4.6what

well i cranked my car up today for the first time since the weekend. it was making the usual ls1 noises like always. usually they go away when it warms up. well once it got hot it still had a little tick that i could hear. then it started missing and the check engine light started flashing. i got it back home and checked the plug wires to make sure they were still on and tight. but with the tick it was making it doesnt seem to me like it would be an ignition problem . any ideas what it might could be? i'm gonna check all the plugs this weekend just in case. should i start tearing it down or what procedures should i follow to properly diagnose the problem?

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

Pull the valve covers and check rockers, pushrods, springs and go from there........

4.6what

alright i'll get to that on saturday probably and let everyone know what i see!! it may be a good opportunity for heads and cam

elias_799

iTrader: (8)

is the ticking coming from the bottom or the top ?

Chace02ws6

iTrader: (10)

U didnt have somebody throw a socket in through your intake did you. LOL, Sorry inside joke. It happened to me and couldnt figure out what the ticking sound was. Good luck on sound Im sure its nothing major

4.6what

well i couldnt wait until saturday. i started tearing it apart tonight. the #5 cylinder i believe it is (third cylinder on the drivers side) intake pushrod has gone MIA! he is nowhere to be found. i have the intake manifold off along with that plate over the valley. i can't see anything. i took the rocker arm off and looked down the hole and couldnt see it. anyone know where these things hide when they take to missing?

also i broke one of those little things in the middle of the plate over the valley while trying to get it unplugged. could someone tell me what those 2 things do?

greenfbodyracer

iTrader: (16)

drain your oil and see if anything is in there... it should block the oil flowing out of drain plug hole. That might tell you if somthing f* up, ... i think what you unplugged are the knock sensors.. But this is the first time that I heard of a pushrod MIA... The lifter could of fell out, taking the pushrod with it, But then the problem would be with your camshaft. Either bearings or the lobe wiped out...

How meany miles are on this engine..

4.6what

59000 miles on the engine. i've had it since 51000. i've never missed a shift or revved it past 6000. it used to break up sometimes at high rpms kinda sounding like it was bogging or something. someone suggested it may have been a bent pushrod. i guess this may have been so. like i said all i have take off is the intake and valley pan. will i be able to see anything else if i pull the head off?

DaddySS

I would check the rocker for problems, pull all the pushrods and see if any others are bent. If not replace the one and see what you have. Go in through the drain plug with a magnet to see if you can catch the push rod. If you just want to tear it down go ahead, but you may not have to.

greenfbodyracer

iTrader: (16)

if you pull the head off isnt going to help you if you dont find anything in the oil pan,

Try this, Take another pushrod and put into the MIA pushrod hole.. If you hit the lifter than I dont know what happened... But with the lifter trays I dont know how a pushrod would be missing if the lifter is still there..

4.6what

well dang.. am i going to have to completely pull this thing apart to find it? how do the lifters come out of the engine? is it possible for anything like that to make it down to the oil pan? someone said it may have disintergrated? that doesn't seem likely to me.

greenfbodyracer

iTrader: (16)

The only way a lifter can dissapper if the camshaft isn't there to keep it up or pushd it up and out. Did you find anything in the oil pan??

4.6what

nah i havent pulled the pan yet.. i'll get to that some time this week.

greenfbodyracer

iTrader: (16)

Try putting another pushrod in the MIA pushrod slot to see if the pushrod stays in place too..

4.6what

alright i will! how do i get the lifters out of this engine? once the head is off you can get them out correct?

futuref-body

iTrader: (2)

yeah. pull off heads and there they are. 1 screw holding in each tray. two trays under each head and each tray containing two lifters. if the lifters do not come out with the tray just grab them with some needle nose pliers. this is a must to do in your situation but might end up costing a bit. new rod/rods, possibly new lifter-$60/single so might as well pay $120 for whole set (LS7s) while your in there, new head gaskets, new head bolts, antifreeze/water, and maybe oil if you get new lifters. dont no how much oil new lifters will consume.

4.6what

sweet thanks i was gonna ask which lifters are the best ones to get

greenfbodyracer

iTrader: (16)

Ls7 lifters are the best to get..

InsaneDomestics

iTrader: (28)

Before you tear everything down check your oil pan like they said. Just drain your oil and look for metal chunks or shavings. I would also suggest putting another pushrod in the MIA hole and see if it falls through. You will know what the problem is when you do that. You might get lucky and just have to replace your pushrods, if you change one change em all. But Ive never heard of a Pushrod going MIA so you very well could have collapsed a lifter and the pushrod goin down in your engine could have messed up quite a few things. Hopefully you just have to change your pushrods though. Let me Know.

4.6what

well i finally got around to taking my engine further apart today. i pulled all the rocker arms off then the pushrods. i had bent another one lol.. i pulled the heads and all the lifters. the lifter that had the missing pushrod was perfectly fine! i just don't understand this! i'm gonna get the oil pan off this week i hope.. can the oil pan be pulled off in these cars without taking the engine out? its gotta be in there right!?

oh and one more question.. how does the power steering pump come off the head? take the pulley off then take the bolts out behind that? then the bracket? and if this is right are the threads on the pulley left- or right-handed?