L99 Lifters

[Ohten]

Does anyone know if GM finally released the redesigned lifter for the L99 that does not tick on start up.I had found a bulletin on this earlier this year on a G8 forum.

[RedJewel2SS]

no, the ticking they have not done anything about.

they say it is "normal"

[Ohten]

And you believe that?

[RedJewel2SS]

Originally Posted by Ohten

And you believe that?

no!

i'm waiting to see the development of the VVT cams Texas-Speed is developing, and if i'm satisfied with their results i'll be installing a DOD delete kit at the same time. if i'm not satisfied then i'll just do any LS3 conversion that replaces the lifters as well.

but there is no reason why we won't be impressed with the VVT cam & valvetrain development Texas-Speed is working on!

[Russell James]

My 5.3 in my truck ticks on the occasional start up and sometimes at idle. Over a year ago the dealer said - new lifters are coming....

I stopped holding my breathe long ago and turned up the radio.

[Ohten]

Had I known about this problem I would have stayed in my BMW.I have lemon lawed 2 GM vehicles for known defects that GM does nothing about.I waited years for this car to be released after seeing the concept,only to be disappointed by poor craftsmanship on GM's part.
If I wanted to sale this car and the purchaser had no knowledge of this condition,even with only 3,000 miles on the car I do not think it would get sold,thanks GM.
Yet my original question remains,has an updated lifter been released?

[RedJewel2SS]

Originally Posted by Ohten

Had I known about this problem I would have stayed in my BMW.I have lemon lawed 2 GM vehicles for known defects that GM does nothing about.I waited years for this car to be released after seeing the concept,only to be disappointed by poor craftsmanship on GM's part.
If I wanted to sale this car and the purchaser had no knowledge of this condition,even with only 3,000 miles on the car I do not think it would get sold,thanks GM.
Yet my original question remains,has an updated lifter been released?

it doesn't hinder the reliability of the car, so you can't lemon law it. if it annoys you, roll your windows up and listen to some tunes.

[Ohten]

I won my other 2 lemon law cases on the fact that if I wanted to sell the car the condition of the car not the reliability of the car would hinder the sell.

[Ohten]

Ask yourself,if you went to purchase this car new and it ticked every time it was started(be honest)on the lot and the salesman told you,oh that's normal,would you still buy it.

[paul2010]

NO

[V8Addict]

one of the lifters also clicks at startup (after sitting for about 14 hours without running) on my car. I took it into service but of course they couldnt duplicate it. Just make sure you keep your copy of the service record to prove that you had it looked at just in case the engine has a major failure.

[blackknight]

I started my L99 up after sitting for a while last night and noticed a minor tick. Car only has 300 miles on it. I will be keeping a close eye for bulletins or recalls, also on this thread.

[myold88]

Originally Posted by Ohten

I won my other 2 lemon law cases on the fact that if I wanted to sell the car the condition of the car not the reliability of the car would hinder the sell.

You won two other lemon law cases ?...what does that tell us ?

[el ess A]

FWIW, GM already knows about potential lifter issues...sort of. But not doing a wholesale changeout unless there's an issue apparently. This isn't a lifter ticking bulletin per se, but something to note nonetheless. Not sure of the definition of an "over agressive lifter" would be though...

#PIP4492K: Excessive Oil Consumption And/Or Blue Exhaust Smoke - Possible PCV Baffle Or Lifter - (Feb 1, 2010)

Subject: Excessive Oil Consumption and/or Blue Exhaust Smoke - Possible PCV Baffle or Lifter

Models: 2009 Buick Lacrosse Super, Allure Super (Canada Only)
2004-2006 Buick Rainier
2004-2008 Cadillac CTS-V
2003-2010 Cadillac Escalade
2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS (Only Models with RPO L99)
2003-2007 Chevrolet Corvette
2009-2010 Chevrolet Colorado
2003-2010 Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe,
2006-2009 Chevrolet Impala
2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
2003-2006 Chevrolet SSR
2003-2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer
2008-2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer
2009-2010 GMC Canyon
2003-2006 GMC Envoy
2008-2009 GMC Envoy
2003-2010 GMC Savana, Sierra, Yukon
2003-2010 Hummer H2
2008-2010 Hummer H3
2006-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix
2008-2010 Pontiac G8
2005-2006 Saab 97x
2008-2009 Saab 97x
With any of the following V8 Engine RPO Codes
4.8L - L20, LR4, LY2
5.3L - L33, L59, LH8, LH9, LM7, LMF, LMG, LS4, LY5, LC9, LH6 (*except 2007 model year LC9 and LH6)
6.0L - L76, L77, L96, LFA, LQ4, LQ9, LS2, LY6, LZ1
6.2L - L92, L94, L99, L9H


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This PI was superseded to remove the 2007 LH6 and 2007 ST models since these have been incorporated into PIP4574. Please discard PIP4492J.

