Lifter ticking.

[ajordan66]

I have the same "ticking" sound, but I only hear it when truck idles. Suggestions?

 

[Maximus1]

How's your oil pressure? I had a plugged oil filter just a couple of months after my oil change. So be on the safe side you could try replacing it.
This was after a switch to synthetic. A trip up to Kamloops pulling a trailer cleaned more out.

A switch to synthetic? I believe you should have been using synthetic from the get go. It is required by GM and is clearly stated in the owners manual. I only use 5w-30 mobile one or royal purple. Both of these fully synthetic oils have detergents to prevent sludge. In these LS based engines there are a lot more critical parts that have small tolerances that conventional oil cannot protect. If you have a 99 or newer Tahoe/Suburban you should ALWAYS use a fully synthetic 5W-30 and this will greatly reduce your chances of engine noise or failure.

 

[milestone]

It starts ticking when cruising on the highway. It comes and goes. Any tricks? In wanting to do a 6.0 swap but I was hoping to get that done in spring.

I always use maravile. Mestry oil oil change. And gas fill up. Took care My 98 Tahoe 5.7 liter tapping. It has 330,000 miles running strong like a New truck

 

[afpj]

A switch to synthetic? I believe you should have been using synthetic from the get go. It is required by GM and is clearly stated in the owners manual. I only use 5w-30 mobile one or royal purple. Both of these fully synthetic oils have detergents to prevent sludge. In these LS based engines there are a lot more critical parts that have small tolerances that conventional oil cannot protect. If you have a 99 or newer Tahoe/Suburban you should ALWAYS use a fully synthetic 5W-30 and this will greatly reduce your chances of

My 2002 Yukon manual does not mention anything about synthetic motor oil. The only synthetic requirement is for the rear diff. When did they start "requiring " synth motor oil?

 

[Larryjb]

A switch to synthetic? I believe you should have been using synthetic from the get go. It is required by GM and is clearly stated in the owners manual. I only use 5w-30 mobile one or royal purple. Both of these fully synthetic oils have detergents to prevent sludge. In these LS based engines there are a lot more critical parts that have small tolerances that conventional oil cannot protect. If you have a 99 or newer Tahoe/Suburban you should ALWAYS use a fully synthetic 5W-30 and this will greatly reduce your chances of engine noise or failure.

I got the truck used last year. I have no idea what oil was used before.

 

[Chubbs]

My 2002 Yukon manual does not mention anything about synthetic motor oil. The only synthetic requirement is for the rear diff. When did they start "requiring " synth motor oil?

It's like your Dexron transmission fluid. When the '02-'03 were rolling out the factory bay doors, Dex3 had been around for a while, wasn't all that great & chemists were forever engineering an upgrade to it. Dex4 was a failure but with technological breakthroughs Dex6 was finally created & released 2006. Not only was it GM-spec for brand new '06MY, but also backwards compatible for just about every trans' they ever made to run on Dexron. Dex6Syn followed and as such, backwards compatible AND the factory-fill, service-fill, the only trans fluid to be stocked & used by/for GM.

1/2Dexos is the Dexron6 of GM motor oils. It is the latest/greatest, best of the best, forever backwards compatible to most everything GM still on the road & coming off the assembly line. Our old 2002/03/04 trucks were ahead of their time and more advanced than the chemicals available at that time. Now that more advanced, enviro-friendly chemicals are readily available, spec'd for everything on the road, dino-oils will be obsolete and synthetic the only oil commercially available.

 

[Maximus1]

It just makes sense to use fully synthetic oil over conventional. Your engine will last longer and perform flawlessly for decades. With that being said, if you’ve been using conventional for awhile it might not be so good to switch to synthetic since the engine has worn more with conventional oil. Kind of like too little to late.

 

[Larryjb]

Another thing to consider about synthetic versus disno oil is the average molecule size. Oil is a mixture of long and short molecules. The molecule sizes give the oil it's hot and cold flow properties. Synthetic oil is made with better controls on the molecule size. Dino oil has less control, so to keep the same average size dino oil must have longer and shorter molecules than in synthetic oil.

Because dino oil has some longer molecules, they can " plug" small leaks. This is one reason a switch to synthetic "causes" leaks. However, the molecules in synthetic oil are more stable so synthetic oil can retain it's lubrication properties better.

Even though the oil itself lasts longer, it still gets the same contamination from vaporized gasoline that may slip past the rings during compression, and moisture that can form from condensation inside the engine. Synthetic oil doesn't solve these problems, so you should still change your oil at about the same time intervals as dino oil.

