Quiet down valvetrain tick in exhaust.

[Daniel6210]

I need help trying to quiet down valvetrain tick in my stainless steel 3 in manzo exhaust. Headers are coated mild steel.I have it bolted by ball and socket flange. Will adding cats quiet it down or should i buy exhaust wrap to add a layer of sound insulation or any other ideas?
<-The ticking sound
Thank you!

[Davidd_SS]

Take the headers off, that's normal for an LS engine

[Synner]

Get a louder exhaust, can't hear it anymore...

[762ch]

Headers tick. Also LS engines sound like sewing machines. The plastic engine cover will quiet down some valvetrain noise.

[Bo White]

I run 7.5 or so quarts in mine. Its quieter. I put 7 quarts in the pan and fill the filter up before install. Lots of people do this.

[bayarea408]

the header metal is thinner then expensive brands. Wrap them might help a bit.

Same reason as to why the ticking is much less or non existent while using the oem cast manifold.

[Bo White]

I've always called it header ping. A tick to me is a single tube leaking at the gasket or a lifter/rocker noise. Header ping is music.

[jydavis]

I have had this noise every since I installed a cam and ls7 lifters. Last week I changed oil and went to valvoline 10w30 high mileage oil and the noise went away. This is a semi syenthic oil. I have about 40,000 thousand miles on my car.

[christianchevell]

The oiling system in the car is meant to run 5w30 while running a thicker oil may you think cushion the noise and make it quieter it also makes it a little harder to get through the top end for startup where most wear on a engine actually occurs from what the experts say.... Minor tick is simply the hydraulic lifters with rollers working echo through the exhaust and can vary on engines based on lash/preload and lifter type/brand.

Some want noisier meaning most likely tighter lash/preload which means when warmed up to operating temp it quiets as the metal expand the critical measurements and the true preload is at its set point for a hot engine... one with a tight lash that is good for high rpm with out worry if slop in the works will skip a beat and trash a valve/engine that's mega important. Also not wanting it too tight to make it beat the lifter to death and the plunger to bottom out also is crucial on the other hand..... being in the sweet spot between too tight and too loose that's where the sewing machine is happiest....and mine is with out the engine cover pretty noticeable but it holds it together just fine with that little tappy happy roller tap dancing lifter sound.... And yours is nothing even close to my sound so chill...........headers amplify exhaust noise. If your looking at eliminating that little sound you most likely will have to restrict the flow with a muffler,( more quieter muffler )...and not be so critical of a little sound as I cant hear yours.....?

[Juiced1]

LS engines are loud by nature. An exhaust wrap might help some if you really want to quiet it down. A leak by the collector can get annoying so make sure you have a solid connection.

[Juiced1]

Originally Posted by christianchevell

The oiling system in the car is meant to run 5w30 while running a thicker oil may you think cushion the noise and make it quieter it also makes it a little harder to get through the top end for startup where most wear on a engine actually occurs from what the experts say.... Minor tick is simply the hydraulic lifters with rollers working echo through the exhaust and can vary on engines based on lash/preload and lifter type/brand.

Some want noisier meaning most likely tighter lash/preload which means when warmed up to operating temp it quiets as the metal expand the critical measurements and the true preload is at its set point for a hot engine... one with a tight lash that is good for high rpm with out worry if slop in the works will skip a beat and trash a valve/engine that's mega important. Also not wanting it too tight to make it beat the lifter to death and the plunger to bottom out also is crucial on the other hand..... being in the sweet spot between too tight and too loose that's where the sewing machine is happiest....and mine is with out the engine cover pretty noticeable but it holds it together just fine with that little tappy happy roller tap dancing lifter sound.... And yours is nothing even close so chill...........headers amplify exhaust noise.

+1 on this. Dumping thicker oil in it is not a great idea in a high performance engine.

[Moto-Mojo]

As me and Old Dude, talked about here once, 55-60 year old ears that have been around loud shop noise, guns and amplified music, go a LONG way in quieting down a LS motor! I can almost hear the low frequency rumble of a coming earthquake but that upper freq tick of the LS is long gone. (w/o hearing aids. Then it really is a sewing machine!)

Count thy blessings in hearing that mechanical marvel.

[InFiD3ViL]

Hey Daniel, I can hear at the end of the video something like "I do not want this shit"

Seriously, don't worry so much about the sound. It really is part of owning an LS engine. Short of completely rebuilding your valvetrain, there is little you can do to completely eliminate this. Even then, there is no guarantee you will make it go away totally.

There is nothing wrong with the car, and as others have said, it is normal for the LS engine to sound like a sewing machine.

I have learned to live with my valvetrain noise and kind of wear it like a badge of honor.

[jydavis]

When I posted about changing to valvoline 10w30 weight oil I should have told you that I live in south louisiana where the temps are warmer. I am not going to say what engine builder told me to switch to this oil but it is 1 of the best ls1 engine builders in the country. Not trying to tell any one what to run it fixed by tick. Thanks jerry davis