00Wildcat

Wife's '00 camaro all stock except removed emissions (it was that way when we got it), 130,000ish miles. Started making valvetrain noise a couple of days ago when she drove it home from work(less than 1/2 mile). I pulled the pass side valve cover and didn't notice anything bad wrong. Then started it and ran it for a minute or so w/o cover. held rpm around 2500 and very, very little oil came out of rockers. So I searched here and called a buddy w/lots of ls experince and came to the conclusion that the pickup tube o-ring must be leaking air. So $100 in gaskets, oil, cleaner, etc.. 4 hours labor and still same thing, NO improvement. OIL pressure 45ish at idle and 55ish at cruise. Noise takes about 20 seconds or so to begin after starting.

Spun bearing somewhere??? I felt like I should have just dropped the subframe and swaped in a 5.3 before starting the o-ring change out. I hate fixing broken stuff.

00Wildcat

Pulled belts off and it has a squeak/squal that I thought was a idler pulley/tensioner. Well I guess it's a spun bearing.

O2Form

Dry running valve train will squeak too so don't assume anything.

00Wildcat

bad oil pickup o-ring ruled out, so besides a spun bearing what else could cause no oiling of valvetrain?

O2Form

Dump the oil and pull the filter cut it open. If a bearing spun the oil will tell all. If its clean then something else is wrong.

Anthony Williams

iTrader: (3)

Flat lifter roller and bad cam lobe. Same prob. @ 165k, replaced it with below.

00Wildcat

So bad lifter drops down too low uncovering oil groove, causing no to little oiling to entire valvetrain?

Reckless

iTrader: (9)

Your oiling system is bleeding off pressure somewhere. It could be many things.

00Wildcat

i have not pulled the drivers side valve cover yet but I'm 99% sure that drivers side is oiling fine and either the front or rear crossover is leaking. I cut open the oil dilter and there is no signs of any bearing failure, and after looking at a diagram of the oil flow path either a lifter out of the oil groove or either the front or rear crossover cover leaking (most likely the front due to oil pressure not fluctuating), none of the rockers are loose enough for a bad lobe of follower or bent push rod.

O2Form

Well with the good oil pressure you have you can't have much of a problem. I wooood pull both valve covers and check ALL the rockers for proper lift, height and action. check for any loose pushrods and you could unbolt the valve cover and lift them a little to see if you are getting oil at every rocker. Rockers that are not getting oil wooood be easy to see and give you the diagnosis you are looking for. good Luck grasshopper

Havoc40

Like mentioned, lots of possibilities. But to add to this, it could also be a lifter not allowing oil flow through the pushrod seat. Not a common problem, but wouldn't be the 1st time either. Only way to figure that out is to pull the lifters.

OldCobraGuy

iTrader: (2)

Interesting problem. Please let us know what you find.

O2Form

Usually when that condition accurs the lifter will pump up and hold the valve open and you will have a dead cylinder.