SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

MY 2002 has 11000 miles on it. I started a large bolt on project because I was chasing a tick. I thought I may have a bent pushrod so I took them all out and checked them, they were fine. I have been running Mobil 1 5w-30 synthetic for a while. So I recently did LT headers and a lot of other stuff and took notice to the tick again. Thought I had a leak. I ran some sea foam in the oil and drove the car a little over a week. The tick went away immediately. So this weekend I changed the oil and put fresh Mobil 1 and a new wix filter. The tick came back! Is the oil the culprit to the noise or is it a bad lifter? I decided to run the seafoam because of how much the car sits and thought I may have a stuck lifter.

The engine is basically stock except for bolt-ons.
D

mark21742

Did you check to see how many turns from 0 lash to torque you had on your rockers? If you can get or have one extra push rod, clamp a pair of vise grips on the tip of it and put in each pushrod bore and try pushing down on the lifters....do it a few times and see if you can feel any difference in one or two of them.....look for one that is either overly stiff(like it is stuck up or down), or one has more "cush" and feels overly soft

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

I haven't yet, but it looks like thats the way I need to go. Weird thing is the SeaFoam quieted it up instantly. And with a lifter that is bleeding down the thinner mixture would cause it to bleed down faster. I also thought about dumping the Mobil and running Dino Valvoline in it and going from there.

mark21742

Old timers trick is to run a pint of automatic tranny fluid in the old to clean everything out.

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

Yea my dad mentioned that to me too! I have been kicking around throwing some valvoline VR1 dino oil in it and saving the $ on synthetic for my diesel truck! I don't drive the Camaro hard enough/enough to really see the benefits of synthetic, and now that I have a noise it makes it harder to spend on oil too. Although I also looked at Amsoil, this is a hobby and I enjoy tinkering. Crappy thing is, if the lifters are bad I have to pull the heads.

Darkman

iTrader: (2)

In the old days (with carburetors and such) we used to quiet a noisy lifter by pouring some upper cylinder lubricate (usually ATF is nothing else was handy) through the carburetor while revving the engine. I worked at shop and have seen it work many times. The only explanation I ever heard was that the lubrication going directly into the cylinder lubricated the valve stem/guide and freed up the sticking lifter. (I don't claim to know why it worked.) Perhaps the Seafoam is doing something similar.

SSickLS1SS

if you drive it and get it up to temp does it quiet down/go away?

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

While driving the noise is gone and when blipping the throttle evenly from idle to 1200 the noise goes away and returns when dropped back to idle. The throttle blipping is more of a rolling technique to help pump the lifters up like on older cars. Having a low-mileage car is either a curse or a blessing. I really think its a stuck lifter and need to just suck it up and drive the car every day for a week. ( It may get driven a total of 3-4 times a month) I cannot wait until my daughter is out of a car seat so we can go for a ride!

BigBirdLS1

OP I recently had the same issue with lifters in my SS. Granted my car has 86k miles vs. your 11k. But I drive my car less than once a month so my lifters were leaking down and having to pump up. I replaced them with brand new LS7 lifters. I had a lil tick coming from my NEW lifters when I picked it up from the shop. I called and asked them what oil they put in back in it and they told me Mobil 1 5w30. I had less than 100 miles on the new lifters and I drained out the mobil 1 and put in Castrol Edge 5w30. The tick went away completely immediately.

Long story short from my experience and alot of my friends experience with Mobil 1 is that it tends to make the valvetrain noisy.

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

Thats interesting! I have heard that Mobil now has less zinc in it than they used to. I also heard that the "factory fill" was a marketing ploy that was initiated by Mobil and not GM!

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

Something else to note, It is holding GREAT oil pressure! I was looking down the oil pump road but its holding great. This noise is not anywhere close to being loud enough for me to be overly concerned. Its just one of those things that I have been trying to figure out. And with a 11k mile car, I get a little OCD at times. My wife laughs at me for taking the wheels off and washing the underside if we happen to get stuck in rain. lol

remauto1187

iTrader: (1)

WOW! They make meds for that, you know that, right?

I so want to go into your garage and rearrange your tools and what not....just to FK with you! ROTFLMAO

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

How'd you know my tools are arranged.

I also park on carpet lol

remauto1187

iTrader: (1)

You need help! You are a sick man! LMAO

Use to bang a chick that had OCD bad! You dont have a sister named jennifer, do you? hahahaha

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

No I don't, can she come diagnose my ticking noise?

remauto1187

iTrader: (1)

I doubt it....but she did everything else.... Just right! She was a F U U R E A K!

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

I switched oils to castrol 10w-40 and my lifters/valvetrain is alot quieter now. Still hear a lifter every now and then but alot better than before.

SSRed2k2

iTrader: (6)

Ive heard this from quite a few people. One more reason for me to try that VR1 Oil. (I hear its blue too!) lol

sscamaroburn02

iTrader: (14)

The lighter weight 5w30 just wasn't quite right when my H/C installed now. It could be just the headers amplifying the noise also.

Emdmechanic

iTrader: (2)

Start with the heavier oil for sure. I chased a lifter tick .. Only showed up light load and low rpm and turned out to be an exhaust gasket. You could always throw the STP treatment in if you want to wait on an oil change.