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I’m a tech at a GMC dealership. I watch your videos on the CAT stuff just to see something different once in a while. Hate to say it man, but that sound is classic torn up camshaft lobe. The valves will still open and close just fine, but the roller on the lifter will be pitted and rough, therefore causing wear to the cam lobe. If you put a stethoscope on the rocker arm bolts, you should be able to determine which valve it is. And yes a lot of the noises you’re hearing are normal with the DI system like that clock sound. But there is also an obvious tick and scuffing sound that is abnormal for sure. And don’t listen to the comments about the lack of oil to the rockers. The amount of oil present in yours is perfectly normal. I run these with the valve covers off OFTEN.
Former GM Diagnostics Tech here who's done a lot of big W work. I agree, something doesnt seem normal about the sound and your methods to pin point a possible lifter are spot on for confirmation along with looking at power balance.
@@kkoch666This is typical of an early stage in failure where the lifter roller is pitted along with the base circle of the cam lobe. My theory is, the roller fails to roll around the base circle and skids, slides or slips instead, leading to spalling of the cam lobe and lifter roller. If left alone, the roller eventually fails and destroys the cam lobe. Even minor pitting of the roller can lead to low rpm (idle) misfiring.
@@fredmalito9869 If the cam lobe isn't scored where the roller contacts the lobe, you're golden. I've seen minor pitting of the back side of the lobe and the engine was still running fine. Cam and roller wear often causes misfire at low engine speeds where the hydraulic lifter takes up the minor lash created as the roller drops into a pit on the lobe, this then lifts the valve ever so slightly off the seat as the roller clears the pitted area. So IMO, if you're certain the roller will not be rolling over a damaged area of the lobe, there's a good chance it's unnecessary to replace the cam,. If idle is rough and the cam lobe and/or roller is damaged, this might explain the rough idle. It there's any doubt, you might want to replace the cam while in there, it's not much fun having to tear it all back apart. Keep in mind, if the cam and/or lifter begins shredding, it's going to sluff off swarf that will find it's way through the entire engine and damage bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, etc.
Today: The Adept Ape explores an infernal combustion engine that burns gasoline and weird glow plugs that think they are at a rave or something. Stick around for the very low pressure direct injection.
Hi, I know it’s old school, but 3 ft of any kind of hose, even garden hose, magically helps locating noises like this. One end on your ear, second end to investigate. Just be careful not to hit fan blades 🌞
Hi Josh, I gave 36yrs at a GM proving ground in engineering. I was a lowly tech. 5,500 people at the Milford campus and 500 in my building. My bldg housed management, REAL Engineers of every persuasion and about 70 mechanics. OK. The general statement overwhelmingly was "if it ain't broke don't fix it" or 2nd "don't kick a sleeping dog." Send an oil sample out for analysis meanwhile drive it. One facility was Noise and Vibration. They had a room so acoustically sound deadened your ears rang when in there. They used directional microphones to isolate noises. You may be able to make one from a sound absorbing material and go all over the engine and isolate the noise. I saw them use Lead blankets to try and stop the Diesel knock on their 6.2 liter when they tried it in a Caprice. Sound absorbing and sound reflection were tried. OK, there's my 2¢ worth. ben/ michigan
Noises can drive you mad! I used to work with a good old boy who was a mechanic back in the muscle car days. He said one day this older lady had brought a car into his shop at her wits end, she had bought the car new and since the day she bought it there was a clunking noise that nobody could figure out. She’d had it to several shops and they’d all replaced different parts as to what they thought it could be but nobody could get rid of the noise. So he tracked the noise down to inside the drivers door, when he pulled the door panel off and looked inside the door he found a glass coke bottle with a note that read…….haha you finally found me! 🤣
I heard that apocryphal (coke bottle in the door) story back in the late 1950's when my dad was selling Fords/Mercurys/Lincolns (small rural dealer), even sold tractors. Didn't believe it then, and don't believe it now. I think Henry II made it up to keep the assembly line inspectors on their toes.
@@JR-rx2ke Maybe not that exact thing, but I have found items in people's trunks, back seats, door pockets, glove boxes - in order, everywhere on a car that sounded potentially catastrophic, but was simply marbles (for example) rolling around under a load, or making noise on a bump. So, you point out how much time you spent on it, charge the customer a few bucks "to cover lunch" and they're almost always happy. Some people aren't happy no matter what, so charge them an hour labor.
