Nate_Taufer

iTrader: (1)

First off the basics, I have a 98 camaro z28 that i just finished up modding last wednesday. The motor was torn down to the shortblock and i did a bunch of stuff to it.


I didn't really notice anything wrong until last night. I started hearing a slight ticking from the driver side around the number 5 piston that would increase in intensity with rpm, but I wasn't losing power. I checked all the plugs and they were all tight and reseated the wires on the passenger and driver side and the tick didnt change.

Well today I went by my work for a little bit and for a short drive, and didn't dog on it a bit. I think the highest i took it was about 3500 rpms.

As I was going back over to the auto parts store to pick up a new air filter, the car lost a lot of power. Felt like i had two plug wires disconnected. Well i reseated plug wires many a time and swapped em around a little. Ticking still coming from what sounds like #5 and it runs really rough.

I pulled the driver side valve cover and couldn't see anything wrong. All pushrods seem like they are straight up. No play in any of the rockers. Also I tightened the driver side header bolts and I can't feel any air escaping from the header.

The ticking itself doesn't sound like it is steady, it kind of jumps around a little in speed even though the car is a constant 1000 rpms.

So does this sound like a collapsed lifter? Or something else maybe? I can't pull the car apart until sat so I am hoping i find something stupid by then.

Nate

ABadMother1999

iTrader: (9)

My guess would be a bad lifter... either suck or collasped. But id like to know the outcome cuz I have the same problem and that is my best guess. Thanks and goodluck and keep us updated!

chrismcdaniel

iTrader: (14)

im having the same problem, but mine comes and goes.. it will only start tapping for once every couple of days, and only continue for 5-10 minutes.. but when its tapping, it sounds like a bent pushrod or something..then it just fades away..someone told me the lifter is not oiling corectly or possibly is getting air in it? i dunno, so i hope some one chimes in here with an answer

2001SS#3013

iTrader: (2)

Why is this happening all of a sudden. My car started tapping about 2 months ago. Mine taps all the time but it is really noticeable around 2 grand. I am going to buy new lifters, push rods and rockers and between all of that I think it should fix the problem.

5w20

iTrader: (21)

maybe a bad bearing?

88monte

iTrader: (10)

i had the same problem, collapsed a lifter and broke a valve spring, i rebuilt the valvetrain and replaced the lifters, car runs like new

SPG

iTrader: (3)

If you take a lifter out, how can you "test" it to make sure its all OK. I have a head & cam swap coming up, and also have a little tap that seems ro come and go, and wonder if I need to have a look at lifters while they're accessible

O'dell

iTrader: (1)

Chris, I don't know if you noticed but you two have the same cam installed too. Probably same springs too...I wonder if those springs + the xe-r lobes + lift are just too much for stock lifters that have 70k miles on them (or however many miles you have). I hope someone that knows more than us rednecks can chime in here and help ya out. Either way, I'm gonna put a hurtin on that SS this year

bad0211secws6

iTrader: (6)

i warranty lifters almost on a daily basis on all gen 3 v8s? gettin ready to do mine next week it always fixes the noise iv only had a couple come back after about 20,000
miles iv done gms bullettin on the pick up tube o-ring and that has never fixed the noise id be nice if gm engineering would figure this out?

1999T/A

iTrader: (4)

If you have a collapsed lifter , you can tell by turning it over with the valve cover off , when that rocker is all they way at rest , there will be ALOT of play in it , and you will be able to move the pushrod around . I hope I explained that correctly . That is what I did , found mine almost immediately . I don't think this will work on one that is not pumping up all the way though . You could try it and see . Good luck . . .

Nate_Taufer

iTrader: (1)

1999t/a, were you down on power by a good amount? Also did the car itself start to vibrate like hell under full throttle? Cuz im getting a really weird vibration/noise that i cant explain when i get on it at all...and the car is a total slug. Feels kind of like when i broke a pushrod last year but sounds completely different.

I'll keep you guys updated as im going to go get some new lifters today and will be installing them on saturday.

Nate

1FST99Z

iTrader: (9)

yeah mine started as just losing lots of power. and it was a slight tick I thought nothing of it. then all of the sudden it was like I lost 4cyl of the motor and it would shake very bad so I ended up finding that 2 lifters were collapsed. so I pulled the motor and well it will be going back in this weekend

Nate_Taufer

iTrader: (1)

okay thanks im pretty damn sure i lost a lifter then...

Nate

1999T/A

iTrader: (4)

No I had no vibration , just a slight loss in power and the oil pressure was low . This was on a lifter that had sheared in half after it failed . I had a LOUD tapping that got worse with RPMs and worse as the car warmed up . You would think that it would have had some driveability issues but there were none .

TheBlurLS1

iTrader: (8)

count me in the come-n-go lifter tap club too!!

why do the noises ALWAYS seem to come from the driverside? i had a bent pushrod on the #7 intake valve that i replaced a while back (500 miles ago) and now it seems as if i have a lazy lifter. it only ticks sometimes, and not very bad. i pulled the valve cover and all the rockers/pushrods were good on the driverside, put it back together and of course its still doing it (hey you can hope right lol?).

i'm already getting together a plan for new lifters/pushrods/springs/seats/seals/retainers and all that jazz WHO'S WITH ME!!

MakoLS1

Is their anyway to test my lifters if i have them out now? I was getting a ticking sound and wierd vibration at higher speeds.. Visually they all 'appeard' to look in good condition.