Well heres the deal. I just installed my cam kit from TSP, got the PCM today (thanks to Jon), and ran the car for a while. I warmed it up, checked fluids and what not, and took it out for a drive. I get about a mile away, and sure enough.. a lifter starts ticking. They are stock lifters (no prior problems), 918 springs, torquer v2 cam, TSP hardened pushrods.

I limped back to the shop and shut it off. Pulled off the coils and valve cover and started trying to push down on pushrods. The intake pushrod of number 7 wiggles. So the lifter is collapsed. I figured it had to be dirt since it happened out of nowhere, so I took an air blower and blew through the pushrod and through the lifter. I put it all back together, and voila. It works for about 5 minutes, and starts ticking again.

I pulled it apart again, same lifter. Blew air in to it, and it worked for maybe 30 feet then started ticking again. I limped it home, parked it for a bit and played some PS3. I go out an hour later, start it and it works fine for the whole drive, even some spirited runs. I took it home, parked it for a while, and when I got in it again it was ticking right away.

Since then I've started it a few times, limped it around a few times, and the noise comes and goes. Any idea? My only guess is some dirt since it just comes and goes as it pleases. I am running Mobil 5000 5w30. Oil pressure is there, though I suspect the o-ring may be pinched a bit. I'm pretty sure it is a speck of dirt that just keeps getting lodged in the lifter oil hole, but I'd like some others opinions. Tomorrow Im going to try draining the oil and flushing a lot of oil through the lifter to see if I can get it cleaned out, then I'm going to switch to 10w30 and see if that makes a difference. Any other suggestions? Thanks

 

i wouldnt dick with it anymore. pull the heads and change the lifters. nothing worse than having that colapsed lifter destroy your cam lobe by bouncing around on it.

 

But if it's a problem elsewhere, I could replace the lifter and get the same outcome. That's why I'm looking for some input before I pull the head.

 

I agree, Mine done the same thing when a lifter took a dump. It would come and go. I just pulled the heads and replaced them all.

 

what is the oil pressure at idle and driving?

 

what else would your problem be? if you have a peice of dirt in the lifter, and you change the lifter, you wont have dirt anymore. you shouldnt have dirt in your oiling system if your oil filter is doing its job.

 

If that is the case, then obviously a new lifter would fix it. It's just a speculation.

The oil/filter is brand new. AC delco deep truck filter and 6qts of Mobil. The reason I'm guessing maybe a spec of dirt is because my car sat semi-open for a week while I was waiting on my cam to show up. I thought it would show up quickly, so I took it apart right away, but it didn't ship out for several days.

The oil pressure is around 25 at full warm idle. at 1500 it's at 40. Anything above 3k it's around 60. I talked to TSP and they told me it's low for a ported LS6 pump. The car has always run that with the stock pump when fully warm. I also use 5w30, so 10w30 may boost it up. I'm going to check the o-ring because I do believe it is low, but it wouldn't cause a one-lifter problem. There are no knocks/ticks otherwise.

 

yea I agree the pressure is too low. Mine will idle at 40 hot. I think if it was dirt it should of washed out up through the pushrod and out the rocker. It sounds like to me you have a little project on your hands, changing the oring and pulling the heads. It's not really that bad to do. I had mine changed in one day easy.

 

The o-ring will be easy. I'm NOT looking forward to replacing lifters lol. It won't be too hard, it just sucks having to order lifters, waiting and waiting while the car is down. I do have a DD, but I like to drive the car

 

you can probably just go to the dealer and get the LS7 lifters. They had them in stock when i got mine.

 

plan on atleast 200 bucks to pull the heads...

 

set of 16 LS7 lifters part# 12499225

 

I doubt they would have any in stock, and I bet they would be horribly expensive if they do.

$200 to pull the heads is what I'm planning on. And if I do one side I'm doing both. That's why I want to try everything else I can first.

 

I paid 140 bucks from the dealer here. That was for all of them. I think I also paid like 100 bucks for the gaskets. Then you need head bolts. I bought the arp bolts because I didn't want to do the TTY for the stock bolts

 

yup ls7 lifters... get them call it good.

 

$185 + ship from gmpartsdirect for lifters, head gaskets, and 2 sets of head bolts (they are packaged for each head.) I'm going to make damn sure its not just a speck of dirt tomorrow before I start ordering parts.

 

I would guess you tore your o ring. So don't drive it or you are going to destroy your bearings. I would start with that Jeff. Cause if you are losing a little pressure or getting air in the system it can cause that to tick. That pressure is real low for a ported ls6 oil pump. My stock 02 with 131000 miles with mobil 1 sythetic 5w30 runs at 40 hot and at 2-3k it runs 75psi hot.

 

I agree the pressure is low, and im going to do that. But it's the same 1 lifter, every time. It's collapsed I'm afraid. I'm going to try to re-do the pump this weekend I think, but I doubt that is my lifter problem.

 

Yea the oring may be bad but like you say it should be all the lifters, not just one. Good luck.

 

What do you guys think..

Should I -

A - order an o-ring and replace just that, to see if the tick is related to it.

B - order lifters and o-ring, and just do it all at once