I work as a used car tech/mechanic. Yes, those DI pumps are noisy, which is why they have those foam pads over them from the factory, to help deaden the sound. The injectors are aslo a bit noisy, but not as bad as the injection pump. When we have had a couple GM vehicles come in on trade and they had low to no oil pressure on the dash, it was one of two things, bad oil pressure switch for the gauge, or we have seen several AC Delco filters have bad relief valves. New filter usually fixed that problem. Not sure if it was just bad batches that have made it to shelves or just ones that passed QC/QA and are just what happens with mass produced stuff. They could have even fallen to the floor and got damaged internally (this is why people will go for oil filters in boxes that are not damaged). We have not seen one of these newer 4.3L V6s from GM get traded in yet, wr only have experience witb their 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0L, 6.2L, 6.6 Duramax and the occasional 5.7L LS family when someone trades in a Corvette.
My GM 5.3 developed an almost identical ticking noise. I popped the hood with it running and could see one of the spark plug wires moving. Popped the wire off and the spark plug was loose. Turns out the stupid shop that has replaced them didn’t tighten one of them down and it had backed out about 4 threads and was making a “valve train tick noise.” Tighted the spark plug down and it was quiet as a mouse again. I immediately remembered that when you wiggled that center spark plug wire and stated you thought it felt looser than the other one
This engine does NOT have AFM unlike the LV3 used in the pickups. However, occasionally the lifters and cam lobe(s) will get wiped out. All you can do is keep the oil up as best you can. If you find metal in the oil or you start getting misfire codes, it's time for an engine. My coworker replaced an LV3 engine (AFM version of this engine) in a '17 Silverado that had like 50k miles on it. Edit: Also, GDI high pressure fuel pumps almost always make a rapid clicking sound that is very audible under the hood. GDI systems are basically the same as your common rail diesels, except the injection timing is a bit more advanced, because you are still relying on the spark plug to ignite the fuel. You're just spraying fuel directly into the cylinder, rather than into the intake.
We get these in our shop all the time for ticking noises, usually just the high pressure fuel pump. While it is normal for them to be noisy, some are noisier than others, and it seems to get worse with mileage. It's not generally going to cause an issue unless you see rich codes for b1/b2.(leaks fuel into crankcase, pcv system burns off the vapor causing the rich condition)
When my truck with an LS ticked like that it was caused by low oil pressure due to the oil pump oring had hardened. Replaced and still going with over 500,000kms on it.
@@jacobmartin1951 That is weird, I buy high mile LS cores day in and day out to rebuild and upon tear down the o-ring on the pickup tube is always soft still. I have an 01 GMC Sierra with a LM7 with 650,000 miles on it and I am getting ready to install an LS2 I built for it years ago. I can't wait to tear down the LM7 so I can inspect how well everything has held up and it is still a perfect running engine.
Yeah It was doing odd stuff. When it was cold oil pressure would be way below normal for a cold start and the lifters would tick. Once the oil warmed up oil pressure ran normal. When i took the oring off you can actually see wash marks in the oring from the oil bypassing the oring.
I just dealt with a very similar issue with a ls 6.0. “Lifter tick” was the customer complaint. Pulled valve covers and rockers were dry and not delivering oil even while running. Went in for an oil pump inspection when I spotted the cam bearing had walked out and was contacting the counter weight. Hope this isn’t your problem but to be honest looks and sounds just like my complaint
I totally understand your frustration. I was the fleet mechanic for a construction that ran all Chevy trucks with 6.0L enigines. One day a truck was brought in for a "squeak". I automatically went to the serpentine belts and related components, but nothing looked wrong with that system. I even removed the serpentine belts and ran the engine, but the "squeak" was still present. When I would go underneath the vehicle with the engine running it seemed like it was from between the engine and transmission. I removed the transmission and ran the engine with the serpetine belts off and the noise was still present. At that point I determined that I had to tear down the engine and found that one of the rollers from one of the lifters was ceased and was not "rolling" and making the noise. I after I went through all the trouble of tearing down half of the engine and putting back together, I realized that we should have bought a crate motor for it.
for future reference...you can use an old timing light as a strobe to observe running valvetrain for abnormal behavior. Sometimes you'll see stuff you miss with the normal eye
If you can get access to the high pressure fuel pump. Get a thick blade screwdriver with a plastic handle that is long enough. Place the blade on the fuel pump. Engine running your ear on the end of the plastic handle. You will hear the pump knock if it is so.
