My heads cam car has a pretty noticeable amount more valvetrain noise on cold start up then after its been started. Is this normal for a cammed car? I'm afraid my pushrods may be the wrong length. I'm running a ported and shimed ls6 pump and 5w-30 pennzoil platinum. It was probably 75 or so outside when i noticed it. It only does it for 2 seconds and then it gets quieter.

 

Sounds like piston slap if it's more noisy at start up, then quiets down. It's completely normal.

 

It will just be the time it takes to get the oil pressure up & oil to valve train, you say it's only a couple of seconds, i wouldn't worry about it. Even as your oil gets older your valve train will show more noise, change out your oil & all will quieten down.

 

The oil probably doesn't have 1000 miles on it. And you only notice it inside the car with the radio, a/c, everything off and you start it you hear more "sewing machine" noise. I was afraid maybe i had to long of pushrod and it was keeping pressure on the lifters and causing them to leak off.

 

What cam, springs, pushrods,....heads milled ????

 

stock rockers?

 

Really need more information on your setup and how things were measured and assembled before any meaningful review can be done.

 

Agreed more specific info on the cam and pushrod measurement data are needed.

Also need to know what oil filter you are using.

I would point out that my neighbor's '02 LS6 (no engine mods) developed a lifter tick at hot idle using Mobil-1 5W-30 this year, which we cured by switching to Mobil-1 0W-40.

The current API spec which Mobil, Pennzoil, etc. adhere to has very little zinc and phosphorous, whereas 0W-40 has ~200ppm more of each. It's also slightly thicker, which may be playing a role in quieting down the lifters.

When the weather turns colder, he'll be using Mobil-1 High Mileage 5W-30 which also has more zinc/phos.

 

This is excellant info right here

 

Its PRC 215s 60cc, MS4, 7.450 pushrods. A friend did the install for me and he kept getting a shorter meausurement so i got online and looked at what other people ended up with for the same combo and i just ordered them. I know that was stupid thing to do but it happened. I'm running stock rockers. I'm about to take it and have a FAST and tune done and while its in the shop im just gonna get them to check the length just so i can sleep better at night.

 

oh and the oil filter is one of the Bosch filters that come with the oil change special at advance.

 

Nothing likely wrong w/ that filter, they're basically OK.

Sounds like pushrod length issue as you're describing it...the pushrods look way long. What measurement did your friend get?

"Measure twice, assemble once."

 

He ended up with like a 7.35 or something he ran it with the stock length rods and he said after puttin in the 7.450 rods the valvetrain got quieter. I've got a pushord checker at his house but i wonder if i could buy one at a local parts store and i can just measure it myself before i take it to have the intake and a tune done in mooresville.