Lifter Tick - Advised to "Just Run It" - 274k Miles

[OBSChevy1997]

Hey Guys,

 

New here.  Just wanted to share my experience from an honest mechanic.  I do much of the simple maintenance on my 1997 K1500. I personally didn't feel comfortable opening the motor up to do the lifters.  Mechanic tried to get it to re-create the noise at the shop, but it comes and goes.  It's an honest shop, and his recommendation was to let it tick and don't open the motor unless it's absolutely necessary.  I've got 274k miles on the original motor and trans.  Got it from my Dad at 228k in 2015 with nearly all freeway miles.  Has ran really well outside of a couple minor issues over the past 10 years.  Anyways, mechanic says that he'd keep fresh oil in it and change it often.  If it ends up flattening out the camshaft I'm in the same boat I am now essentially.  So just passing along to anyone else with a motor with that many miles on it, that the advice to me from a professional, was to let it tick and just baby it with preventative maintenance.  He said I could run cleaner through it but it could dislodge something and create a new issue and if they open it now, it could develop new issues and be more costly as they have a chance to see more once they're in there.  If it runs this good with the lifter tick being the only "problem", on top of it only being sporadic, don't open it up right now.  Anyone else have similar experience and/or similar advice?

Edited April 27, 2025 by OBSChevy1997

[richard wysong]

Piston slap was common on those engines, sounds like lifter noise but it's not, goes away as engine warms up. I agree, with that mileage leave it alone unless you're ready to do a full rebuild

[KARNUT]

My brother in law is used to being in the 200K plus mileage club. His work vehicle a 20 year old Tahoe has 260K miles. It sounds like a diesel starting up and get less as it warms up. He’s been doing that for the 51 years I’ve known him. His record is 350K. The only reason he stops driving them is when his wife’s Tahoe or Yukon approaches 200K miles. He then buys a lower mileage used one for her and takes hers. Never a failure.