That is what I thought, but I have been out of the game for so long, I thought surely some oil must be getting up there, it looks like you could drive that without valve covers LOL
I’ve started an lh7 without valve covers and they run kinda dry ngl. I’m used to seeing the oil bath on class 8 truck engines when you start them up. But I guess gas is a little less messy?
Try an old school method for finding exactly where the ticking sound is coming from an engine. 1. Get a broom handle or rod. 2. Start engine and run until you can hear the sound. 3. Place one end of the broom handle against your ear. 4. With the other her end of the broom handle, probe all the different spots on your running engine where the sound may be coming from. This method of “ticking detection” goes back all the way to the beginning of NASCAR.
I have the same motor in my work van .same noise since it was brand new with 12 miles. We have in house mechanics. Had one that thought there was a problem and spend a bunch of time and money even sent it back to the dealer. Said to be normal from the dealer. 122k on it now . Noise hasn't changed and haven't had a motor issue.
I could be wrong! But… that sounds like a lifter has taken a dirt nap. Somewhat common for the GM 6-8cyl ls style engines. That may be a DOD engine. (Displacement On Demand) I would check all of your lifters, lifter trays, and camshaft for damage. I would personally suspect the passenger side cylinder closest to the fire wall. Look for a lifter that has spun in the lifter tray and a flat spot it the roller of the lifter and a flat spot in the camshaft.
I have used an automotive stethoscope , it has a metal rod you touch to parts to find noise source , also I have taken off the rod / diaphragm & put a piece of fuel line --- to listen for air leaks . Thanks again
Stethoscope with plunger. Great troubleshooting tool. I can usually diagnose a cylinder through the the valve cover. Great for pulley bearing monitoring
Josh don’t trust the oil pressure gauge on the dash. Those rockers should have a nice steady stream of oil coming out of them. Should even splash all over like the old gasser’s you worked on. Oil pressure problem is my bet.
I love this content. Ironically, I am now working on Cat and Cummins diesels now. I am a scrub mechanic. But still tearing them apart. Glad to see the opposite perspective.
That's funny, Eric just did a '14+GM 6.2 L8_? engine teardown the other day(Monday?). Completely destroyed piston, rod, spun bearing, nice big hole in block from wrist pin exit, oil pan full of parts, pieces & forbidden glitter! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️
After driving vans for years and years for work and then my own business, it was time for a change. I was looking at panel vans ( bread truck vans) that would be about the length of an extended van. There is room to stand up in them. Room for a work bench, a generator, a heater for the winter time....Overall more space and the cummins 5.9 gets better mpg than the engine I had. The aluminum body won't rust away, which is a real problem in the midwest. And if you don't mind the insurance for a CDL truck, you can find used utility panel trucks with air compressors and generators with low miles.
@@AdeptApe Ha! I guess the robot pulled my other comment. So in our GM truck owner's manuals, is an additive every 3k miles into the tank. It rhymes with the name of your oil filter lol! Cheers! Edit: I just got you your first bottle!
My brother is a mechanic, I watched him lift the body off the frame to change a rack&pinion. Did the spark plugs while there, they too were impossible while the body was set in place. It only took him less than 2hrs to get the cab off the frame.
another theme on the hose , I found a drilled out grease nipple in one end the other end in your ear , the nipple on any steel or alloy part seems to make any noise louder, especially good for old buggers like me that are half deaf
Josh, I’ve read a lot of the comments and I’m done Mechanic by any means, but I would think it has something to do with that high-pressure pump. I do not like things that are ticking inside my motor either that drives me absolutely insane. Hope everything works out.👍👍👍
Can you get it to TDC, and check the clearance on valves, then rotate it, and check the clearance on the other valves. Also use a long blade screwdriver, and put it up against the rocker covers, etc, and listen to the screwdriver when it is up to your ear. with your ear up against it. Also I see no oil being splashed up in the top end.
I would try taking the accessory belt off and checking how the belt and pulleys are doing. I don’t use Delco filters on my Chevs anymore. I thought they were good too but when I opened them they looked like yours. Oil was black and filter was clean. It wasn’t filtering anything. Now I use Baldwin and higher end Purolators. Also I noticed Honda and Toyota factory filters are terrible. Unfortunate but true.
I just cut open the oil filter on my wife's Toyota Camry. It's a very made filter, solidly built with a heavy steel can, rugged bypass valve in the end opposite the threaded fitting, and a heavy pleated filter element. It looks great. But the Fram filter I was running on my small farm tractor was crap, very flimsy and barely up to the task.
