Lifter Knock!?! Or something else?! Please Help!

TEWNCfarms · March 21, 2018

3 hours ago, Logan Lanfear said:

Might get more look at it if you can take the rocker cover off while its running. Im not sure if you can do that or not with these LS engines. I know its pretty easy with the 350. Maybe a view will help isolate what its doing? Someone has a video of using a screwdriver as a stethoscope to pin point noise. But on an engine with that many miles, definitely don't replace any internals without rebuilding the whole thing. Its just not worth it.

why do you say that? rebuilding it... yeah I actually Just bought a mechanics stethoscope and was listening a few minutes ago when I started it up with the ticking... I couldn't pinpoint it yet, but it doesn't seem to be coming from any of the pistons...

19 hours ago, djv1951 said:

Possible a idler pulley bearing

I Really hope it's this! I do have some squeaking sometimes from the belt/pulley... is there a way to check this pulley to find out if its the problem? or should I just buy a new one and replace it? It's only about $20 give or take...

TEWNCfarms · March 21, 2018

20 hours ago, djv1951 said:

Possible a idler pulley bearing

So I just took off the belt and spun the pulleys by hand, and the idler pulley actually didn't make a sound, though my alternator is squeaking which is where my alternator whine is coming from... any ideas how to "grease" that bearing without having to break the alternator apart? I bought it new with lifetime warranty from advanced auto about two years ago...

But the only other pulley that made any noise was the tensioner pulley... do you think I should just replace the tensioner pulley, or do you think I should do both the idler and tensioner both?

Logan Lanfear · March 21, 2018

29 minutes ago, TEWNCfarms said:

So I just took off the belt and spun the pulleys by hand, and the idler pulley actually didn't make a sound, though my alternator is squeaking which is where my alternator whine is coming from... any ideas how to "grease" that bearing without having to break the alternator apart? I bought it new with lifetime warranty from advanced auto about two years ago...

But the only other pulley that made any noise was the tensioner pulley... do you think I should just replace the tensioner pulley, or do you think I should do both the idler and tensioner both?

Maybe start with the tensioner if you think it could be an issue. Cheap enough not to matter. But to me that does not sound like a issue with a tensioner. It sounds internal.

2 hours ago, TEWNCfarms said:

why do you say that? rebuilding it... yeah I actually Just bought a mechanics stethoscope and was listening a few minutes ago when I started it up with the ticking... I couldn't pinpoint it yet, but it doesn't seem to be coming from any of the pistons...

I Really hope it's this! I do have some squeaking sometimes from the belt/pulley... is there a way to check this pulley to find out if its the problem? or should I just buy a new one and replace it? It's only about $20 give or take...

By rebuilding it i mean tearing down the entire engine and refreshing the internals. If the cam bearings are wiped and the lifters are junk, the rest of the motor is probably not in the best shape. Almost like putting lipstick on a pig. If it were me, I would figure out of it is a lifter with some disassembly and then decide if I want to rebuild or throw a different engine in it.

DONWT15 · March 21, 2018

TEWNCfarms is this topic related to the engine flush topic you have going also?

And the alternator whine?

Is this all one truck?

TEWNCfarms · March 22, 2018

41 minutes ago, DONWT15 said:

TEWNCfarms is this topic related to the engine flush topic you have going also?

And the alternator whine?

Is this all one truck?

Yes it is all a 2000 Silverado 5.3 LS Z71

55 minutes ago, Logan Lanfear said:

Maybe start with the tensioner if you think it could be an issue. Cheap enough not to matter. But to me that does not sound like a issue with a tensioner. It sounds internal.

By rebuilding it i mean tearing down the entire engine and refreshing the internals. If the cam bearings are wiped and the lifters are junk, the rest of the motor is probably not in the best shape. Almost like putting lipstick on a pig. If it were me, I would figure out of it is a lifter with some disassembly and then decide if I want to rebuild or throw a different engine in it.

