Lifter Tick R/R $$

[MrChrisLS3]

So I'm pretty sure I have a lifter going out. Pretty good audible tick between 2100 and 2800 RPM. I haven't had the chance yet to fully diagnose everything. I just need a chance to get someone to rev it while I listen to each cylinder with a scope. If I get a prominent tick from a specific cylinder, I'll know for certain it's a lifter.

It could be a small exhaust leak, an injector, or a plug/wire situation, but my gut says lifter.

My question is, if anyone has had a lifter replacement done, what did it cost? I'd replace all the lifters since head gaskets pretty much come in pairs and it's just a little more effort to pull both heads.

Unfortunately, living in an apartment, I can't really DIY this one. Hopefully the cam isn't screwed, as that is not in the cards right now. But I'm looking for a ballpark figure on this if anyone knows.

[myold88]

If you haven't done recently change the oil. Noisy lifters were a problem when these cars
first came out especially on the L99 automatics. I have never heard a sound from my L99
SS but I've done 13 oil changes with only 48,000 miles. I'm sorry I can't answer your specific
question re the cost of replacing the lifters, but again I would start with an oil change.

[Gordo-D]

Having changed all the lifters on my L99 I can tell you just parts wise its not bloody cheap!
The main expense is the AFM lifters, obviously I replaced all of them, I agree change the oil and filter first.

[christianchevell]

I would suggest pulling the valve covers and inspecting looking towards the trunnions. The lifters themselves for a ls3/ls7 are the same part #, trunnions bearings are also known to fail. Your costs about $100 just for the lifters, add head gaskets, cleaning the mating surfaces;heads and block, new TTY bolts, antifreeze, re-torque and reset of the preload crucial on the lifters. If caught early you could have limited damage to the cam shaft because its a roller and that could help, a ticking could also be a spring breaking and listening to the engine is not going to help much except to find the problem area but metallic sounds have travel, a tapping could be the rocker, or a spring, or pushrod.... so you cannot automatically say lifter as a over rev from downshifting into high rpms can bend pushrods and the car runs fairly normal while the springs are all shot basically. Your best gauge would be a mechanics rate for the work...and calling around to see what the book says and what various shops would charge. Worst case its the lifters which replacing them also requires new baskets also. And freshening things up a new set of pushrods would be the norm and or rockers 100$ plus 200$....it adds up..a auto mechanics rate guide is not free but can be found on the internet, calling several places you would find most likely they use the dealers hours figures and then the parts. Good Luck.

[MrChrisLS3]

I'm about 1000 miles into this oil fill. Oil level is still good and still looks clean.

I've got a couple of days off coming, so I'll get an isolation of the area and pull the valve cover and check rockers spring and lifter resistance. I can probably get away with that here, it's when you start draining fluids that my apartments get concerned.

[christianchevell]

Sounds like a plan, I would of course be very easy on the Camaro if driving it. Hopefully you may find its just a cracked plug or loose wire, I would check all the connections to the injectors also along the way and the engine grounds.

[MrChrisLS3]

Originally Posted by christianchevell

Sounds like a plan, I would of course be very easy on the Camaro if driving it. Hopefully you may find its just a cracked plug or loose wire, I would check all the connections to the injectors also along the way and the engine grounds.

Yeah, I'd be really happy if it were something more minor. I've had a lifter go out on my '96 LT4, and this is somewhat similar, however, I had an exhaust leak on that same car, and this is somewhat similar, also a bum spark plug on that car, and yes, this is somewhat similar, lol. I also had bearing spin on that car, and this is nothing like that.

Weird thing is at idle, I put a stethoscope on the cover over each valve, and there's no difference, none are louder than the others, no off rhythm tick. Sounds good up to 2100 then it's like you hit an "on" switch and is present until 2800-3000 then it switches "off". From start on to off, it never changes volume, doesn't get louder and within that small window, it's hard to say if it even gets faster. I can only really hear it when next to a high curb or jersey barrier, or when giving a rev in neutral. Can't hear it at all with the windows up.

There was never a mechanical over rev on this engine. Never any oil pressure issues or pump issues. No over heats, and I drive it pretty sanely, for an SS Camaro, anyway.

[christianchevell]

It could be a case of the natural tick you should be used too from the deflection of the typewriter ls3 lifters.... Mine it does that with my high preload at idle and with headers and no engine heat cover I hear it everywhere and know my tick sound by heart and know when my engine is hot around 200 degrees in oil temp area it goes down as the metal expands and the preload gets lesser....... Just the noise you notice is most likely your average driving range for around that range is most driving in a city etc...?.. Every LS will have some lifter tick its if its got a irregular lifter tick making more sound from a problem on one lifter, and of course it does not always sound exactly like a perfect idle the ending surges through revolutions, and of course with a manual it really surges when you let off acceleration and unload the clutch off the engine.

But I imagine your hearing some slop on one lifter from one area missing its fine settings due to a bent pushrod, bearings gone in rocker, or plunger or wheel falling apart or trashed on one lifter, or say the cam degrading taking the roller with it which stock cams are known to fail also. It could be a case also of the balancer which is a stock pulley basically falling apart and ticking at that speed also....as it has happened before on here they are not the best... Good Luck.

[kmarshall2121]

thought the same a while back on my S-10. Turned out to be a loose sparkplug boot. re-inserted it, and no more 'lifter tick'