5.3 tick?!?!

[Jeremy Williams]

I have a 2006 GMC Sierra and I have the 5.3 and lately it’s been getting a tick. I don’t hear on cold start up but after I drive a few miles I’ll start hearing until I rev it up a little then the tick goes away. Any ideas?

[Cammedsilveradodude]

Sounds like lifter. Valvetrain is usually first to hear. Lm7 or hybrid? 

[sefiroxx]

Likely a lifter, less likely is a noisy injector

If a lifter, Inevitably, you at looking at replacing it at some point. Your valve cover is going to be leaking at some point, so might as well pull head at the same time and replace lifters.

[Cammedsilveradodude]

20 minutes ago, sefiroxx said:

Likely a lifter, less likely is a noisy injector

If a lifter, Inevitably, you at looking at replacing it at some point. Your valve cover is going to be leaking at some point, so might as well pull head at the same time and replace lifters.

Do not have to pull heads for lifters. Just intake and valve cover then push rods. Does the engine oil pressure fall when this happens? Gen 3 motors are prone to oil pump pickup tube seal hardening after time and leaks air into oil system causing pockets of air to circulate. Make sense when oil is at the thinnest being warmed up vs cold or high rpm. 

[Jeremy Williams]

4 hours ago, Cammedsilveradodude said:

Sounds like lifter. Valvetrain is usually first to hear. Lm7 or hybrid? 

Lm7

[Jeremy Williams]

3 hours ago, Cammedsilveradodude said:

Do not have to pull heads for lifters. Just intake and valve cover then push rods. Does the engine oil pressure fall when this happens? Gen 3 motors are prone to oil pump pickup tube seal hardening after time and leaks air into oil system causing pockets of air to circulate. Make sense when oil is at the thinnest being warmed up vs cold or high rpm. 

My oil pressure at hot idle is 30-35 and driving down the road is 40+

[Cammedsilveradodude]

Can you be more descriptive? Is it a knock or tick? Just one sound or like multiple ticks? It could be anything from exhaust gasket blowout to loose converter bolts or cracked flex plate. Lol. 

[Jeremy Williams]

12 minutes ago, Cammedsilveradodude said:

Can you be more descriptive? Is it a knock or tick? Just one sound or like multiple ticks? It could be anything from exhaust gasket blowout to loose converter bolts or cracked flex plate. Lol. 

Almost sounds like a ting ting ting. Not a rattle or anything. It’s not a knock like a rod bearing. It’s not exhaust because it’s quiet as a mouse on cold start up. It’s definitely the top end.

[Cammedsilveradodude]

As far as my knowledge goes, removing valve covers is super easy and then check rocker arms and clearance. 

[Jeremy Williams]

1 minute ago, Cammedsilveradodude said:

As far as my knowledge goes, removing valve covers is super easy and then check rocker arms and clearance. 

Ok it’s just wierd because it’s dead quiet on cold start up and I’ll drive it a few miles and the loud tick will happen and gets faster with rpm and as soon as I get the rpms up a little it goes away and dead quiet again and no tick the rest of the day. Doesn’t happen everyday. Maybe once a week or so.

[greatmizzou]

Low octane fuel can cause a “ping”

 

What performance issues you having?

[Cammedsilveradodude]

Give a look at serpentine drive and pulleys. Maybe a cat is in there. Lol. 

[sefiroxx]

Hydraulic lifters use a spring and oil filled cavity to minimize the the gap and soften the noise. When the soothing breaks or the lifter sleeve becomes fouled, then the lifter is no longer able to adjust or spring back.

[Jeremy Williams]

29 minutes ago, greatmizzou said:

Low octane fuel can cause a “ping”

 

What performance issues you having?

No performance issues as far as I can tell

[Jeremy Williams]

15 minutes ago, Cammedsilveradodude said:

Give a look at serpentine drive and pulleys. Maybe a cat is in there. Lol. 

Do cats tick?