Ticking lifters... try seafoam!
08-06-2008, 08:38 PM
#1
Ticking lifters... try seafoam! Since doing a cam, dual springs and 7.4 pushrods, I've always had a bit of a lifter tick/sewing machine sound. Nothing too terrible, but definitely not stock sounding.
About a week ago I gave my car the full seafoam treatment. While just cleaning up the engine bay I started it up to dry the water and the first thing I noticed was the "tick" I had become accustomed to had vanished. Aside from the small cam lope of the 112 LSA, it was all but stock sounding. I started up my Monte Carlo with the 5.3 and ignoring the exhaust difference, the engines sounded identical from a top end valvetrain noise standpoint.
So if you have been playing with different oils, going nuts trying to "quiet" the valvetrain and you have stock lifters or just noise in the valvetrain like metal slapping around, try out seafoam... I'm shocked and a believer in this stuff...
as a side note, I did not gain any more gas mileage, but the throttle response did seem more responsive and just freer flowing.
About a week ago I gave my car the full seafoam treatment. While just cleaning up the engine bay I started it up to dry the water and the first thing I noticed was the "tick" I had become accustomed to had vanished. Aside from the small cam lope of the 112 LSA, it was all but stock sounding. I started up my Monte Carlo with the 5.3 and ignoring the exhaust difference, the engines sounded identical from a top end valvetrain noise standpoint.
So if you have been playing with different oils, going nuts trying to "quiet" the valvetrain and you have stock lifters or just noise in the valvetrain like metal slapping around, try out seafoam... I'm shocked and a believer in this stuff...
as a side note, I did not gain any more gas mileage, but the throttle response did seem more responsive and just freer flowing.
08-07-2008, 12:04 AM
#4
Pretty much quieted them down.
When I first put in the cam, I had a crazy tick from the rockers, like everyone of them was slapping around. Changed to 7.4 pushrods and it helped out, but still had a distinctive "metal slap" or tick sound to it. I retorqued the rocker arms bringing the exhaust/intake to open and torquing the opposite rocker arm. It helped but still was there, just more harmonious sounding rather than the odd tick that was out of place. On WOT runs, I would get all of them to tick the same for a short time since my oil pressure would shoot up to 70+psi on those runs. Once left to idle for some time the tick would reduce back from louder to just "its got a cam and dual springs" sound.
Seafoam pretty much got rid of the dual spring/tick sound it had. If I didn't put them in, I couldn't tell I had dual springs, that's how quiet it's become. With the 5.3 also in the driveway, I can compare stock valvetrain noise to my modded sound and side by side, only the longtubes differentiate the sound.
Full treatment details are in the general maintenance threads under the FAQ. Basically, you put half into the crankcase, a full can in the gas and the other half a can into the intake while running via a PCV or brake booster line.
The results weren't instantaneous either once the new oil settled in after a good week's worth of driving, I think I only really noticed the lack of noise now. I noted a change in the throttle response and a lack of ticking after a WOT run, but only listened to it closely today.
When I first put in the cam, I had a crazy tick from the rockers, like everyone of them was slapping around. Changed to 7.4 pushrods and it helped out, but still had a distinctive "metal slap" or tick sound to it. I retorqued the rocker arms bringing the exhaust/intake to open and torquing the opposite rocker arm. It helped but still was there, just more harmonious sounding rather than the odd tick that was out of place. On WOT runs, I would get all of them to tick the same for a short time since my oil pressure would shoot up to 70+psi on those runs. Once left to idle for some time the tick would reduce back from louder to just "its got a cam and dual springs" sound.
Seafoam pretty much got rid of the dual spring/tick sound it had. If I didn't put them in, I couldn't tell I had dual springs, that's how quiet it's become. With the 5.3 also in the driveway, I can compare stock valvetrain noise to my modded sound and side by side, only the longtubes differentiate the sound.
Full treatment details are in the general maintenance threads under the FAQ. Basically, you put half into the crankcase, a full can in the gas and the other half a can into the intake while running via a PCV or brake booster line.
The results weren't instantaneous either once the new oil settled in after a good week's worth of driving, I think I only really noticed the lack of noise now. I noted a change in the throttle response and a lack of ticking after a WOT run, but only listened to it closely today.
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08-08-2008, 02:16 PM
#9
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