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Lifter clicking Noise

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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 07:12 AM
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Question Lifter clicking Noise

Does anyone else have this problem. I start the car it sounds normal at Idle until the temp reaches 100 deg then a clicking sound starts. I give it a little rev it goes away for about 15 sec then comes back. at 180deg the noise is totally gone. Sounds like a Lifter clicking or clacking. I have no oil consumption and my oil pressure is about 50+ at idle. Any ideas is appreciated.

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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 08:24 AM
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Sounds like cold engine piston slap. It lasts between 3 to 5 minutes. I don't want to say it's normal but there are a lot of the new aluminum block engines that do this. It's GM's worst nightmare and personally, I wouldn't worry about it.
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 10:13 AM
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Originally Posted by jub jub
Sounds like cold engine piston slap. It lasts between 3 to 5 minutes. I don't want to say it's normal but there are a lot of the new aluminum block engines that do this. It's GM's worst nightmare and personally, I wouldn't worry about it.
umm he said it does this after its warmed up
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by hourang
umm he said it does this after its warmed up
Actually, 100 deg is not exactly warmed up.

Piston slap occurs somewhere between ambient and normal operating temperature. I don't hear mine either when I first start it, but it will occur at around 100 degrees and completely disappears once the engine reaches about 180. That is very characteristic.
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:26 PM
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I would think piston would slap be louder and be continouse . If I rev the motor quick it goes away then appears again starts slowly then escalates more within 20seconds. If I drive it a short distance between 100 and 180deg and stop . It will start in about 20 seconds again. Is this symptom really piston slap. Thanks
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 02:51 PM
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Originally Posted by terrygs31
I would think piston would slap be louder and be continouse . If I rev the motor quick it goes away then appears again starts slowly then escalates more within 20seconds. If I drive it a short distance between 100 and 180deg and stop . It will start in about 20 seconds again. Is this symptom really piston slap. Thanks
Piston slap usually makes a very deep knock, almost hollow sounding.

All the lifters I've ever heard usually got worse as the engine got hotter and the sound never went away. If it is a lifter, you could probably verify it by adding a can of STP oil treatment and see if that quiets the noise. STP will not have a noticeable affect on piston slap.

The information I've provided is from my own personal experience.

Go to this link and listen to some slap and see what you think.

http://www.pistonslap.com/photos.htm

Last edited by jub jub; Jun 16, 2004 at 03:01 PM.
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 04:16 PM
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I've had the same exact lifter noise for the past couple of years. GM told me it was a lifter bleeding down and was caused by a bad O ring at the oil pump pick up tube causing airation of the oil. We checked it out, O ring was fine but replaced it anyway and noise is still there.


BTW: It's not piston slap cause I friggan got that to.
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Old Jun 16, 2004 | 04:42 PM
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sounds like pushrod length
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Old Jun 17, 2004 | 01:13 PM
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Mine does the exact same thing, it has done it ever since the car was new. I have no idea what it is, but it doesn't sound like piston slap.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 06:58 AM
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I have same problem as well,my motor ticks when warm it slight but i can hear it.Oil pressure is 50 psi or little over when cold , between 35 and 40 psi when warm.I have always used mobil 1 10w 30 syn..I live in florida , is it ok to run heavier syn oil(15w)or should i try STP or CD2 oil treatment first?My car is 1999 t/a with 49000 miles. only mods are loudmouth and K@N filter..
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 08:23 AM
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Guys, quit reading between the lines.

Read and hear http://www.pistonslap.com

It is your piston(s) slapping the side of the cylinder(s) due to too much tolerance(s) between piston and Cyl. wall.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 08:35 AM
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I'd say that since he has an M6, a missed shift, or a bad downshift is more likely the cuprit of the ticking noise. It apparently never goes away with the temperature, but only when he revs a bit. This makes me think it's the dreaded bent pushrod. I've got piston slap on a 2000. Trust me, it sounds NOTHING like a "ticking" sound. It's more hollow.

It'll take you 30 minutes to pull the pushrods and check them on a perfectly flat surface (like a surface plate). Better yet, get yourself a set of Chromoly pushrods (like from Thunder Racing), install them, and never deal with it again. It's a sound investment for an M6 car.

SC-
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 09:30 AM
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Originally Posted by SS00Blue
I'd say that since he has an M6, a missed shift, or a bad downshift is more likely the cuprit of the ticking noise. It apparently never goes away with the temperature, but only when he revs a bit. This makes me think it's the dreaded bent pushrod. I've got piston slap on a 2000. Trust me, it sounds NOTHING like a "ticking" sound. It's more hollow.

It'll take you 30 minutes to pull the pushrods and check them on a perfectly flat surface (like a surface plate). Better yet, get yourself a set of Chromoly pushrods (like from Thunder Racing), install them, and never deal with it again. It's a sound investment for an M6 car.

SC-
Read the post again

1-I start the car it sounds normal at Idle until the temp reaches 100 deg then a clicking sound starts.
2- I give it a little rev it goes away for about 15 sec then comes back.
3-at 180deg the noise is totally gone.
These are piston slap symptoms. Lifter "clicking" will accelerate with rpms and will be much more pronounced at "cold" start and fades a little with lifter pump up. Not to mention your car will run like crap.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 10:41 AM
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My car has ticked from day one. It has gotten louder with time (esp. after header install) it is most noticeable from under the car driver side. Dealer said it was normal. So I thaught it was a lifter or the O-ring. Put in new lifters and changed the o-ring (was not damaged) durring my H/C install. Well it still ticks and is getting louder.

By the way, This is not piston slap. My car has that also. Piston slap is a hallow knocking that will go away after a few minutes on a cold start. This ticking that I am talking about, and have heard on some other 2001 & 2002 cars dose not start untill the car warms up and NEVER goes away.

Personaly I think I have given up on it, I am going to build a forged 408 next year.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 11:26 AM
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My car does the same thing. When I took it in to the dealer to have it looked at he told flat out that it is just something the LS1 does. Pissed me off they wouldn't even look at it. Went to three other dealers they looked the car, listen to told the same thing. So basically you will just have to deal with it or replace different peices of the valve train till you find the one that makes it go away. I chose just to deal with it for know till I figure out what cam to get.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by SS00Blue
I'd say that since he has an M6, a missed shift, or a bad downshift is more likely the cuprit of the ticking noise. It apparently never goes away with the temperature, but only when he revs a bit. This makes me think it's the dreaded bent pushrod. I've got piston slap on a 2000. Trust me, it sounds NOTHING like a "ticking" sound. It's more hollow.

It'll take you 30 minutes to pull the pushrods and check them on a perfectly flat surface (like a surface plate). Better yet, get yourself a set of Chromoly pushrods (like from Thunder Racing), install them, and never deal with it again. It's a sound investment for an M6 car.

SC-
Negative. A bent push rod ticks when the motor is revved aswell.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 01:46 PM
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After upgrading my valvetrain (springs, pushrods, and ti retainers), my ticking is gone with the wind. I also had a few loose header bolts, so I'm not sure if the valvetrain upgrade or tightening the header bolts cured it.
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Old Sep 12, 2004 | 01:52 PM
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i didnt have that problem in my 99 z till i miss shifted then it ticked and only got worse, now my 2000 z is an a4 and it has a slight ticking/slapping noise but i dont worry about it, such low mileage and i never dof it out, i am sure it came like that when it was built
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