JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

TLDR: drivers side head is ticking after car free revved
Video:
So I just recently got my first LS car (98 Z28) after owning a few Mustangs. So far I have loved the low end torque and power of the LS1 engine but today things went sour.

I was on my way to work and set the cruise control at 70 and everything was normal. I pushed in the clutch to coast up to my exit and the car dropped down to idle then shot up and bounced off the rev limiter. I immediately switched the cruise off and then engine went back to idle. I pulled up to a stop light and could here a ticking sound that was not present before. I got to work and did a little research and saw it could be a stuck lifter plunger causing the tick and would go away when the engine cooled. I started it up at lunch and the sound was gone. I started it again after work and it still was gone but came back after driving for a bit. I came home checked the oil which was dirty and at the "ADD" mark and determined that the sound was coming from the drivers' side 2 or 3 cylinder. The ticking is consistent with rpms and does not go away. Just looking for any ideas or input on what it could be. I'm going to change the oil this weekend to see if because it was dirty or low had any effect on the noise.

bat1

change the oil and see it that helps

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

I was thinking of going with a 0w-40 or 0w-30 (European formula) to quiet the valvetrain and hopefully remedy the issue.

Anyone experience a bad lifter? From what I listened to on YouTube a bad lifter sounds like more of an inconsistent sound than what I'm getting, I'll post up a video this weekend to give you guys a better idea.

slt200mph

iTrader: (42)

You may have bent a push rod. Pull the valve covers and take a look. I doubt that an oil change will cure anything.

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

Yea oil change is a long shot but it would be great if it took care of it for a bit until I'm ready to take the engine out to do the headers anyway.

I was thinking a bent pushrod but from what I've seen a bent pushrod is more of a tap than tick (mine almost sounds like an exhaust leak but is all the time not just under load). Have you ever heard one yourself? Does it go away at any rpm?

BTW I haven't seen any loss in power whatsoever.

SSickLS1SS

best thing to do is to put up a video

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

Video added:

slt200mph

iTrader: (42)

No you are incorrect. The best thing to do is to quit running the engine and start turning some wrenches. Pulling the valve covers and checking the push rods is hardly a big deal. Be a phuchin hot rodder and start figuring out what is wrong with your engine before you do more damage to it. Oil changes fix things on fantasy phuchin island not here on the main land of reality.

PS You say you are going to pull the engine to do headers. Whats up with that????

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

Never thought an oil change would fix it just hoping for a band aid for a week or two till i'm ready to take it apart. Since its my daily driver and I don't have another car it's not that easy for me to just tear into it. I probably will take the valve cover off this weekend and check the pushrods but I can't tear into the engine since I don't have any parts or time yet. And yea I was going to drop the k-member with engine assembly to do headers, motor mounts, and possibly a cam.

KevinR

You don't have to "take it apart" just to check for a bent pushrod. And don't just try to bandaid it for a couple of weeks. That could lead to a more expensive fix. If you have some time in the evening, just take a little time to check the pushrods. I promise, it won't take long at all. If it's not that, then you might have a bigger issue. I understand it's your daily driver, but if you try to put it off for a couple of weeks, you may not have a DD anymore.

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

I probably will do that tonight or this weekend. Will a bent pushrod be completely obvious to the naked eye or do very slightly bent pushrods cause problems too?

I was looking into taking the head and off while its on the car if its not the pushrods doesn't look like too big of a job. Anyone have experience with this? I would eventually do the other head too when it comes time to do other mods.

KevinR

I could be obvious, or it may not. Roll them on a flat surface to see if any of them are bent. Are you talking about taking the heads off to check to see if it's a lifter? Before you do that, get a mechanic stethoscope and see if you can pinpoint where the noise is coming from. I can't see the video up at work, but it could be something as simple as an exhaust leak.

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

Yea that's assuming if its not the pushrod it would have to be a lifter. Getting a bit ahead of myself here just looking at all the possibilities/ options to fix it. I used a mechanics stethoscope and can hear it really well between the intake and head in a small slot between the 2-3 cylinders

slt200mph

iTrader: (42)

Roll your push rods on something real flat like a piece of glass to see if they are straight. You should just go ahead and replace them. The factory push rods are like wet noodles and aree total junk. Unless you have a lift or access to one dropping the engne out the bottom is a big time job. All of the mods you are contemplating can be done with the engine in the car. If you decide to replace a lifter replace them all don't half azzz it and try to replace the one you think it is. Don't freek out because it is a DD. You can rent a car now days dirt cheep if it takes longer than a day to do the mechanical work. You can rent a car much cheeper than you can pay to have the work done for you. It is time to roll up your sleves and start hot rodding and fix the thing. My DD has over 260,000+ miles on it. It is a heads/cam car with all the bolt ons that makes 452/418. It has had 3 different cams in it and a couple of sets of heads. The lifters have been changed out when one started making racket last spring. All the work was done in my drive way or my garage without a lift. Ya just have to get to it and "get er done". Good luck with it. Let us know what you find....

1981TA

iTrader: (7)

The pushrods in my TA took *maybe* 20 minutes to completely check, but my engine isn't tucked into the firewall like yours. Add an hour for the pain-in-the-butt factor, and you're still coming out light, with regard to time.

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

I'll be pulling the valve cover tomorrow, fingers crossed.

JVCOBRA

iTrader: (2)

Pulled the valve cover off and found this gem on cylinder 3.


Ordering hardened pushrods as I write this and gonna use a spare of my buddy's till they come in. Thanks a lot for the help guys!

Mat

Glad to see pulling the valve covers helped you find the easy culprit. Now you can progress to the swap your own heads and cam phase of hot rodding in the near future.

vwdave

iTrader: (3)

Off topic here, dont the M6 cars have a Clutch position sensor that ties into the cruise control to prevent this?

gagliano7

Every stick i have had with cruise control once you push the clutch in cruise was disabled.