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5.3l loss of oil pressure and lifter tick

Zack Horwitz
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Zack Horwitz Enthusiast

Zack Horwitz

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Hello, I have a 2006 Silverado 5.3. 140k

 

About 1000 miles into my last oil change I noticed a lifter tick and the oil pressure was reading 20(usually it would read 40 during driving). The oil pressure also started to drop with higher rpms instead of increase.

 

So I changed my oil and filter and did an engine flush because it seemed like oil flow was being clogged with something.

 

After the oil change everything was better and I was back at 40 psi and it would increase with throttle.

 

But this only lasted 400 miles before going back to the 20 psi.

 

I took it to a shop and they diagnose it as a bad lifter and to me it doesn't seem like a bad lifter would be causing the low oil pressure, to me it seems like the low oil pressure is causing the lifter to tick.

 

Any ideas? I don't have the money to replace a lifter and not fix the truck

richard wysong Senior Enthusiast

richard wysong

Posted
Posted

Many many posts on this problem in the archives. Watch the utube posted by maddog820 on Jan 6,good info there. It may be the orings on  the pickup tube are allowing the pump to suck air. Probably not the lifters so good call there. Some oils rapidly lose their viscosity so you may want to try changing brands of oil and filter, I like Castrol and ACDelco filters both available at Walmart

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richard wysong Senior Enthusiast

richard wysong

Posted
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You are correct with your thinking that the oil supply may be impeded where the pressure drops with rpms. Possibly the screen on the pickup is clogging or just the bad orings. Where the engine flush helped it may be time to drop the oil pan and investigate

Zack Horwitz Enthusiast

Zack Horwitz

Posted
  • Author
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Thanks everyone I was using mobil synthetic oil and an ac Delco filter, I think I'm going to say not to replace the lifter and just drop the pan and clean it out /replace the pickup tube o ring and see what happens, book time on that has to be a hell of a lot less than replacing a lifter

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richard wysong Senior Enthusiast

richard wysong

Posted
Posted (edited)

There are posts of modifications made to the pick up tube to cure the oring problem if you search the archives. Mobil1 is good oil so not likely the problem.

Edited by richard wysong
Jworks Enthusiast

Jworks

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, richard wysong said:

Many many posts on this problem in the archives. Watch the utube posted by maddog820 on Jan 6,good info there. It may be the orings on  the pickup tube are allowing the pump to suck air. Probably not the lifters so good call there. Some oils rapidly lose their viscosity so you may want to try changing brands of oil and filter, I like Castrol and ACDelco filters both available at Walmart

Richard Wysong, I've been getting oil changes at the dealer with their Dexos 5-20 oil and their PF48 filter (even though last oil change I told them to put on the upgrade filter....UPF-48r or PF-63.  Anyway, they just put on their standard PF48).  I'm thinking about doing it myself now. 

 

I have 3 questions: 

1. Does Castrol make 5-30 Dexos synthetic oil?  (I used Castrol conventional oil on a 94 GMC 4.3 and got 484k miles with it)

2.  Do you recommend the UPF-48R or PF-63 filters over the PF-48?

3.  I too had an issue once with low oil pressure dropped to 21 at any speed.  I changed oil & filter and oil sensor and it solved that.  Now I get 40 and around 25-30 at idle.  I too have an occasional tick sound "sometimes" but then it goes away.  My independent mechanic said forget it -- his Chev had it sometimes too.

richard wysong Senior Enthusiast

richard wysong

Posted
Posted

I do not know if Castrol paid GM  for the dexos licence but would not hesitate to use it as I'm sure it meets or exceeds dexos specs. Lots of Gm trucks have the tick that comes and goes and even the dealers will tell you don't worry but if it is under warranty I would demand they fix it before the warranty expires. As far as filters I believe the UPFs just have different filter media so no preference. Castrol conventional is what I run in all my vehicles, if I run Walmart brand oil in my 98 the pressure drops after about 1000 miles and I am guessing it is because the viscosity stabilizers are spent. I do NOT want to start an oil war here again so will just leave it at that

Zack Horwitz Enthusiast

Zack Horwitz

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Mechanic said that 20 psi is more than enough and it isn't worrying him and that if the psi was too low all the lifters would be ticking.

I asked why it stopped after a fresh oil change after it went back to 40psi and he said he didn't know, also asked why throttle was making the psi go down he didn't know.

 

Book time to drop the pan and do the pickup tube is 3.5 hours so like 400 bucks I dunno if I should just have them do that but he said it's not going to do anything.

 

Might be worth trying tho since replacing a lifter is going to be $$$$ they said they'd have to take the whole engine out but I don't know if that's true

dsr611 Senior Enthusiast

dsr611

Posted
Posted

Drop the oil pan and replace the pickup tube O-ring.  Had the same problem with my 05 Tahoe (same engine).  Replaced the O-ring and oil pressure is back up to 40+ psi and lifter tick is gone.  You're looking at about $40 for the oil pan gasket, $5 (if that much) for the pickup tube O-ring, and a few hours of your time.

richard wysong Senior Enthusiast

richard wysong

Posted
Posted

sounds like you need to find a new mechanic if he is not familiar with the problems you are experiencing

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asilverblazer Senior Enthusiast

asilverblazer

Posted
Posted

Wouldn't hurt to pull the pressure sender and replace the screen under it too. Those sensors are known to fail and the screen under them clog too. Reasonably cheap and I would consider it a maintenance item on these engines.

Zack Horwitz Enthusiast

Zack Horwitz

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Had them do an engine flush and oil change and all is good now back to 40 psi and no lifter tick.

 

If it drops to 20 psi again I'll probably drop the pan and check out the pickup tube

CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, asilverblazer said:

Wouldn't hurt to pull the pressure sender and replace the screen under it too. Those sensors are known to fail and the screen under them clog too. Reasonably cheap and I would consider it a maintenance item on these engines.

There is no screen on non AFM engines.

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