Great video of diagnosis Josh. I think I am welcome for watching your video. You have a great weekend. Lets see in next present time. How the engine sounds. Cheers man. 🔩🔧🍾🍻👊💪👍👊
Hi I work in the transmission side of things . The ticking noise is coming from the torque converter because it is after market how I know it’s coming from the torque converter is because in your video your missing a 13 mm nut on the fuel line and also I rebuild 5 6l80e a week . Good luck with the van idea for a service rig .
I've never heard a DI pump fail like that unless it wiped out the cam and then you would be having all sorts of fuel issues. Time to pull the trans pan and see what kind of goodness is in there. Or I bought one of those big oil change pump thing a ma giggy and stick the hose down the dip stick and see how bad the fluid looks. Driving a 13 Tahoe PPV with a great 6 speed so I check and change the fluid regular to keep issues at bay. It isn't if your 6L80 will fail but when will the torque converter go to $hjt and eat the trans. GM design team hit a home run for tranny shops since it's the gift that keeps giving. I just collect parts when they become available and will have a new to me tranny waiting for it's new home hopefully soon. More and bigger clutches, and anything that was GM besides the bell housing is going to be gone 🥃. I will gladly give business to a good local shop that will put Sonnax or better parts back in then the GM failures!
those engines are know for the oil pressure relief valve on the oil pump to stick. sometimes close with is good. in mine it stuck open and gave me about 10 psi. had to change oil pump
Sounds like any other modern DI engine, including 'imports' from Europe or Aisa. Noisey fuel pumps and injectors are common across all makes. Master BMW tech, 20 years experience of most makes. Cheers,ed
Hey ape!!! Love your channel. If i may offer advice, get out of that van! Im sure its cheap but totally a pain. I used to run a van and between the noise of everything clanking, having to try and strap things down and not having anything to strap them to, having to get in and out bent over and even sometimes fluids or fuel spilling in there and literally stinking up the van its a real pain. I know service trucks are expensive but to start out do what i did. Go out and find a good retired at&t service truck. I paid 3500 for it and it had a cummins onan 5,000 watt generator in it!!
You should run with valve covers off and touch each rocker and see if you feel roughness while running. I’ve replaced a lot of camshafts and lifters in these things. V8 and V6 DI engines. GM Tech
My 5.3 had a strange sound which sounded like a "sucking squeak". I actually Google's 5.3 strange squeak and found a vid with the exact same sound. Turns out, a roller lifter roller actually failed. Turns out that it is a common problem with the 5.3 liter AFM (active fuel management system) The cost (for me) was $3600 with GM covering half the cost. IF it happens again, I will be doing the AFM delete, going with at least a stage 1 cam (with retune) and be done with it. Also, keep in mind that GM had huge problems with their fuel pumps for these direct injection systems, especially with the 4 cyl Equinox. The seals would fail and fill the crankcase with gas, watering down the oil, and ruining the engine.
I loved your joke about "lets shut the garage door and let it run a while and that should fix all my problems" because lately i feel like that's my life. Everything needs attention 😆. Having said that, i would suspect oil pump. That top end is way too dry imo. It seems to be the LS based engines weak falls for whatever reason. Usually the relief spring/plunger. My bud has been through 3 oil pumps on his camaro (6.2)
Basically gas direct injection is not too disimilar from diesel direct injection. Injector is in the head and not in the intake manifold like on a port injection gas engine. Now in the case of newer Ford engines, they are both port and direct injection. Ford did this for 2 reasons, reduce carbon build up and increase power. Normal direct injected gas engines have been notorious for excessive carbon build up, whic has caused poor power, poor fuel economy and a few other valve issues. Carbon would just stick to the valves. Ford added port injection to help clean off that carbon build up problem. They did this on the 2.7 Ecoboost V6, 3.5 EcoBoost, and the 5.0L V8 Coyote.
Two things to try, sticky lifter, they recommend spring carburetor cleaner down the push rod to clean the lifter, or I would just try some marvel mystery oil it's work for me in the past
They have implemented computer controlled oil pumps that don’t supply as much oil at idle as older designs did. GM says it is sufficient 🤷🏽♂️. If something is going south it’ll toss a code before long. To me when you rev it it doesn’t sound like a DI pump. The is a “tick” that’s associated with the pump but there’s a deeper noise that’s cyclical. At least that’s what it sounds like on video. A non scientific test to determine if it is in the pump or in the engine would be to do an oil change and fill it with thick oil 20w50 and even a bottle of Lucas goo. If it’s in the engine the thick viscosity will make a discernible difference in the sound at least until it gets hot and thins out. If there’s absolutely no difference in the sound at all then you know it’s the DI pump. Drain the thick oil out and put it in a lawnmower or keep it in your truck for when you’re messing with a customer’s equipment that’s just worn out and needs top off oil. A few minutes of running thick oil in it won’t hurt a thing.
