lifters gone BAD
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2006
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From: Hamlin ny
lifters gone BAD hey guys so i have a 2000 b4c z28 and im 99.9% sure the lifters are going bad its only a matter of time b4 they are done, i have went from 5w-30 to 10w-30 and i only use penzoil platinum. ill be honest the noise has gotten somewhat worse because i have beaten on it and the only reason i have beaten on it is cause my best friend who has an 06 gto is coming back from afghan soon and i need it rdy for then haha its not to bad once its warmed up but how long typically can lifters last once they begin ticking? car currently has 98,000 miles, any input would be appreciated!
thanks, oreste.
thanks, oreste.
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Bloomington, MN
The first problem is the Penzoil...
Are you sure it's lifters or valves tapping? Every gm small block I've had starts to tick at some point but then 30k miles later it's tee same light ticking. I wouldn't stress over it unless it's loud and getting much worse.
Are you sure it's lifters or valves tapping? Every gm small block I've had starts to tick at some point but then 30k miles later it's tee same light ticking. I wouldn't stress over it unless it's loud and getting much worse.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 734
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From: Hamlin ny
yea its a brand new noise and the more i drive it the louder it gets, its not your normal valvetrain noise these cars are known for.
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 165
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From: Bloomington, MN
Could it be an exhaust leak? It's hard to say how long the lifters could last without knowing what's wrong- could last a while, but if you've damaged or worn a roller it'll just get progressively worse in a hurry. You might start to see shavings in your oil
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Old worn/tired lifters tend to make noise in cycles, where they have noisy moments and quiet moments regardless of warmed up or not. Mine had a tapping for years, on and off. Oil brands would be the difference maker, Mobil 1 5w30 and 10w30 was too thin (lost 1 quart per 600 miles), the the 0w40 worked decently, 20w50 of any brand wouldn't work too well when cold, Amsoil was great but Castrol 0w30 had the most "quiet" time compared to the rest.
When mine finally died, I had a squeal at first, like brake squeal, not a tap. It changed to something that sounded like "popcorn" the sound you get from running rich. Eventually a "rocks in a can" sound followed. Two lobes was wiped/wrecked. To be honest I suspect cam hardening failure rather than lifter failure.
When mine finally died, I had a squeal at first, like brake squeal, not a tap. It changed to something that sounded like "popcorn" the sound you get from running rich. Eventually a "rocks in a can" sound followed. Two lobes was wiped/wrecked. To be honest I suspect cam hardening failure rather than lifter failure.
