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Piston slap or lifter tap???

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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 07:46 AM
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Default Piston slap or lifter tap???

Is there a definite way to tell the difference between the two without changing lifters to see if that fixes the problem? I thought my car had piston slap on startup when engine is cold but a LS shop I took it to said its definitely lifters rattling. The engine was understood to be bone stock when I bought the car but the guy I bought it from only had it a short time and didnt know crap about it. I have unusually high oil pressure for a high mileage engine IMO. When warm it is 45-50psi at idle with 5W-30 synthetic oil in it. When crusing its 60psi and when at roughly 3500RPM its shown 70PSI at times. It might have different oil pump in it than what was factory but IDK.

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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 08:57 AM
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He probably sold it because he thought it was piston slap. From, what I read here, a lot of the lifter tick noise is from a lifter wheel damage. I'd just replace the lifters to be safe.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 09:23 AM
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Does the noise dissipate after the engine warms up?
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by poltergeist 02
Does the noise dissipate after the engine warms up?
Yes, it all but goes away and thats why I thought it was piston slap. When it warms up sometimes there is a faint tick that remains but its very light. Shop said it was lifters gummed up and not letting oil flow properly and that is probably why the oil pressure is so high. They told me that on LS1's with high mileage the pressure hot should be 30PSI or so when ideling and that only a Meling pump could make the pressure as high as it is.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 10:41 AM
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Originally Posted by JRENIGAR
Yes, it all but goes away and thats why I thought it was piston slap. When it warms up sometimes there is a faint tick that remains but its very light. Shop said it was lifters gummed up and not letting oil flow properly and that is probably why the oil pressure is so high. They told me that on LS1's with high mileage the pressure hot should be 30PSI or so when ideling and that only a Meling pump could make the pressure as high as it is.
Under the GM troubleshooting charts there is one condition listed under both: (a) high oil pressure; and (b) noise on cold startup that disappears when warm. That condition is a clogged/defective oil filter bypass valve.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Darkman
Under the GM troubleshooting charts there is one condition listed under both: (a) high oil pressure; and (b) noise on cold startup that disappears when warm. That condition is a clogged/defective oil filter bypass valve.
You are referring to the one in the oil filter, correct?
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 10:53 AM
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See attached.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 11:09 AM
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Just found that on the net. Thanks.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 11:32 AM
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Is it possible for a stock pump to make that kind of pressure even with the filter bypass blocked? I thought the pumps themselves had a pressure bypass also.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by JRENIGAR
Is it possible for a stock pump to make that kind of pressure even with the filter bypass blocked? I thought the pumps themselves had a pressure bypass also.
Yes, it is possible. The amount of pressure relief capacity at the pump is limited. It is, for example, inadequate to prevent the high pressure that results from high viscosity oil in a cold engine.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 11:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Darkman
Yes, it is possible. The amount of pressure relief capacity at the pump is limited. It is, for example, inadequate to prevent the high pressure that results from high viscosity oil in a cold engine.
Makes sense. Ill replace it and report back. Thanks.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 12:03 PM
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Piston slap and lifter noise is 2 different worlds apart. Piston slap sounds like a hollow knocking diesel engine noise. Lifters tick and tap<noway you can mistake one for the other.

I wanna tell you what most people hear in these engines cold that completely freaks everyone out.

What you are actually hearing is the carbon on tops of the pistons hitting the cylinder heads. It makes a hell of a lot of noise THAT IS LS1 noise. You can take a NOISY when cold high mileage engine and DECARBON it will be quiet as a mouse.

I had a 99 TA with 135k on it that knocked so bad cold I would CRINGE every time I started it cold. It knocked and knocked and then after about 5 mins it would be quiet but you could still hear a faint diesel noise in the engine.

Dealer mechanic heard it while driving the car and recommended DECARBONING service. I blew him off UNTIL he explained that these aluminum engine GROW ALOT when hot and then shrink when cold then the carbon on the pistons whack the heads until you get some heat in the engine and it grows again.

I had them do and that engine WAS QUIET AS A MOUSE AFTERWARDS!

After listening to that knocking for over 80k miles it was SILENT!
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 12:08 PM
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That filter bypass is only there to bypass oil IF the filter is blocked OR the oil is too cold to flow through the filter.............it has no effect on the line pressure you see at the gauge.

I wouldn't believe the factory gauge, it could high or low by 5-20 psi. Only way to really know is use a CALIBRATED test gauge.........

Last edited by RockinWs6; Mar 8, 2014 at 12:13 PM.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 02:24 PM
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Originally Posted by RockinWs6
Piston slap and lifter noise is 2 different worlds apart. Piston slap sounds like a hollow knocking diesel engine noise. Lifters tick and tap<noway you can mistake one for the other.