@@prevost8686 true 20w50 to see if that quites it down . These have PMW oil pumps ? Variable displacement? Bizarre I recall hyd lifters only stroke .060 +- so if can lobes were worn off past that lifters would be real loose louder up top. Not sure if these have a counter balance shaft like 4.3 v6?
I agree, it sounds like valvetrain issue, either a broken valve spring or lifter failing. Also does seem rather dry up there in the valve covers, that may also be worth looking in to.
I chased a ticking noise like that for weeks in my Chrysler voyager turned out it was a cracked flex plate. Couldn't see it much when removed but the new one solved it. No more ticking noise.
Hello, big fan of your content. On some high injection fuel pumps design, they use a camshaft follower. They also have a built-in pressure regulator. Di pump are naturally noisy, most manufacturers use some type of foam insulation to help reduce this tick noise.
I had a similar issue on my 1999 GMC 3/4 ton Sierra with a 6.0 engine years ago. I know you have a V6 but it could be the same thing. After investigating everything I could think of I removed the inspection cover under the transmission. I shined a flashlight up around the torque converter and flywheel. I could see small cracks between the bolt holes on the flex plate. This was my problem and after removing the transmission and replacing the flex plate the problem was solved. This tick only happened when the truck was idling, when it was driven down the highway it would quiet down. The truck has much later in life developed a tick that seems to be caused by a lifter. Oil was changed normally for years but one of the lifters seems to have sludge in it. I eventually found that changing to 0-20 oil the lifter has started to get much better with time.
we had a knocking noise on a freshly rebuilt Jasper LC9 5.3L V8. Turns out the knocking noise was the a/c belt tentioner hitting the limit stop as the belt had stretched though still in good shape. Filed down the limit stop some and the noise is gone. Really sounded like the motor coming apart.
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Josh the clean appearance of the rockers ,valve springs ect. was troubling , I know the newer engines use needle bearing rocker arms but the valve guides ect still need oil. A down and dirty test for worn bearings is after a oil change to listen on start up for extra loud knocking sounds before the oil gets back to the bearings. A oil pressure test would give a clue to a possible leaking pickup tube getting air bubbles in the lifters. Thank you for your channel it helps so many people.
Very interesting video Josh. Allthough it is not a heavy duty diesel work-engine. I hope you find the root of the ticking problem, and I look forward if you record it on video! Keep up the good work! By the way, buying a high mileage vehicle like you did is interesting, and lets you have a comfortable ride probably for a little cheaper. The strategy is interesting!
I have an L86 6.2, and from day 1, my wife and I could hear a tick. It was really obvious when in a drive thru, and also when under heavy load pulling a hill. I was told it’s the fuel pump as well.
That clicking sounds an awful lot like the pump on my mom's Golf, which is direct injected gas. VERY clicky-sounding fuel system. Based on the TSB you mentioned and after listening to the noise again and again, I think that's just your DI pump my dude. Otherwise I'd say it was an exhaust leak, really doesn't sound like of these that's eating valves.
Josh, a few thoughts from my engineer/mechanic background. First one is that sound does sound like it could be either a high pressure fuel pump or a lifter. You didn't say how many miles were on it besides "a lot". If the previous owner was using cheap oil and/or extending the oil change intervals (both possible/likely), you could be hearing a lifter tick. When you had the valve covers off I noticed how little oil there seemed to be up top and noticed zero oil while running, which seems odd to me but I'm not familiar with these engines specifically. I'd try running some higher end synthetic for a few oil changes and see if that makes a difference. An old school trick that we also did sometimes was throw in a quart of ATF as that has a lot of detergents in it, and sometimes that would clean things up. The risk is it dislodges some gunk that gets stuck elsewhere, but I never had that happen personally. Gasoline has low lubricity (unlike diesel) and that can be harder on high pressure fuel pumps. So, again some additives into the gasoline could help. I dealt with a similar problem on an engine I was testing long ago. Were it mine, I'd not tear into it any further and try just some different additives/fluids for a bit and see if it gets worse.