 

[David Smith]

Got the oil changed. I added some lifter stuff I bought at advanced and ran it about an hour or so before changing the oil. The oil that came out was gross. Absolutely disgusting. I changed the filter and added 6 quarts of Valvoline 5w-20 that's dexos approved blah blah blah. Anyway when I started it to check my oil pressure it was at 40 psi at idle. I never remember it being about 20 at idle since I've owned it. At about 2k RPMs (cruising rpm) it was at 60 psi. I've NEVER saw my oil pressure above 40,EVER! I'd say this kind of jump in psi is a good thing and will keep the lifters quiet. If not I'll order some lifter stuff from Lucas and give that a go.

How are you looking a month later?

 

[Bonestock]

How are you looking a month later?

The pressure slowly dropped off as suggested it would above. I did as suggested and changed only the filter. Pressure instantly jumped back up and then slowly dropped again but at a slower rate. Took about 500 miles first time and 1500 miles the second time and changed the filter again and that was about 1000 miles ago and it hasn’t dropped yet. I’m changing the oil this weekend. So I’ll just keep rolling and keeping an eye out for a lightly used 6.0

 

[DenaliJJ]

Mine has around 1000 on the oil change and so far so good. The pressure is 45 on start up(45-50 degree outside) after running and warmed up 20 mins or so it will sit at around 35-30 depending on how warm it is outside. When I give it gas it instantly jumps up to past 45 and sometimes I’ll hit past 60 if I’m gunning it to get on the highway. Now if I could just figure out why the psi likes to fluctuate 5 psi and raise back up again every now and again I’d be set

 

[David Smith]

The pressure slowly dropped off as suggested it would above. I did as suggested and changed only the filter. Pressure instantly jumped back up and then slowly dropped again but at a slower rate. Took about 500 miles first time and 1500 miles the second time and changed the filter again and that was about 1000 miles ago and it hasn’t dropped yet. I’m changing the oil this weekend. So I’ll just keep rolling and keeping an eye out for a lightly used 6.0

I heard that. No ticking/tapping noise still though?

 

[DenaliJJ]

Just at initial start up for maybe 30 secs to a min. Had the gm shop here say it could be a lifter but they would venture to say its piston slap. Who knows. All I know is it goes away. If it was constant I would be pulling heads for sure

 

[Bonestock]

I heard that. No ticking/tapping noise still though?

No Ticking at all so thats a good thing.

Just at initial start up for maybe 30 secs to a min. Had the gm shop here say it could be a lifter but they would venture to say its piston slap. Who knows. All I know is it goes away. If it was constant I would be pulling heads for sure

oil pressure shouldnt drop off like that after being warmed up. I would spend $10 and change thge filter again and so every 1000 miles or so for about 5000 miles then another oil change.

 

[David Smith]

I added some lifter stuff

Do you recall what you used?

 

[Larryjb]

No Ticking at all so thats a good thing.



oil pressure shouldnt drop off like that after being warmed up. I would spend $10 and change thge filter again and so every 1000 miles or so for about 5000 miles then another oil change.

The dealer told me the oil pressure can vary. I notice it varies with engine speed and load. When the engine is cold, the idle RPM will be higher which will result in higher oil pressure. Once the engine warms up, the RPM will drop, and the oil pressure with it.

Since using Valvoline synthetic, and pulling a trailer up the Coquihalla (a long tough climb involving 10-12% grades), much of my startup noise is gone.

 

[Bonestock]

Do you recall what you used?

It was Lucas oil stabilizer.

 

[Bonestock]

The dealer told me the oil pressure can vary. I notice it varies with engine speed and load. When the engine is cold, the idle RPM will be higher which will result in higher oil pressure. Once the engine warms up, the RPM will drop, and the oil pressure with it.

Since using Valvoline synthetic, and pulling a trailer up the Coquihalla (a long tough climb involving 10-12% grades), much of my startup noise is gone.

Hmm my pressure stays fairy steady when cold and warm just varies with rpm

 

[DenaliJJ]

Well I think I found the source of the noise. I checked over everything today and decided to double check the exhaust manifolds. Turns out I’m missing the bolt closest to firewall on drivers side

 

[Bonestock]

Well I think I found the source of the noise. I checked over everything today and decided to double check the exhaust manifolds. Turns out I’m missing the bolt closest to firewall on drivers side

Mine is also missing but doesn’t make a sound. Hopefully that’s your problem. Easy fix