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So as the title says, I noticed a lifter tick sound in my 6.0. As of now, cylinder #4 intake lifter was the culprit. I began to break down the engine and this particular lifter is STUCK in the lifter bore.
I used my inspection camera and found the source of the sound and it’s quite traumatizing to say the least.
I’ll let you look at the photos
Lifter guide. GM trays. Not eBay ones. And the lifters were snug when installed. You can see the roller is trashed The red arrow shows what appears to be the roller isn’t round. It’s flat
so looks like replacing the lifters is out of the question... definitely doing a solid roller setup with tie bar lifters.
I got the cam out and was able to remove the lifter through the cam bore without losing it in the engine.
My guess, based on damage to cam lobe is that the lifter twisted in the lifter bore (somehow with new lifter trays). I was unable to remove the lifter due to the lifter mushrooming. I used a piece of 3/4” pvc pipe cut in half to catch the lifter from the cam bore.
You've got metal all through the motor and in the bottom end. That setup needs a rebuild.
Agreed. TOO3, you’ll be amazed how much metal and debris is in there. Adjacent two cylinders to cam lobe usually get a debris shower and pistons are chewed up along with hurt cylinders. Oil pump will show debris also. I redid a shortblock this summer that had exact same lifter wear.
Agreed. TOO3, you’ll be amazed how much metal and debris is in there. Adjacent two cylinders to cam lobe usually get a debris shower and pistons are chewed up along with hurt cylinders. Oil pump will show debris also. I redid a shortblock this summer that had exact same lifter wear.
Yep, mine looked the same when I bought the car and tore it down. Single lifter where the roller decided to exit the building and chewed up the cam love. I was 50/50 on pulling the motor. Glad I did cause there was metal EVERYWHERE.
So sorry man. That is what I was afraid of. When mine did that it was a total loss. I hope you fare better in that you are able to get by with new bearings and rings.
I thought the consensus was the lifter trays were just there to make sure the lifters were installed in the proper orientation, or perhaps to keep them straight when there is no load on the lifters, and once they were loaded against the cam lobe with spring pressure, the rollers would maintain their orientation against the lobes.
Yea, I had the same thing happen. The bottom mushrooms and you have to drive it out downward. You didn't have to make a special catching tool. The lifter falls on the windage tray where you can get it with a magnet. Also, you should remove the pan and change the bearings and you will find the lifter then.
More important get a bore dial gauge and check the lifter bore. It should be .0015 to .0020 over. It can be a little looser but not much more. When I took the measurement I was surprised to find the bore within specs. I mean the lifter end was mushroomed alot, but I guess aluminum blocks are stronger than I thought. Harbor Freight has the gauge kit. Once the gauge is opened in the bore and sized you either mic it or measure it with a good set of calipers capable of reading into the ten thousands. Standard lifter size is: .842 so .0015 to .0020 over this is good.
More important yet get link bar lifters and make sure the springs and sticks are A-OK. Most of the turning problem comes from the lifter bouncing on the cam at high speed. Never, repeat, never believe the tray keeps it from turning. The correct spring pressure and preload is needed to hold the lifter square on the lobe. A weak stick that flexes at high speed also causes bounce.
Finally, I went with link bars because I missed a gear at 140 and turned the lifter. The tach buried over red line and who knows how far it went. The valve train was solid but S happens.
Don't panic and take your time and you'll get through it. Check the crank and polish any scuff marks with fine emery cloth. The good thing about these new aluminum bearing is that the surface metal is thicker than the older trimetal designs. They are designed to accept debris scratches upto 15 thousands. This means debris of that size or smaller imbed in the bearing and do not score the crank.
Yea, I had the same thing happen. The bottom mushrooms and you have to drive it out downward. You didn't have to make a special catching tool. The lifter falls on the windage tray where you can get it with a magnet. Also, you should remove the pan and change the bearings and you will find the lifter then.
More important get a bore dial gauge and check the lifter bore. It should be .0015 to .0020 over. It can be a little looser but not much more. When I took the measurement I was surprised to find the bore within specs. I mean the lifter end was mushroomed alot, but I guess aluminum blocks are stronger than I thought. Harbor Freight has the gauge kit. Once the gauge is opened in the bore and sized you either mic it or measure it with a good set of calipers capable of reading into the ten thousands. Standard lifter size is: .842 so .0015 to .0020 over this is good.
More important yet get link bar lifters and make sure the springs and sticks are A-OK. Most of the turning problem comes from the lifter bouncing on the cam at high speed. Never, repeat, never believe the tray keeps it from turning. The correct spring pressure and preload is needed to hold the lifter square on the lobe. A weak stick that flexes at high speed also causes bounce.
Finally, I went with link bars because I missed a gear at 140 and turned the lifter. The tach buried over red line and who knows how far it went. The valve train was solid but S happens.
Don't panic and take your time and you'll get through it. Check the crank and polish any scuff marks with fine emery cloth. The good thing about these new aluminum bearing is that the surface metal is thicker than the older trimetal designs. They are designed to accept debris scratches upto 15 thousands. This means debris of that size or smaller imbed in the bearing and do not score the crank.
Good luck on the repair and post the results.
good to know about checking the lifter bore.
My current setup that failed was stock lifters (chinesium), tsp pushrods, stock rockers with trunnion upgrade, and a Howard cams 232/236 .625/.625 112lsa. Tsp cnc’d ls6 heads, 10.6:1 comp ratio.... sheet metal intake with NW92mm Tb, t56 magnum
Here is my plan.
pull the engine, tear it down and check for more damage (although I don’t suspect much more)
inspect crank and determine if it needs a polish. Order up new crank and rod bearings.
send block off the get jet washed and have my local machine shop install new cam bearings.
Im switching to a low lash solid roller from Cam Motion. I’ll be using Cam Motions link bar solid lifters as well, 3/8” chromoly PRs, Jesel Sportsman shaft mount adjustable rockers, and PAC1208x or 1209 springs. I’ll obviously have to get new valve covers as well.
might as well do her up right. Something about a high revving v8 makes me happy.
08-13-2020, 10:29 PM
Lifter tick issue identified (photos and video) 
