https://youtu.be/i6tYcDFDTUI?si=GIY2e7hpnXJ50k2a

I’m looking for some experienced input on a lifter/oiling issue that has me scratching my head.I have an LS3 that I’ve been tuning. Unfortunately, I developed an oil leak that caused the engine to briefly starve for oil. As a result, one lifter became stuck in the collapsed position.I pulled the intake and head, inspected everything, and overall the valvetrain looked decent — only one lifter was actually stuck. Out of caution, I replaced all lifters with brand new LS7 lifters, installed a new head gasket, torqued everything to spec, and reassembled.One thing that stood out: the new lifters were extremely hard to compress by hand — basically impossible to depress. I was told this was normal for new lifters, so I proceeded.After reassembly, the engine was not oiling properly and made a horrible noise. It did NOT sound like a typical lifter tick — more like a mechanical rattle or something out of sync.I pulled the intake and head again. Pushrods and rockers all looked fine — no obvious damage or misalignment. At that point, I removed the new lifters and reinstalled the original lifters after fully disassembling, cleaning, and rebuilding them. Those lifters move freely.With the rebuilt original lifters installed, oil pressure and oiling are now normal, but the engine still has a rattle-type noise that doesn’t sound like a standard valvetrain tick. It almost sounds like something mechanical or alignment-related, but I can’t pinpoint it.At this point I’m trying to understand:Could the brand-new LS7 lifters being “hydraulically locked” have caused damage or misalignment elsewhere?Is there something specific I should be checking in the lifter trays, pushrod geometry, cam, or oil passages after an oil-starvation event?Has anyone seen LS7 lifters behave this way out of the box (too stiff to compress / oiling issues)?Any known failure modes or common mistakes I should inspect before tearing deeper?Appreciate any guidance — trying to avoid chasing ghosts and tearing it apart unnecessarily.

 

Where did you buy the lifters? What oil pressure are you seeing? In my experience, I have never gotten new hydraulic lifters that couldn't be compressed. Ever. They're always spongy until filled with oil. Maybe you got solid lifters. Hope you didn't buy them from Amazon.....

 

Yes, unfortunately, they were amazon.But I did pull those back out and put the old ones back in. And as mentioned, they are oiling.Now the bigger issue, I think, is the sound that it's making i'm not sure if you're able to hear that youtube video.But it's the sound, it doesn't sound right.It doesn't sound like a lifter, tick.It's like a rattle more than anything

 

Sadly, and not to rub salt in the wound, but there are forums everywhere with horror stories about using internal engine parts from Amazon. I wouldn't run a cam or lifters from them if they'd give me a truckload for free! But, you're past that now. So, again, what oil pressure are you seeing? I hate to say this, but here goes anyway.
LS engines see oil at the lifters first. I'm hoping those junk Chinesium lifters at least passed oil to the cam and crank bearings. If they didn't, oh boy.....

 

Oil pressure is fine and I only did one side as that's where my lifter tick was coming from. Oil pressure's about 70 p s I on startup.

And It was immediate with the Amazon lifters. And I didn't run it very long. When I changed out to the old lifters after cleaning them, it was the exact same noise. And it doesn't sound like a lifter tick to me. They are flowing oil as well.Where the amazon ones did not. And they started to flow oil immediately.

 

If the motor started making this noise before you changed the lifters the first time, it sounds like it's most likely something other than a lifter. Hoping you don't need to pull the engine.....

 

I'm kinda surprised nobody else has chimed in here yet......

 

I've seen guys have issues with the valley tower block off plates bleeding oil and making some lifter noises (DOD delete truck 5.3 aluminum block truck norris cam). They put plugs in the cam towers and it fixed it, but I'm not sure what brand of valley plate they were using. There are times when lifters can be pumped up and seal pretty tight so they feel almost solid. I would either bleed them down before install or turn the engine over a few times so the valvespring pressure can work on them.

 

Yes..me too. Did you hear the video? What does it sound like to you? I definitely dont think its lifters as it is doing it with two different sets...the new amazon and the old rebuilt

 

Lifter tick will have a 1/2 tick per engine crank revolution and almost sounds like a diesel.

That doesn't sound like lifter tick to me. Al.ost sounds like a gear rubbing on something.

Go get an $8 HF stethoscope and see if you can poke around and determine where the sound is coming from. Remove the serpentine belt and run it, to rule out accessories. Edit: looks like you have it running w/o the belt, so nvm on that one.

 

Yes I planned to get a stethoscope and see if I could. I did pull the belt to try to isolate noise too. U got me thinking with the "rubbing" comment... I hope nothing fell inside the engine when I had the valley plate off or heads off smh.

 

I did not hear it. I cant open the link, probably due to my below average computer/phone skills. Possibly the upper cam gear came loose?....

 

So this is on a stock cam and pushrods? Did you re-use the original lifter trays?