SLOWBRAH

Hey Guys/Gals... I've owned my 01 Yellow C5 for JUST over two years. I noticed a very small tick from the left valve cover when I first purchased the car, was told by everyone that LSX cars "talk" a lot. We DD'd her until Fall of last year when I got a gas sipper. Now she is a garage queen at 153K hahaha... (gotta watch those miles now!) I have taken the car out on the past two "street nights" at the drag strip and am noticing that the ticking is progressively worse... like guys ask me about it. It is definitely something up top on the drivers side. I have been planning on taking care of it with a cam swap... but sequestration and life in general are pumping the brakes on me. So... I'm thinking a loose/wore rocker arm. What's the worst thing that could happen? Bent push rod/broken rocker?



Also... I threw on some XS LT's in November (FREAGGIN LOVE THEM btw) and I have developed a drivers side exhaust leak... I can hear the "blowing sound of the leak" in comparison to the ticking of valve train. Any pointers on a replacement gasket for that side?


THANKS!!

BigBirdLS1

Use OEM header gaskets with stage 8 locking header bolts. That's what I did and I will NEVER have a header leak again.

The ticking definitely needs looked at. Pull your valve cover and have a look. Could be a bent pushrod, bent valve, broke spring, all of which can make a motor grenade itself if not attended to.

Orange Juice

iTrader: (3)

Is it possible that what you are hearing is really another exhaust leak. It can be very deceptive.
I should say that I had a pedestal bolt back out. Thought the top end was toast ended up with just a bent pushrod.

TheBlueKnight

iTrader: (4)

I went through my own "ticking sound" fiasco. Thought it was an exhaust leak. Found out my header bolts were bottoming out and not holding the headers completely against the heads. I bought shorter header bolts and it fixed the exhaust leak but I could still hear that freaking ticking on the passenger side of the car. Couldn't tell if it was coming from my heads, header, y-pipe. Took apart my y-pipe like 3 times, checked the headers over and over. Was just about to pull my valve cover off as everyone on tech was telling me it was probably a bad lifter or something. Before I did that I thought, "I should check to make sure all the spark plugs are tight". I pulled all the spark plug boots off the spark plugs, stuck my finger down and tried to wiggle everyone and what do you know, the #8 spark plug was loose! Not even that loose, maybe a half turn loose. I put a socket in it, tightened it half a turn until it snugged, started her up and WAH LAH, ticking was gone!

SLOWBRAH

Thanks for the input! Looks like ill be ordering a new oem gasket and locking bolts, and checking my plugs! If I'm still hearing it then ill pull the valve cover. Is there any adjustment in the valve train?

garygnu

check your rocker arms for any missing needle bearings .maybe consider a comp cam trunnion bearing upgrade .

Alpha Male

Def check under those valve covers! Mine started ticking twice, and both times it was a broken trunnion bearing.