tick tick tick

juicy · July 18, 2005

i have a 1999 NBS silverado z71

lifted with all the goodies with about 86k on her

i get a tick tick tick from the engine.. seems to be on the drivers side.. or on both hard to tell

you can really hear the ticking when under accelratrion... barely audable when idle..

i drive with tow/haul to kind of quiet the ticking...

sounds almost like an exhaust leak.. i have headers and dual exhaust..

i dont know... i really want to get rid of it..

i havent changed the spark plugs or the pcv valve..

its really noticable when going through a drive though with walls on both sides or driving near the center divider on the freeway...

i hope its not the dreaded piston slap..

86k and the warrntee is long gone..

help

Mighty HD · July 19, 2005

exhaust leak @ the headers check the dounut gasket where the header & pipe connect...

juicy · July 22, 2005

exhaust leak @ the headers check the dounut gasket where the header & pipe connect...

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any idea on how much this would cost to fix? i see a gasket on one side but not the other

Mighty HD · July 22, 2005

maybe $30 do it yourself.

Unbolt the downpipe from the headers and swap out the gasket--about an hour tops..

99Silver6.0 · July 23, 2005

Possibly a lifter tapping. Pretty common in early 4.8 and 5.3's.

spence01gmc · July 25, 2005

im pretty sure i have a lifter tapping in my 01 5.3...for about the first 30 seconds my truck runs i hear the tick tick tick. is there anything that i can do to stop it? or is it not even a big enough deal to worry about?

-jim

juicy · July 25, 2005

im pretty sure i have a lifter tapping in my 01 5.3...for about the first 30 seconds my truck runs i hear the tick tick tick. is there anything that i can do to stop it? or is it not even a big enough deal to worry about?
-jim

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my tick is constant when under accelration, and bearly audible when idle..

i checked and im missing one of those rubber gaskets on the downpipe on the drivers side and its cracked on the passenger...

which leads me to believe it is an exhaust leak.. if not its a lifter tick.

if it is a lifter tick.. how do i fix it.. and any extimates on how much it would cost to fix?

juicy · August 1, 2005

im pretty sure i have a lifter tapping in my 01 5.3...for about the first 30 seconds my truck runs i hear the tick tick tick. is there anything that i can do to stop it? or is it not even a big enough deal to worry about?
-jim

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

my tick is constant when under accelration, and bearly audible when idle..

i checked and im missing one of those rubber gaskets on the downpipe on the drivers side and its cracked on the passenger...

which leads me to believe it is an exhaust leak.. if not its a lifter tick.

if it is a lifter tick.. how do i fix it.. and any extimates on how much it would cost to fix?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

im going to change the spark pugs and the wires.. and get both of those donut gaskets changed out... hopefully the d**n noise goes away.. everyone says my truck sounds like crap.. and that pisses me off.

Dustin07 · August 4, 2005

hey Juicy,

i'd like to know if this works, i've been dealing with a tic for 7 months now that no mechanic has located... but i have all stock exhaust. even the exhaust shops won't dive in, they say it's unrelated on mine...

let me know what happens.

Robert C. · August 16, 2005

I have 4.8 with headers and I had that same loud tick right after having a new transmission put in. I put it on a lift and found that there was a leak coming from the driver side header. The leak was coming from in between the header and the block. Unbolted the header from the block put a new gasket there bolted it back up and started it. That fixed it. By the way the chances of it being the doughnut are slim beacuse it won't sound like a tick. that gasket should be about $30 for a set. Let me know if it works post up your results on the fourm.

wesmadden · August 16, 2005

Juicy, it sounds like an exhaust leak. Get new gaskets and torque from the center bolts out. Only 20 Ft/lbs. i believe on those bolts. Any harder and you'll damage your aluminum heads. Drive for 100 miles and then re-torque.

It took me three times to eliminate all of my exhaust leaks when I installed headers and a catback. The price of performance!

Halen5150 · August 28, 2005

Possibly a lifter tapping. Pretty common in early 4.8 and 5.3's.

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Sounds like it to me. My 5.3 makes the same noises, and I've had it checked twice for leaks.

Dustin07 · September 7, 2005

what exactly is it making the noise on those of you with an exhaust leak tic? i would expect more of a whistle i thought...

Last mechanic i took it to (up to 7 now i think) said he 'zeroed' it in to somewhere on the passenger side. looking from in front of the truck grill down the passenger side of the engine around the oil dip tube, down into the pan. he thought maybe the oil pump was rubbing something... but i don't think so. he wouldn't even quote me to replace it because he said oil pressure was fine and to leave it alone.

but this tick is pretty d**n loud, you don't have to be right next to my truck or anything to hear it.

juicy · November 20, 2005

turns out tha it was a cracked pipe on the header.

i got it welded and all is quiet, i know its only a temporary fix but i want some new headers and i need some suggestions, ones that are compatable with my existing ehaust.