Modern day petrol poppers are often times a mystery wrapped in enigma. Maybe try running seafoam through the intake & fill it with some premium petrol. Fleet vehicles generally always run 87 octane all their lives. Just a thought
I’ve been in your shoes dealing with a loud Heui injector that sounds like a knock. Then I remember zip ties and bias plies red lining every vehicle he owns, and then I stop worrying about babying mine.😂
This was actually really cute to watch. The teacher has been thrown to the back of the bus. lol!!!. Welcome to our world buddy, We gasoline mechanics that is. Gas engines have come a very far way since the old carbs. Almost like spaceships now with all that electrical nonsense to manage fuel curves and such to keep smoke from pouring out of the tailpipe. Plugging in a scanner does not always tell you what you want all the time. It’s usually just a suggestion. I would say add some cleaner to the oil. It may be a sticky lifter and go from there. Before throwing the parts cannon at it you want to rule out the cheapest methods first. Good luck!!!
Time to break out the electric ears to see where the noise is located. Watching the wave form. Now that I think about it, there may be some sound wave forms on IATN to look at and compare to known good working high pressure pumps. If you had a lifter collapsing, you would see it on a power balance graph. Just some advice from a former GM factory tech that is now a Ford Super Duty Specialist.
My 1990 Toyota pickup starting ticking years ago. I did the same things you did but also checked timing chain. Could not find anything wrong. So I just drive it. Figured if it pukes then it pukes. So far it has been about 7 years and it still ticks loudly every so often but it is still going. Your case is a little different as it is your work vehicle.
@@SatanKarma1my ram had the same ticking noise and it was from broken exhaust studs. Even though this is a GM, after it was warmed up it went away, but eventually got worse. So your hemi tick was probably something else.
This is exactly why if I ever go into a small business I will refuse to use vans in my fleet. My first job was at U-Haul and the Econoline based trucks always took longer to get back from the shop for similar issues compared to the F-350 based trucks. A lot of times those trucks could be fixed on our lot by the mobile mechanic because you could get to stuff.
Drive mine in D5 ,M5 deactivates the AFM I got 220k on 5.3 Yukon no problems change oil 3k. I drive in D5 M5 as much as possible now. There is a new tool to unstick lifter spring without pulling cylinder heads off. Just intake is removed .
Oil pickup tube o-ring on these LS engines gets hard and will cause low oil pressure. Had a similar ticking and this fixed it. I have replaced several for other people in my area.
@@AdeptApe mine showed pressure, but it was aerated oil… like when a drink straw is cracked. It’s in the pan, drop the pan and it’s a couple bolts. The worst part of the job is buying an expensive pan gasket. Rtv corners where parts meet. A few different o-rings for different engines as well so make sure it’s for your model.
My 5.3l had a failed lifter. The rocker arm was not loose and moved up and down as it should. Rest your hand on each rocker while it's running. The good ones will feel smooth - the bad lifter will feel very rough.
I am borrowing a Chevy pick up from my work while I work on my truck. It's got the 5.3L, and it makes that sound. This truck is a 2017 and has only 54xxx miles.
When I was in high school I started dating my future wife. One day she was driving her mom’s fairly new Catalina that had a ticking noise. She said her dad said it was a lifter. I raised the hood and found a spark plug wire off the plug and arcing. I don’t think her dad appreciated her smart aleck new friend. But he and I became pretty close after I married her.
You can always pull the high-pressure fuel pump and look down in the hole and see if the cam is damaged or I guess you could do cam and lifters on the engine if the noise is coming from up top you can go to HarborFreight and get a cheap stethoscope to possibly help you pinpoint where the noise is coming from the top or the bottom
What seems odd to me is the lack of oil being pumped up through the push rods, especially on the passenger side. There's a few pumping on the drivers side but not all. Collapsed lifters? A novel way to trace noises and ticks is to record the audio and note the RPM, then use an audio app or software to see the peaks and some math to determine what it could be or rule something out.
I agree theres not enough oil up top. I think theres a screen under the oil pressure sensor that gets plugged. I believe it feeds the top end. Do a manula pressure test on pressure
So in my experience I have had similar noise issues with 4.3l engines & come to find that noise actually coming from front of engine traveling thru to rear . That being said after teardown of front cover , front timing chain tensioner spring & chain guide plate was actually coming apart making chain a little to loose & sounds like engine tick. Like I said definitely sounded like coming from rear of engine. But that noise definitely travels.
Sounds like the HP fuel pump to me. Very common sound on VW too. With them the pump runs off the cam with it's own lobe. On the pump itself either the roller starts to fail and damages the cam eventually or the spring breaks causing excessive noise.
