Valvetrain started ticking - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

Lyonguy · 07-12-2015, 02:34 PM

So it's a 2010 2SS with a comp custom cam, PRC dual Valve Springs and hardened pushrods. It just started ticking earlier this week. I changed the oil in hopes that it would help but it made the sound worse. It's not always consistent with RPM which is kind of weird to me so I'm thinking it's a lifter about to go out? Maybe the hardened pushrods on the stock lifters over time?

I took off the valve cover and checked all the rockers, they all seem snug/fine.

What kind of lifters do you guys recommend if it is the lifters/what all would I need to replace for lifters if that is the problem?

SSeniorMoment · 07-12-2015, 06:32 PM

What engine and lifters do you have?

Lyonguy · 07-12-2015, 10:13 PM

LS3 and stock lifters

2013ZL1FUN · 07-12-2015, 11:51 PM

Why can't you guys leave your engines alone? Wait untill these engines get the miles on 'em, then do all this performance stuff.

hammdo · 07-13-2015, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2013ZL1FUN

Why can't you guys leave your engines alone? Wait untill these engines get the miles on 'em, then do all this performance stuff.

As the Mask would say "'cause I gotta!" ;o)

Comp had some issues at one point with their cores. If a lifter is bad, gotta pull the heads. I had LS7 lifters put in mine when I did my cam ( cam motion core).

-Don

SSeniorMoment · 07-13-2015, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2013ZL1FUN

Why can't you guys leave your engines alone? Wait untill these engines get the miles on 'em, then do all this performance stuff.

So we can walk ZL1s.

myold88 · 07-13-2015, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lyonguy

LS3 and stock lifters

Oh the humanities ! An LS3 with lifter ticking.

djpelosi · 07-13-2015, 02:09 PM

If you have a cam, I can't see why in god's name you didn't change out the lifters while you had the chance. Nevertheless, I just had this issue with my stock valvetrain. Turns out, it was a broken valve spring. I replaced the valve spring, and no more ticking.... for a day. Then it started ticking again. This time, no broken valve springs. No bent pushrods. No exhaust leaks. Makes me want to bang my head against a wall.

Pull the rockers off and check all the pushrods to make sure they are all 100% straight. Also inspect the springs carefully. If everything looks ok, your issue is either exhaust related, or it's a valve/lifter problem.

Russell James · 07-13-2015, 02:45 PM

They can be ticky at idle. There's variation in production stuff. Some lifters aren't as tight fitting the lifter bore as others.... Some have less oil pressure than others... some oil is getting aerated...

Rev it to about 2500 to build decent oil pressure... see if it still ticks.. If not, probably nothing serious going on. Cut open the oil filter, see if a bunch of metal is in the pleats. If it does tick bad at 2500... dig into it.

If you do want to bullet proof it at some point... Pull the heads and front cover. Stick in:

A blueprinted high volume oil pump
C5R timing chain
LS2 chain dampner

Johnson COPO lifters (call and ask for the COPOs) (When they develped the COPO motors those lifters were the only ones tested that survived and met all the perf criteria according to a COPO engineer I ran into at Autorama). Ask what .000 preload they should be set at, then measure and order some high dollar PRs with the perfect preload.

Shaft rocker system. Have heads machined for the shaft mounts and larger 10 mm retaining bolt. Pick your favorite... Crower, Jessel, YT...

Ti retainers/locks
Fresh valve springs if they have 10/15K miles on them
Mill the heads a bit for a hair more comp
Keep the rev limiter 6800 ish

Good oil like a Brad Penn, Amsoil Signature Series...10w30 or a in hot temps.

If it got worse with fresh oil, wonder if something has gone wonky with the oil pump? Split o ring on the pick up tube? Very easy to damage on a cam install. You'll have fine oil pressure, but it will be aerated and those air bubbles accumulate in the lifters.

Lyonguy · 07-13-2015, 07:15 PM

Thanks for the info! Honestly though the guy before me had the cam done, he didn't change the stock oil pump which went out on me last Christmas, I had the joy of replacing that.

I'll try revving it up a little bit and see what happens. I don't have the funds to make it bullet proof right now. Due to my work/living condition I probably won't be able to tear into it until this weekend.

Anyone know off hand of a how-to for rotating the crank for the timing of the valves (if that's proper verbage?) First time working on valvetrain, I don't know how to tell TDC and all that garbage.

Until then I research! Thanks again for the info guys!

Lyonguy · 07-13-2015, 08:19 PM

I let it warm up and revved it up to 2500-3500 for a while. The sound was definitely less prevalent at higher RPM, a soft tick. At idle the tick is pretty loud, and has a sort of squeak to it. I checked the pulleys. It's not really consistent with RPM which makes me want to hope for header gasket or something, but it sounds like it's coming under the valve cover mehhhh.

Lyonguy · 08-07-2015, 09:36 PM

Well for anyone that looks at this. I'm going to take the heads off and pull the lifters here in the next couple of weekends. Is there anything noteworthy to know before I dive in? Seems pretty straightforward.

