps. My cammed 2012 sounds very similar to yours most of the time. Sometimes quieter, sometime slightly louder at startup, depending on whatever mood it's in.

Bottom line for me if your truck were mine, would be to keep oil change intervals short (3-5K) for the next 10-15K to make sure the VLOM is clean, and keep an ear on it to see if anything changes significantly. My bet is that that's just how your engine is and that you won't have any further problems with it getting louder. At 92K if it's been reasonably well-maintained, you shouldn't have any trouble with the AFM system or other valvetrain components for a long time yet.

Here's a video of mine as it currently sounds:

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@jdwood1111 The last video you posted didn't sound too bad, the first videos sounded a little rough from the bottom of the motor.

Honestly man at this point I don't think you have a problem, you might have a flat spot on your lifter or a manifold leak but it's not work taking the motor apart for either of those yet. My motor sounded like that for a while before It became a problem.

Educate yourself on what you would need to do for when the lifter fails but keep don't waste money on it yet. Chevys will run like shit for years lol

Here is a clip of my motor when my lifter failed, what you are hearing is the lifter bouncing around on top of my camshaft. I suspect that the lifter turned sideways in the tray, I had AFM disabled so I don't think it was a collapse situation.

 

[BG1988]

Okay, that helps. My cammed 2012 sounds very similar to yours most of the time. Sometimes quieter, sometime slightly louder at startup, depending on whatever mood it's in.

Bottom line for me if your truck were mine, would be to keep oil change intervals short (3-5K) for the next 10-15K to make sure the VLOM is clean, and keep an ear on it to see if anything changes significantly. My bet is that that's just how your engine is and that you won't have any further problems with it getting louder. At 92K if it's been reasonably well-maintained, you shouldn't have any trouble with the AFM system or other valvetrain components for a long time yet.

Here's a video of mine as it currently sounds:

As long as it doesn't sound like LOUD hard clacking

mine sounds Exactly the same 6.0L btw

this should reassure the OP mine doesn't burn any oil (Only losing oil via the VLOM per the pool of oil on the vlom) just a tiny nothing to be too alarmed about

 

[jdwood1111]

Thanks for the feedback and comparison videos guys! It does sound similar to Geotrash video actually! Any "easy" way to tell if my cam is stock? The entire car was fully stock and seemed to be well taken care when I bought it so I feel confident its stock. So I changed the oil today as noted above and the existing oil was pretty dirty (I think its been about 4k miles). I took it for a short ride and checked for leaks and then took the two videos below. Overall, the driver side sounded better but the passenger side had more a tick up top than I recall. I am honestly still getting used to the truck and I continue to work on it so could just me. Oil pressure was good and maybe a little higher than before.

Side note, not sure if its me and its colder out but the transmission seems to be shifting a little better the more I drive it after putting the Seafoam trans tune in.

I think my plan is to just monitor and change the oil a little more frequently and maybe add a bit of MMO here and there. Trans fluid and filter hopefully this week and then all hoses in the spring.

 

[Geotrash]

Thanks for the feedback and comparison videos guys! It does sound similar to Geotrash video actually! Any "easy" way to tell if my cam is stock? The entire car was fully stock and seemed to be well taken care when I bought it so I feel confident its stock. So I changed the oil today as noted above and the existing oil was pretty dirty (I think its been about 4k miles). I took it for a short ride and checked for leaks and then took the two videos below. Overall, the driver side sounded better but the passenger side had more a tick up top than I recall. I am honestly still getting used to the truck and I continue to work on it so could just me. Oil pressure was good and maybe a little higher than before.

Side note, not sure if its me and its colder out but the transmission seems to be shifting a little better the more I drive it after putting the Seafoam trans tune in.

I think my plan is to just monitor and change the oil a little more frequently and maybe add a bit of MMO here and there. Trans fluid and filter hopefully this week and then all hoses in the spring.

Sounds normal to me. And that's a good plan for any engine.

 

[B-train]

Sounds great! I have similar noise at idle with 176k on her. I'd just do what was mentioned with more frequent oil changes and monitor

 

[jdwood1111]

So I installed an oil catch can this weekend based on info both here on the site and others and upon completing it and take it for a ride, I feel like the valve tick is getting louder but wanted to see if others agree. If anyone has time to compare this video to the first one, it sounds like the lower noise I was concerned about is less but the valve tick on the passenger side is much more noticeable. I am hoping the half quart of ATF and new synthetic oil didn't clean things out too much and got something stuck.

Here is my question. I have been prioritizing things and since the truck was due to inspection this month, I was going to have a local guy turn off the AFM so I did not have to worry about removing the Range device. However, he said for $400 more he could do a full tune and trans tune like black bear. He gets really good reviews and does tons of LS vehicles so I said screw it, and scheduled an appointment this saturday. Should I now be concerned with the way this sounds? Should I change the oil before hand? I just changed it a couple of months ago and have maybe only like 500-600 miles on it. I am also chasing down a mild oil leak that I was going to mess with in the spring time but the oil pressure has been fine and the truck seems to run great.

OR, am I just looking for a problem that is not there?? Say screw it and do the tune?

The only things I have not done yet maintenance wise that I wanted to potentially before the tune was the coolant and hoses. Otherwise, all other fluids and trans service was completed.