DarkCharisma

Reviving this thread, been doing some more research and want a bit of critique on my choices. My goals remains the same, I want smooth and quiet and reliable, but I've conceded that if I pull it all apart I might as well cam it too:

LS9 springs, LS2 lifter trays, BTR SLR lifters, Comp Cams trunnion upgrade, LS2 timing chain, new retainers and valve locks, new pushrods, and likely new head and valve cover gaskets.

I would like to know if a LS9 cam on a N/A engine (211/230 122lsa) would fit my goals? I like how, at least in LS3's, they idle close to stock, and I'd presume that using stock cam would help aid my goal of a reliable drivetrain.

I know that if I did that I'd have to get a LS2 timing cover and a harness extension so I can run the cam sensor up front.

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

Generally speaking, strong valvesprings or dying lifters give the valvetrain more of a sewing machine noise. My stock valvetrain was almost dead quiet, so I suspect you're in need of new lifters. Personally, I'd pick BTR SLR lifters over LS7 lifters--especially seeing as there's only a $60 cost differential.

Actually, by the time you buy the spring compressor tool, you might as well refresh your whole valvetrain (springs, locks, retainers, seals, etc) and get the Comp trunion upgrade kit.

Forcfed93

iTrader: (10)

It's a case of the mightaswells. I'm suffering as well. I'm in the middle of chasing a high RPM miss, which my next option is valve float. Thought I'd just get a set of new valve springs to go in.

The mightaswells hit me so now I also have a set of Yella Terra 1.7's, new retainers, and hardened pushrods ready to go in.

Might as well while I'm in there.

heavymetals

iTrader: (3)

Sometimes that "lifter noise" isn't.

Can be a leaky header gasket.

I use Morel lifters in mine, and a Comp Cams #1500 rocker system.

When cold, kinda noisy, but after warm up very quiet.

DarkCharisma

Any reason to not go with some new LS6 springs? I don't have any plans to ever put a huge cam in this car down the road, probably some middle of the road cam that still is suitable for a DD and a long distance cruiser.

Forcfed93

iTrader: (10)

If you plan on going with anything even slightly larger than the OEM cam, get better springs.

Keep it simple and cheap though, get some Comp 918's They're good to .600 lift. If you stiffen up the spring, I'd get some hardened pushrods too.

CTSVLSX

LOL, I feel your pain, mine sound like 32 sewing machines going down the street when I'm crusing. Just how LS engines sound, takes some getting used to. Stock is not bad of course but major upgrades make major noise, best you can do is make sure you have the under hood heat shield in place and you can put some sound deadening behind it, and the plastic thing that goes under the engine you can stick some deadening stuff to that also.

DarkCharisma

yeah I know all LSx' make that noise, but neither my 5.3L with 240k or my 6.0L with 80k, both with a LOT more abuse than this--they spent plenty of time bouncing off the limiter in 4-low, make as much noise as my LS6... and the fact that it's gotten substantially louder in the past few months has me wondering if I have something starting to wear out.

raven154

iTrader: (14)

In my case, all of the noise was coming from the stock rockers. After I pulled them off I couldn't believe how loose the tolerances where on the trunion. I could literally move them up and down. No wonder they made so much noise. That was with a little of 50K miles.

After I installed a set good roller rockers I couldn't belive how quite it was. It was like a different engine. I installed a set of Crane gold rolelr rockers in mine and really liked them.

DarkCharisma

Would I be okay to just do a trunion upgrade on stock rockers? I don't think I'd ever get use out of some aftermarket roller rockers...

FuzzyLog1c

iTrader: (4)

You won't notice any noise difference, if that's what you're asking. It's great insurance for those of us with cammed engines.

DMM

I can share my experience here. I had the typical noise with the LS7 lifters, nothing abnormal though. I found that one of them had come apart (the plunger retainer was stuck to the drain plug magnet) so I decided to replace them.

The noise comes from increased valve spring pressure, which applies more force against the internal plunger, and tends to bleed the lifter down prematurely. That is where the "tick" comes from, after the lifter bleeds down there is excessive clearance between the lifter plunger and the rocker arm.