Yeah rebuilding the engine and or replacing it is Not an option for me. There’s just too much other problems to spend at least $1k on the engine, I’ve already thrown in $3k for a tranny and brakes and parking cable paying someone else to do all that work. That’s why I’m on here I’m done giving money away for problems I can fix myself.

but the truck has a cab corner rusted out, rocker panels are rusting out and both have holes throughout. I just saw a few weeks ago there’s even a rusted out hole on a piece of frame or something on the rear. This truck has lived its life by the Sea and the previous owner used it to tow boats and stuff.

so I just don’t even know if it’s worth completely rebuilding. Though I Do Love it and I love this year truck and don’t really like Any others besides Old 70s and before trucks and the brand new 17&18s silverados (which there’s no way in hell I could pay for either of these styles of trucks).

oh and I have to repaint the roof and hood. And When I repair the rocker panels I’m just going to put slip ons on it and bust out the outer panel and put on the new one, i will Not be replacing the Inner rocker panel. Needless to say this truck is a rust bucket...

DONWT15 · March 22, 2018

Well I would start with the alternator fist. Take it back and get another one while the warranty is still good.

If the tensioner pulley is bad, replace that next or at the same time. Get the front end of the motor quieter first and then go after the valve train

TEWNCfarms · March 22, 2018

1 hour ago, DONWT15 said:

Well I would start with the alternator fist. Take it back and get another one while the warranty is still good.

If the tensioner pulley is bad, replace that next or at the same time. Get the front end of the motor quieter first and then go after the valve train

cool thats exactly what im going to do!I mean once I fix these things ill be golden!

I also did add some oil to the pulleys and the ticking noise changed how it sounds, so i'm pretty sure that's what the noise is. Next time the noise comes back, probably tomorrow morning, i'll turn it off and remove the belt and start it up to see if thats Exactly what it is. and if so, i'm probably just going to go ahead and a new tensioner and idler; and exchange the alternator.

carnau · March 22, 2018

On 3/20/2018 at 8:45 PM, TEWNCfarms said:

Should I do the Lucas oil stabilizer? Or bars? It has 235000 miles, I had the tranny rebuilt 2.5 years ago...

There is no such thing as a mechanic in a can. Putting a muffler on a problem is still a problem. If you plan on keeping the truck, replace the cam and lifters or replace the engine. It's easy for me to say i know... I work on them every day so it seems like such an easy thing to fix that I forget most the people here don't work on vehicles for a living.

But with that being said a lot of this is just remove and replace and the stuff that isn't (like timing) can be youtubed.

Logan Lanfear · March 22, 2018

14 hours ago, carnau said:

There is no such thing as a mechanic in a can. Putting a muffler on a problem is still a problem. If you plan on keeping the truck, replace the cam and lifters or replace the engine. It's easy for me to say i know... I work on them every day so it seems like such an easy thing to fix that I forget most the people here don't work on vehicles for a living.

But with that being said a lot of this is just remove and replace and the stuff that isn't (like timing) can be youtubed.

Yup, hes going to have to make a descion over keeping the truck or dumping some money and time into it.

Thats if its the valve train.

Personally, with lots of rust on the frame and body, its not worth a lot. Drive it till it blows up then sell it for $500.

carnau · March 22, 2018

56 minutes ago, Logan Lanfear said:

Yup, hes going to have to make a descion over keeping the truck or dumping some money and time into it.

Thats if its the valve train.

Personally, with lots of rust on the frame and body, its not worth a lot. Drive it till it blows up then sell it for $500.

Agreed. If it's rusted drive it till it leaves you. Then call the scrap yard to pick it up.

TEWNCfarms · March 23, 2018

19 hours ago, Logan Lanfear said:

Yup, hes going to have to make a descion over keeping the truck or dumping some money and time into it.

Thats if its the valve train.

Personally, with lots of rust on the frame and body, its not worth a lot. Drive it till it blows up then sell it for $500.

18 hours ago, carnau said:

Agreed. If it's rusted drive it till it leaves you. Then call the scrap yard to pick it up.

Well great news! After piling the pulleys I have No knock or tick whatsoever!!! Thanks for your help everyone! Hopefully I’ll be able to get another at least 100k miles out it!

TEWNCfarms · March 23, 2018

On 3/20/2018 at 10:03 PM, djv1951 said:

Possible a idler pulley bearing

Thanks so much! It was the tensioner! I really appreciate it

mookdoc6 · March 23, 2018

Just like the surgeons....Let's cut ya open so we can get a good look see? When opening up should be the last or final step in fixing the problem. Tensioner is all folks nothing more.....

TEWNCfarms · April 7, 2018

Thanks everybody for your help!!! It was my tensioner got them both replaced and now I got rid of Every single knock noise I had, running like a charm now sounds perfect!!!