Have acquired a really loud tick at WOT or when it's on a load on the driver side. BTR said it sounds like lifter, so got new parts headin this way. Pulled head and lifters earlier... The results...








Have that one line on the roller of far right lifter. It's smooth to
The touch, the pic of the side of the rollers, especially 4th from the left have real bad grooves on the side, don't know if that's ok or not? Biggest concern is if my cam
Is damaged?? Maybe has 120 miles on this set up.

 

the last picture of the cam lobe that looks kinda rough, i think it might be moly lube left over, ima try and feel it or see if its something that comes off. Any suggestions on how to feel it without pulling it?

 

When you say grooves on the sides, do you mean on the outward edges of the roller faces?

 

Yes, just on downside of the roller. I mean it doesn't contact anything so I would think it's ok, but some don't have that

 

Top of the hole where lifter sits, looks gaulged but I can't tell, flash is makin things look weird, lifter housing and trays are spotless so I wouldn't think so

 

That's just oil residue on the walls. How much preload did you have on those lifters?

 

I know I should have checked but I didn't. Was told over and over cam will use stock push rods. But seeing it
Now, the rods I got are 7.4 but are a tad taller than factory and with ls7 lifters they say the cup is a tad taller? Maybe to much? What should it be .80 or so? From my research, get the rocker finger tight where it takes out the up and down lash then see how many turns it takes to reach the 22lbs? Every turn is .50 or is it half a turn? I'm definitely going to check when I'm putting back together. Just hope cam isn't damaged.

 

I hate the stupid bolt-turn method. It is for people who refuse to spend a few bucks on some 8" calipers and want to waste time counting turns.

The LS7 lifter cup sits .050" higher than the older LS1 and LS2 lifter cups. So, if you replaced LS1/LS2 lifters with LS7s, you have .050" of more preload if you reuse your old pushrods. So, if you bought 7.400, chances are good that you have too much preload.

In order to measure for proper puchrod length, you need to find the base circle of the cam. I like to use the intake closing/ exhaust opening method, or IC/EO Method. Basically, you turn the engine and watch the exhaust rocker. When it begins to push the valve open, your intake lifter is on the base circle of the camshaft. For the exhaust side, the lifter will be on the base circle when the intake valve is beginning to close.

Another way is to take a pushrod and press it into the lifter cup so you can hold the lifter against the camshaft as you turn the engine. You'll feel the pushrod rise and fall. When it feels to have bottomed out, that's the camshaft's base circle.

Once you find the base circle, you can then use your adjustable pushrod checker to find zero lash. To do that, wrap some teflon tape on the threads of the checker so it doesn't spin as easily, and install into the pushrod hole. Begin to torque the rocker to 22 ft/lbs. While torquing, wiggle the checker to see when the slack is taken up. If the slack is taken up before you hit 22 ft/lbs, the checker is too long. If you hit your torque value and the slack is still there, the checker is too short. Adjust as needed until you find the point where slack is taken up as you hit 22 ft/lbs.

Once you do that, carefully pull the checker out and measure the length with your calipers. Take that number, add your desired preload, and that is the pushrod length you need. Repeat for the exhaust side.

Shoot for .075" of preload for the LS7 lifters.

 

Awesome, thanks a lot. That helps. So basically tdc for which ones I'm checking?

 

TDC on the compression stroke.

I would still use one of the methods listed to verify.

 

Awesome, thanks again.!

 

Based on the pics given, your noise isn't likely from the lifters or cam. I had that smooth line in a lifter before. Never made noise. That is likely from debris in the oil that got trapped between the lifter and cam.

Furthermore, in my experience, ifters get quieter under more load, where an exhaust leak gets louder under loud.

 

Thanks, no exhaust leak, put brand new gaskets on even after the tick. They way the oil was squirting is what thinks it was a bad lifter. Monday i drove to work, no noise what so ever, quiet as can be and then on way home it came back after 10 miles of driving, got my new set in today, tomorrow i gonna assemble but one of the lifter housings was kinda boogared up so i gonna get another one tomorrow at the local dealer just to be safe. Cam is still smooth just a lil bit of a mark on it. just gonna check length of push tubes tomorrow. Thanks again guys

 

Good luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

will do!

 

update so far, got it back together, changed oil again started up, lifters were loud until they got some oil to them and pressure, probably put 50 miles on it since. Trying to take it easy on it for now let everything work together accordingly. Took to 6k once on a rev. So far no tick. Push rods are good. gotten her in the rpms a could times just kinda driving spirited lol. not WOT. Clean and smooth, only think thats weird after its warm and what not it is hard to start. kill key, turn it over and it starts right up. Gonna have to get back with my tuner. So far so good. Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

Did you replace the cam too?

 

I'd move to 10w40 to keep oil pump and lifters happy

 

didn't replace cam, it was smooth just had that line on it. BTR said if it was smooth to the touch it will be fine. Yea i changed it back with 5w30 and gonna run 1500 miles or less on it and then switch to 10w40 just cuz. Thanks again guys. Hope it stays good. probably drove 100 miles today running great.

 

Awesome, glad to hear you didn't have to replace the cam.