Had a lifter temporarily get stuck. . .

[strad]

Engine has 216k miles, is a 5.3 L59. Has had oil changes regularly between 3 and 4.5k miles at least since 143.5k miles, when I acquired the truck. It happened while the engine was idling in a fast food lane, and I was able to get it unstuck after leaving the fast food place.

But . . . I'm not a believer in luck, so I had the thought that there might be a product I could use to help this situation. I know diesels suffer from stiction, but is this situation possibly similar? And would a similar product help me?

Edit: the truck has been running 5W30 full synthetic for at least the last several oil changes. If that information matters.

 

[Larryjb]

Is this one with AFM?

 

[strad]

Do you mean that cylihder deactivation? I don't think so. And it is not a flex fuel motor either, I don't think.

I guess I don't know what AFM means. I only know the term in reference to older Bosch fuel injection cars, which have an Air Flow Meter, or AFM lol. And I know this truck has an MAF! I'm pretty sure you're not talking about that though.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Do you mean that cylihder deactivation? I don't think so. And it is not a flex fuel motor either, I don't think.

I guess I don't know what AFM means. I only know the term in reference to older Bosch fuel injection cars, which have an Air Flow Meter, or AFM lol. And I know this truck has an MAF! I'm pretty sure you're not talking about that though.

The L59 does not have AFM and IS flex fuel.

 

[strad]

The L59 does not have AFM and IS flex fuel.

In case it is Germaine to the discussion then, I have never run it on anything besides regular unleaded.


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[HiHoeSilver]

In case it is Germaine to the discussion then, I have never run it on anything besides regular unleaded.


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A couple tanks of e85 can certainly help clean internals a bit.

 

[iamdub]

If it wasn't maintained so well during the first 143K miles and if you ran conventional oil in it, even with a good OCI, there's a chance that the synthetic you're now running is breaking up and cleaning out gunk and a particle broke free and temporarily clogged an oil passage to or in a lifter.

 

[rockola1971]

A couple tanks of e85 can certainly help clean internals a bit.

What on earth does E85 let alone any fuel have anything to do with a lifter getting stuck? They are not related in any way.

 

[rockola1971]

If it wasn't maintained so well during the first 143K miles and if you ran conventional oil in it, even with a good OCI, there's a chance that the synthetic you're now running is breaking up and cleaning out gunk and a particle broke free and temporarily clogged an oil passage to or in a lifter.

This! I would pull a valve cover or both. The junk sitting on top of your heads tells all to just how the engine has been treated as far as oil changes and oil quality used. Clean out as much as you can by hand and clean the valve covers too if they have gunk in them. Then clean the whole engine out with some engine flush. DO NOT DRIVE with this stuff in your engine. Let engine idle in drive for label recommended time and then drain and then do an oil change. This is the cheapest test first. You have to pull the heads to replace lifters if thats what you end up with. I have 99 Sierra Gen1 5.7L that has a lifter get hung up but it only does it in the winter when its around 10deg or colder outside and it only does it once or twice a winter. Comes right out of it within 30mins or so.

 

[Cb2004mj]

what this guy above said. specifically there are some oil cleansing additives known to help clean lifter passages and the such. basically decarbon the inside of the motor. then do a oil change ASAP afterwards. follow the directions and press on. good attempt to buy you time before pulling heads and doing a lifter job. also correct on the E85, will not do anything for oil cleansing but it is a fuel system cleaner and if you've never run it wouldn't hurt to fill a tank every once in a great while with it. going on a two hr road trip, perfect, get a tank full and purge the crap! cleans injectors, breaks down anything that may be in the system. etc if you do this on a car with a inline filter then change that shortly after doing this the first time. there will be crud in there

 

[strad]

I have had the valve covers off within the last ten thousand miles. This engine is actually really clean under there.


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[iamdub]

I have had the valve covers off within the last ten thousand miles. This engine is actually really clean under there.


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I wouldn't sweat it. This last spell may not have been caused by oil starvation to the lifter and it could be the onset of a mechanical failure. But you can at least cheaply and easily attack one of the possibilities. Keep running a quality full synthetic with regular OCIs and a good filter such as WIX, K&N, Mobil1 and if you must use Fram, get the gold UltraGuard.

A slow cleansing with the detergents in quality oils is much safer than using a harsh chemical flush since it dissolves any varnish/gunk into more of a liquid so it harmlessly passes through into the filter and drains out the crankcase. A chemical flush can break up small particles of solids which can clog the tiny oil passages in the pushrods and lifters.

Maybe run half a quart of transmission fluid in there and see if your oil is any darker at the next oil change?

 

[Rocket Man]

Are you sure it isn’t a small exhaust manifold leak and the reason you heard it at the drive through is that sound gets amplified in them? Then when you left that drive through nothing changed but you can’t hear it anymore? Try going back to the same one and see if you can hear it again. That’s how I discovered my leak. It was broken exhaust manifold bolts.

 

[strad]

Well, to answer several of the above points. Most important, the engine has not made this noise since then, over several hundred miles, so that is good.

I have had the valve covers off this engine -- it is quite clean inside with no sludge visible anywhere. So I'm not suspecting dirty as the first cause.

As for exhaust manifold leaks, yes, this engine does in fact have a couple broken bolts -- one on one side (back) and one on the other side (also back). A very slight exhaust leak can be heard at cold start up, but it goes away quite soon after start up. I suppose eventually I might need to attend to it, but I'll put that off a bit longer.

This noise was not a chuff noise like an exhaust leak typically is. It was a distinct metalic tap noise, and it was loud enough that I wouldn't have needed the building to reflect it back at me in order to hear it. I'm pretty sure it was caused by a lifter, so I'm glad it went away and has not come back!

 

[swathdiver]

In case it is Germaine to the discussion then, I have never run it on anything besides regular unleaded.


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He said "germaine"!

 

[Rocket Man]

He said "germaine"!

Love that movie!

 

[swathdiver]

Love that movie!

I know, it never gets old! Must've watched it hundreds of times over the years, even my kids know it line by line now.

 

[DIsney]

You already know the right answer. With that many miles on the engine, there is no miracle in a bottle that will fix it. You'll need to put in a new set of lifters. Luckily, they are cheap. And all the gaskets needed for the job are also cheap, and likely needed replacement also. Great time to get the heads cleaned up and new valve seals too while you're at it. I'd budget $500 for the whole job and depending on your mechanical ability, you can do it in a day, or over the course of a few days. Also a great time for upgrades if you were so inclined....

 

[V30Crewcab]

a little marvel mystery oil in my engine keeps my lifters from tapping. its not a large tap, but when I change oil it taps for a few min. marvel cures it.