callys

iTrader: (2)

Hello -

LQ4/on3 t76 in a grand national. Just got the car running 2 weeks ago.

02 6.0 qith 90k. Stock long block other than cam and valve springs...did cam with engine upside down, never pulled heads.

I had the oil drain off the t76 going down then sideways under my passenger merge manifold, then down again, into a 90 into the pan. I did this because on the Holley swap pan for G bodies there isn't enough vertical room to run it down to the front of the pan.

Drain did not work and backed up and leaked a ton. Despite this car drove with no weird issues.

Yesterday I tore the car down and welded a -10 bung onto the bottom left of the timing cover. I now have a -10 line going straight shot down from the turbo to this drain. I removed the old drain and capped it.

This morning I was driving the car and after a hard run a bunch of lifter ticking developed (usual sewing noise) but at all rpm. I didn't have any KR on that run or any sign of damage in my log.

The oil pressure has not been great since I installed this engine so today I tore it down again and swapped the oil pump to the melling unit from autozone with its included o-ring. This took all day.

My oil pressure is normal but I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I want to pull my hair out. The car is quiet, but has some weird idling issues where it dies sometimes since this started. If I drive it around and stand on it a few times the lifters then get loud again.

Here's why I am so lost:

• I dont get why it just started today after changing the drain
• I am using the small trick flow track max cam but did not check push rod length
• If it was push rod length then why only when hot and why just today
• Before the car leaked a ton of oil, but had no noise

I am going to check pushrod length now, but I have no idea what else it could be. Lifters? I never touched them. Piston pins?

callys

iTrader: (2)

Update: getting 2 1/4 turns from zero lash to get to 22lbs, which says I need a shorter push rod (7.35?)

Also trick flow recommends these springs http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tf...4-16/overview/ with their smallest track max cam.

Those duals are 140 lb installed/380 open vs 130/318 for the PAC 1218s...not sure if that is causing a problem. The trick flow cam is only 216/220 .560 lift.

Still seems weird this didn't happen for the first 200+ miles.

Redbull87

iTrader: (3)

Might be bent stock pushrods and tired lifters.i doubt just replacing a oil pump will solve your issue.Pushrod length is very important and if your cam setup needs a shorter than stock length rods than the issue were slowly becoming apparent during your first 200+ miles of use.Plus the stock pushrods bent pretty easy from what ive been told and even worse with boost. Too long of a pushrod interms of valvetrain events is vital and while the car seems to run and drive fine..the ecm is probably fighting to keep things happy. You might be in need to lift the heads off and check things more thoroughly.

Im going through a similar situation having to replace lifters,pushrods,valves,rockers,trunion upgrade and btr dual 660 springs.

Darth_V8r

iTrader: (4)

2-1/4 turns is like .180" preload. The entire travel of your lifters is collapsed out. You were likely getting valve loft from the pushrods pole vaulting the valve. With those spring pressures you need larger OD pushrods. 5/16" would be a big improvement.

When you fixed your oil pressure you probably started helping the lifters pump up more. Which would be why it suddenly caused problems

callys

iTrader: (2)

Cut open oil filter and there's plenty of stripper glitter sparkle in there, so Im guessing the oiling problems wiped a bearing or two