I wanna tell you what most people hear in these engines cold that completely freaks everyone out.

What you are actually hearing is the carbon on tops of the pistons hitting the cylinder heads. It makes a hell of a lot of noise THAT IS LS1 noise. You can take a NOISY when cold high mileage engine and DECARBON it will be quiet as a mouse.

I had a 99 TA with 135k on it that knocked so bad cold I would CRINGE every time I started it cold. It knocked and knocked and then after about 5 mins it would be quiet but you could still hear a faint diesel noise in the engine.

Dealer mechanic heard it while driving the car and recommended DECARBONING service. I blew him off UNTIL he explained that these aluminum engine GROW ALOT when hot and then shrink when cold then the carbon on the pistons whack the heads until you get some heat in the engine and it grows again.

I had them do and that engine WAS QUIET AS A MOUSE AFTERWARDS!

After listening to that knocking for over 80k miles it was SILENT!
I couldnt make heads or tails of where it was comming from so I took it to an LS specialty shop that honestly deals with more of these engines on a weekly basis than I will in a lifetime. I realize everyone can and at some point will be wrong but I couldnt disprove his theory so i went with it. I originally thought it was piston slap but he is the one who owns a shop that does builds and swaps of all magnatudes and I have never even had the heads off an LS engine. I seafoamed the engine right after I got it but no change in sound just a bunch of smoke for 20 min or so. I dont know if this "decarbonizing" service that your dealer did is better than what I did or not. Do you know what the process is or what chemical they used? I might have to try that as the seafoaming process I did might not have really done crap to clean the chambers and piston tops.

Last edited by JRENIGAR; Mar 8, 2014 at 02:44 PM.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 02:27 PM
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Originally Posted by RockinWs6
That filter bypass is only there to bypass oil IF the filter is blocked OR the oil is too cold to flow through the filter.............it has no effect on the line pressure you see at the gauge.

I wouldn't believe the factory gauge, it could high or low by 5-20 psi. Only way to really know is use a CALIBRATED test gauge.........
Are you certain about the bypass in that it only flows oil if the filter dosent. I wonder how cold 5W-30 oil has to be to not flow through a filter on startup? This might still be the problem with the rattling at startup when the engine is cold, No? If the guage reads zero when key is on and engine is not running then wouldnt that mean its fairly accurate, atleast at the lower end of the spectrum?
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 03:42 PM
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Originally Posted by JRENIGAR
Are you certain about the bypass in that it only flows oil if the filter dosent. I wonder how cold 5W-30 oil has to be to not flow through a filter on startup? This might still be the problem with the rattling at startup when the engine is cold, No? If the guage reads zero when key is on and engine is not running then wouldnt that mean its fairly accurate, atleast at the lower end of the spectrum?
I personally have not made an A/B oil pressure comparison, but the Service Manual (as well as other internet articles) consistently indicate that a blocked oil filter/oil filter bypass valve/oil pressure relief valve results in higher oil pressure readings at the vehicle's gauge (but not a direct connect physical gauge).
Attached Thumbnails Piston slap or lifter tap???-ls1-6-oil-flow-diagram.jpg  
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 04:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Darkman
I personally have not made an A/B oil pressure comparison, but the Service Manual (as well as other internet articles) consistently indicate that a blocked oil filter/oil filter bypass valve/oil pressure relief valve results in higher oil pressure readings at the vehicle's gauge (but not a direct connect physical gauge).
I follow you man and Im inclined to agree based on other internet articles where they bypass has been eliminated and higher oil pressures were the result. I have no direct dealings with it either so my assumptions are purely hypothetical aswell.
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 05:46 PM
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Originally Posted by darkman
i personally have not made an a/b oil pressure comparison, but the service manual (as well as other internet articles) consistently indicate that a blocked oil filter/oil filter bypass valve/oil pressure relief valve results in higher oil pressure readings at the vehicle's gauge (but not a direct connect physical gauge).
Impossible! How could you develop more pressure after the pump????????? AND then after a blockage.............think!
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Old Mar 8, 2014 | 05:59 PM
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Originally Posted by RockinWs6
Impossible! How could you develop more pressure after the pump????????? AND then after a blockage.............think!
The pressure is created by the pump, but is not measured at the pump. It is measured by the sensor located downstream of both the pump and the oil filter loop (which can be either open, and therefore included in the stream, or closed and thereby excluded from the stream.).
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Old Mar 9, 2014 | 03:50 PM
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Checked the filter bypass valve and its working fine. Car has 60psi idling cold. It shows 40-45psi idling warm.
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