I chose to install the SLR lifters, however I have one that is making noise, more so than the LS7 did. Other than the bad one, they're quieter than the LS7 were when hot. I am going to pull them and install the Morel's, I am getting a full credit plus all gaskets so I am hoping they'll work out. One note about Slow Leakdown Rate lifters, you have to run less preload (shorter length) as they'll pump up at higher RPM and can potentially hold the valves open.

If you are running stock cam and spring pressures and have noise, that is odd. It could be what everyone else has mentioned (rockers, etc) but I would also check to see if it's a possible wrist pin noise, which is about the only other thing it could be. If you remove the spark from a cylinder with a bad wrist pin, the noise will go away.

Once I get home I'll be going for round number three pulling the heads off. I hope to get the time down to about five hours start to finish lol.

punishmentcycle

iTrader: (6)

always use springs rated to the lift of the cam. never use heavy springs on a mild cam unless you wanna wear everything out. if running a stock or mild cam i say get ls9 springs. cheap and very good springs! i have zero engine noise out side of the blower rotors and im running ls9 cam and spring with hardened push rods and stock lifters

DarkCharisma

Thanks for all the info gentlemen. I'm writing all this down, researching cost + time and figuring out what will be best for my needs. By all means keep it coming

DarkCharisma

Reviving this thread, been doing some more research and want a bit of critique on my choices. My goals remains the same, I want smooth and quiet and reliable, but I've conceded that if I pull it all apart I might as well cam it too:

LS9 springs, LS2 lifter trays, BTR SLR lifters, Comp Cams trunnion upgrade, LS2 timing chain, new retainers and valve locks, new pushrods, and likely new head and valve cover gaskets.

I would like to know if a LS9 cam on a N/A engine (211/230 122lsa) would fit my goals? I like how, at least in LS3's, they idle close to stock, and I'd presume that using stock cam would help aid my goal of a reliable drivetrain.

I know that if I did that I'd have to get a LS2 timing cover and a harness extension so I can run the cam sensor up front.

DMM

I recently completed round three and now have Morel street link-bar lifters. I should have done the Morel's from the start. One thing that I had in the back of my mind was my Silverado never had issue's after the installing the cam, lifters, oil pump. My Suburban (2001 with 140k miles) had a terrible lifter noise both when cold or randomly driving at highway speeds and seemed to have lower oil pressure (40 at idle and 60 cruising) however the lifter noise never came back after replacing the oil pump (and now has 80 PSI cold and 60 at idle hot).

When I pulled the cam in the V, I installed the LS4/LSA HV/HP oil pump (was $80 from the dealer) and have not had a single issue since. I honestly don't know if the Morel's or the oil pump made the difference. Going through reading everyone's mod list the ones that claimed to have little/no lifter noise have HV/HP oil pumps (usually Melling).

The oil pressure in my V was not bad at all...had 47PSI at idle using 5w40 Rotella. With the LS4/LSA oil pump, I now have 65 PSI at idle with 5w30.

If I had to start from scratch all over again, I honestly would do the HV/HP oil pump first.

One last thing...I did the trunion upgrade thinking it would have some effect on noise. It did not. The trunion upgrade makes them tighter, however this small amount of lash does not seem to contribute to noise.

DarkCharisma

Thanks, I'll be sure to get a proper replacement pump while I'm in there.

On the Morels, believe me when I say that I would love to--but I just can't justify the price on a 120k mile daily driver with no power adders and fewer than a half-dozen track sessions per year (if I am lucky).

DarkCharisma

Oh, and does anyone have a ballpark guess of what length pushrod I'll need? LS9 cam has a smaller base circle, but I everything else is staying pretty much OE ... Looking at pushrod length checkers

raven154

iTrader: (14)

If you can get both cams in hand, measure the two and divide the difference by 2. Add that number to the the stock pushrod length of 7.4 and that is the new length. As long as you didn't change anything else you should be good.

DarkCharisma

Oh awesome thanks.