My 6.0 L Silverado 2500 ticks on startup for about a minute, then goes away after warming up. The exhaust bolts are known to break. I have just over 200K miles. I'm not sure, but am attributing it to the broken exhaust bolt.
lol your high pressure system shouldn’t sound like that bulletins make me laugh. There’s a lot of GDI engines around now none of them sound like “ a ticking noise is normal operation “ … that sounds like typical afm failure but in a v6 lol
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Love the commentary on working on car stuff ❤
I think it’s normal- crappy v6 noise.
Di gas engines are ticky as hell
Do you own a stethoscope?
I feel like you coulda explored using your ears and determined the same thing hours of disassembly couldn’t do.
didn't seem like much oil coming out on rockers and springs.
Agreed. DI injectors & pumps are noisy. It sounds pretty normal. Like mentioned though, those lifters aren’t pumping a lot of oil to the rockers.
I’m a tech at a GMC dealership. I watch your videos on the CAT stuff just to see something different once in a while.
Hate to say it man, but that sound is classic torn up camshaft lobe. The valves will still open and close just fine, but the roller on the lifter will be pitted and rough, therefore causing wear to the cam lobe. If you put a stethoscope on the rocker arm bolts, you should be able to determine which valve it is.
And yes a lot of the noises you’re hearing are normal with the DI system like that clock sound. But there is also an obvious tick and scuffing sound that is abnormal for sure. And don’t listen to the comments about the lack of oil to the rockers. The amount of oil present in yours is perfectly normal. I run these with the valve covers off OFTEN.
Do you normally see worn cam lobes and lifter rollers not making metal?
Former GM Diagnostics Tech here who's done a lot of big W work. I agree, something doesnt seem normal about the sound and your methods to pin point a possible lifter are spot on for confirmation along with looking at power balance.
@@kkoch666This is typical of an early stage in failure where the lifter roller is pitted along with the base circle of the cam lobe. My theory is, the roller fails to roll around the base circle and skids, slides or slips instead, leading to spalling of the cam lobe and lifter roller. If left alone, the roller eventually fails and destroys the cam lobe. Even minor pitting of the roller can lead to low rpm (idle) misfiring.
In your experience, what are the chances of saving the cam at this stage?
@@fredmalito9869 If the cam lobe isn't scored where the roller contacts the lobe, you're golden. I've seen minor pitting of the back side of the lobe and the engine was still running fine.
Cam and roller wear often causes misfire at low engine speeds where the hydraulic lifter takes up the minor lash created as the roller drops into a pit on the lobe, this then lifts the valve ever so slightly off the seat as the roller clears the pitted area.
So IMO, if you're certain the roller will not be rolling over a damaged area of the lobe, there's a good chance it's unnecessary to replace the cam,. If idle is rough and the cam lobe and/or roller is damaged, this might explain the rough idle.
It there's any doubt, you might want to replace the cam while in there, it's not much fun having to tear it all back apart.
Keep in mind, if the cam and/or lifter begins shredding, it's going to sluff off swarf that will find it's way through the entire engine and damage bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, etc.
Today: The Adept Ape explores an infernal combustion engine that burns gasoline and weird glow plugs that think they are at a rave or something. Stick around for the very low pressure direct injection.
Hi, I know it’s old school, but 3 ft of any kind of hose, even garden hose, magically helps locating noises like this. One end on your ear, second end to investigate. Just be careful not to hit fan blades 🌞
Long screwdrivers and socket extensions work in a pinch as well
Any type of homemade stethoscope works awesome you are correct. Your ear against your hard hat. Or a long wrench or pry bar.