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Important:
This PI does not apply to 2007 model year vehicles equipped with the 5.3L Engine RPO Code LC9 or LH6. Please refer to the latest version of PIP4574 for 2007 model year vehicles equipped with RPO Code LC9 or LH6 Engines that have an oil consumption concern. For all others, refer to the recommendations below.
The following diagnosis might be helpful if the vehicle exhibits the symptom(s) described in this PI.
Condition/Concern:
On rare occasions, some customers may complain of excessive oil consumption and/or blue exhaust smoke. Upon inspection, obvious oil will be found in the intake manifold and/or PCV vacuum tube.
This may be the result of:
• A PCV fresh air hose that is pinched or restricted by plastic casting flash (this would normally be a concern since new, or shortly after engine repairs).

• Plugged PCV baffle drain holes in the valve cover that has the PCV vacuum pipe attached to it (this would normally be a concern at high mileage).

• An improperly sealed PCV valve cover baffle (this would normally be a concern since new, or shortly after valve cover replacement).

• Over-aggressive valve lifters (generally occur at low mileage - less than 10,000 miles or so).

Recommendation/Instructions:
Important: This PI does not apply to 2007 model year vehicles equipped with the 5.3L Engine RPO Code LC9 or LH6. Please refer to the latest version of PIP4574 for 2007 model year vehicles equipped with RPO Code LC9 or LH6 Engines that have an oil consumption concern.
If bulletin 01-06-01-011 identifies excessive oil consumption but SI diagnosis does not isolate the cause of it, inspect the PCV vacuum pipe to see if obvious oil drips out of it and look through the throttle body opening to see if there is obvious standing oil in the bottom of the intake manifold (normally a 1/4 quart or more if this PI applies). If there is obvious oil in the PCV vacuum pipe or in the bottom of the intake, perform the steps below and re-evaluate the oil consumption concern:
•Inspect the fresh air hose/pipe and all related connections to make sure that no restrictions exist (plastic casting flash, pinched hose, etc.), which may cause excessive crankcase vacuum. Repair the restriction as necessary. Generally, the oil consumption would have been a concern since new, or shortly after engine repairs, if this is the root cause.
•Inspect the PCV baffle drain holes shown below to see if they are plugged with hardened oil deposits. These are located in the valve cover that has the PCV vacuum pipe attached to it. If they are plugged, replace the valve cover, ensure that the customer is changing their oil according to the maintenance schedule in their owner's manual, and re-evaluate the concern. Generally, the oil consumption would not have appeared until several thousand miles accumulated if this is the root cause.
Important: If this step leads to valve cover replacement, perform step 3 on the replacement valve cover before installing it.
•PCV Baffle Drain Holes:


•Inspect the PCV baffle to ensure that it is properly sealed to the valve cover by flipping it over and adding a little oil to the baffle to valve cover joint as shown below. The oil should stay in place as shown on the 2 outer valve covers below. If the oil drains into the PCV baffle as pointed out on the middle valve cover below, replace the valve cover. Generally, the oil consumption would have been present early in the life of the vehicle or shortly after valve cover replacement if this is the root cause.
Important: If this step leads to valve cover replacement, perform this step on the replacement valve cover before installing it.
•PCV Baffle Comparison


•If there is no problem found above but there is obvious oil in the PCV vacuum pipe or bottom of the intake manifold, this may be the result of the PCV system ingesting excessive oil due to an over-aggressive lifter. Sometimes this may occur intermittently so inspecting the lifter flow may or may not isolate the suspect lifter. As a result, all 16 lifters should be replaced if steps 1-3 above do not isolate the cause of excessive oil in the intake.
Important: If Step 2 or 3 leads to valve cover replacement, perform Step 3 on the replacement valve cover before installing it.
Important: Drain/clean the oil out of the intake manifold and install the intake with new intake gaskets before releasing the vehicle to the customer. If this is not performed, the customer may return with an exhaust smoke complaint even though their oil consumption complaint may be repaired.
Important: Make sure that the replacement lifters do not have any sign of debris in the plunger area as shown in the bottom-center lifter below. If there is debris present, remove it with some light shop air. Do not stick anything in the plunger area to remove it such as a screwdriver.
Example of Debris in Lifter

[picture not readily available]

Please follow this diagnostic or repair process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed.

There's a GM tech on the truck forums that posted this concerning the bulletin shown above.

yeah the two big things they are doing right now is replacing the lifters for being over aggressive and the second being the most common is replacing pistons and rings. I've done a couple sets of pistons now and am def sold on this being the problem. The rings get so carboned up they can't move to expand and seal correctly so you burn oil. The ones with rings are usually 40k and higher. The ones getting lifters are about 30k and under. But it all depends on driving.

One thing of note is that using QUALITY OIL in these engines is going to be key for longevity. And changing it often. I've noticed that the people going by their oil life are having the problems more-so than those changing every 3k or 3 mths. SO do yourself a favor and spend a little extra money on good oil and a do it a little more often. Especially if you have voided your warranty or plan on making past the 100k mark for a while. Because you might get new pistons and rings, but you keep going with your old habits, you'll need the same thing again down the road and probably when your out of warranty! As for the over aggressive lifters, theres nothing you can do to prevent that, its a design issue there.