07-12-2015, 02:34 PM	#1
Lyonguy Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 14	Valvetrain started ticking So it's a 2010 2SS with a comp custom cam, PRC dual Valve Springs and hardened pushrods. It just started ticking earlier this week. I changed the oil in hopes that it would help but it made the sound worse. It's not always consistent with RPM which is kind of weird to me so I'm thinking it's a lifter about to go out? Maybe the hardened pushrods on the stock lifters over time? I took off the valve cover and checked all the rockers, they all seem snug/fine. What kind of lifters do you guys recommend if it is the lifters/what all would I need to replace for lifters if that is the problem?

07-12-2015, 11:51 PM	#4
2013ZL1FUN Drives: 2013 ZL1 Convertible A6 BRM Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Dayton Ohio Area Posts: 503	Why can't you guys leave your engines alone? Wait untill these engines get the miles on 'em, then do all this performance stuff. __________________ 2013 ZL1 CONVERTIBLE BRM A6 OHIO

07-13-2015, 02:09 PM	#8
djpelosi Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS/RS Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Cordova, TN Posts: 774	If you have a cam, I can't see why in god's name you didn't change out the lifters while you had the chance. Nevertheless, I just had this issue with my stock valvetrain. Turns out, it was a broken valve spring. I replaced the valve spring, and no more ticking.... for a day. Then it started ticking again. This time, no broken valve springs. No bent pushrods. No exhaust leaks. Makes me want to bang my head against a wall. Pull the rockers off and check all the pushrods to make sure they are all 100% straight. Also inspect the springs carefully. If everything looks ok, your issue is either exhaust related, or it's a valve/lifter problem. __________________ 2010 Camaro 2SS M6 2" Stainless Power Longtube Headers 3" Full exhaust w/ Off-Road H-Pipe Bo White Ported Throttle Body Hurst Short Throw Shifter Best Time: 12.43 @ 114, 1.99 60' on stock wheels and stock tires Build Thread

07-12-2015, 06:32 PM	#2
SSeniorMoment Drives: 2010 2SS/RS LS3 A6 IOM Join Date: May 2013 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,192	What engine and lifters do you have?

07-12-2015, 10:13 PM	#3
Lyonguy Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 14	LS3 and stock lifters

07-13-2015, 02:45 PM	#9
Russell James Drives: '15 SS 1LE, '69 Z28 drag car Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mich Posts: 4,482	They can be ticky at idle. There's variation in production stuff. Some lifters aren't as tight fitting the lifter bore as others.... Some have less oil pressure than others... some oil is getting aerated... Rev it to about 2500 to build decent oil pressure... see if it still ticks.. If not, probably nothing serious going on. Cut open the oil filter, see if a bunch of metal is in the pleats. If it does tick bad at 2500... dig into it. If you do want to bullet proof it at some point... Pull the heads and front cover. Stick in: A blueprinted high volume oil pump C5R timing chain LS2 chain dampner Johnson COPO lifters (call and ask for the COPOs) (When they develped the COPO motors those lifters were the only ones tested that survived and met all the perf criteria according to a COPO engineer I ran into at Autorama). Ask what .000 preload they should be set at, then measure and order some high dollar PRs with the perfect preload. Shaft rocker system. Have heads machined for the shaft mounts and larger 10 mm retaining bolt. Pick your favorite... Crower, Jessel, YT... Ti retainers/locks Fresh valve springs if they have 10/15K miles on them Mill the heads a bit for a hair more comp Keep the rev limiter 6800 ish Good oil like a Brad Penn, Amsoil Signature Series...10w30 or a in hot temps. If it got worse with fresh oil, wonder if something has gone wonky with the oil pump? Split o ring on the pick up tube? Very easy to damage on a cam install. You'll have fine oil pressure, but it will be aerated and those air bubbles accumulate in the lifters.

07-13-2015, 07:15 PM	#10
Lyonguy Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 14	Thanks for the info! Honestly though the guy before me had the cam done, he didn't change the stock oil pump which went out on me last Christmas, I had the joy of replacing that. I'll try revving it up a little bit and see what happens. I don't have the funds to make it bullet proof right now. Due to my work/living condition I probably won't be able to tear into it until this weekend. Anyone know off hand of a how-to for rotating the crank for the timing of the valves (if that's proper verbage?) First time working on valvetrain, I don't know how to tell TDC and all that garbage. Until then I research! Thanks again for the info guys!

07-13-2015, 08:19 PM	#11
Lyonguy Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 14	I let it warm up and revved it up to 2500-3500 for a while. The sound was definitely less prevalent at higher RPM, a soft tick. At idle the tick is pretty loud, and has a sort of squeak to it. I checked the pulleys. It's not really consistent with RPM which makes me want to hope for header gasket or something, but it sounds like it's coming under the valve cover mehhhh.

08-07-2015, 09:36 PM	#12
Lyonguy Drives: 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 14	Well for anyone that looks at this. I'm going to take the heads off and pull the lifters here in the next couple of weekends. Is there anything noteworthy to know before I dive in? Seems pretty straightforward.