Hose works awesome yes😂
Hi Josh, I gave 36yrs at a GM proving ground in engineering. I was a lowly tech. 5,500 people at the Milford campus and 500 in my building. My bldg housed management, REAL Engineers of every persuasion and about 70 mechanics. OK. The general statement overwhelmingly was "if it ain't broke don't fix it" or 2nd "don't kick a sleeping dog." Send an oil sample out for analysis meanwhile drive it. One facility was Noise and Vibration. They had a room so acoustically sound deadened your ears rang when in there. They used directional microphones to isolate noises. You may be able to make one from a sound absorbing material and go all over the engine and isolate the noise. I saw them use Lead blankets to try and stop the Diesel knock on their 6.2 liter when they tried it in a Caprice. Sound absorbing and sound reflection were tried. OK, there's my 2¢ worth. ben/ michigan
Noises can drive you mad! I used to work with a good old boy who was a mechanic back in the muscle car days. He said one day this older lady had brought a car into his shop at her wits end, she had bought the car new and since the day she bought it there was a clunking noise that nobody could figure out. She’d had it to several shops and they’d all replaced different parts as to what they thought it could be but nobody could get rid of the noise. So he tracked the noise down to inside the drivers door, when he pulled the door panel off and looked inside the door he found a glass coke bottle with a note that read…….haha you finally found me! 🤣
I heard that apocryphal (coke bottle in the door) story back in the late 1950's when my dad was selling Fords/Mercurys/Lincolns (small rural dealer), even sold tractors. Didn't believe it then, and don't believe it now. I think Henry II made it up to keep the assembly line inspectors on their toes.
That’s a pretty funny story coke bottle😂😂😂
@@JR-rx2ke JR you’re probably right😂😂😂
@@JR-rx2ke Maybe not that exact thing, but I have found items in people's trunks, back seats, door pockets, glove boxes - in order, everywhere on a car that sounded potentially catastrophic, but was simply marbles (for example) rolling around under a load, or making noise on a bump.
So, you point out how much time you spent on it, charge the customer a few bucks "to cover lunch" and they're almost always happy. Some people aren't happy no matter what, so charge them an hour labor.
I work as a used car tech/mechanic. Yes, those DI pumps are noisy, which is why they have those foam pads over them from the factory, to help deaden the sound. The injectors are aslo a bit noisy, but not as bad as the injection pump. When we have had a couple GM vehicles come in on trade and they had low to no oil pressure on the dash, it was one of two things, bad oil pressure switch for the gauge, or we have seen several AC Delco filters have bad relief valves. New filter usually fixed that problem. Not sure if it was just bad batches that have made it to shelves or just ones that passed QC/QA and are just what happens with mass produced stuff. They could have even fallen to the floor and got damaged internally (this is why people will go for oil filters in boxes that are not damaged).
We have not seen one of these newer 4.3L V6s from GM get traded in yet, wr only have experience witb their 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0L, 6.2L, 6.6 Duramax and the occasional 5.7L LS family when someone trades in a Corvette.
My GM 5.3 developed an almost identical ticking noise. I popped the hood with it running and could see one of the spark plug wires moving. Popped the wire off and the spark plug was loose. Turns out the stupid shop that has replaced them didn’t tighten one of them down and it had backed out about 4 threads and was making a “valve train tick noise.” Tighted the spark plug down and it was quiet as a mouse again. I immediately remembered that when you wiggled that center spark plug wire and stated you thought it felt looser than the other one
Well said, great point
Also an exhaust manifold leak or cracked exhaust manifold can create a similar sound.
This engine does NOT have AFM unlike the LV3 used in the pickups. However, occasionally the lifters and cam lobe(s) will get wiped out. All you can do is keep the oil up as best you can. If you find metal in the oil or you start getting misfire codes, it's time for an engine. My coworker replaced an LV3 engine (AFM version of this engine) in a '17 Silverado that had like 50k miles on it.
Edit: Also, GDI high pressure fuel pumps almost always make a rapid clicking sound that is very audible under the hood. GDI systems are basically the same as your common rail diesels, except the injection timing is a bit more advanced, because you are still relying on the spark plug to ignite the fuel. You're just spraying fuel directly into the cylinder, rather than into the intake.
We get these in our shop all the time for ticking noises, usually just the high pressure fuel pump. While it is normal for them to be noisy, some are noisier than others, and it seems to get worse with mileage. It's not generally going to cause an issue unless you see rich codes for b1/b2.(leaks fuel into crankcase, pcv system burns off the vapor causing the rich condition)
Sometimes you just have to live with the noise. I'm absolutely amazed at how clean that engine is. Keep the good stuff coming.
When my truck with an LS ticked like that it was caused by low oil pressure due to the oil pump oring had hardened. Replaced and still going with over 500,000kms on it.
2004 gm changed the pickup tube and o ring design and the wrong orings were used causing low oil pressure or no oil pressure.
Mine was the correct oring. It had just hardened up.
@@jacobmartin1951 That is weird, I buy high mile LS cores day in and day out to rebuild and upon tear down the o-ring on the pickup tube is always soft still. I have an 01 GMC Sierra with a LM7 with 650,000 miles on it and I am getting ready to install an LS2 I built for it years ago. I can't wait to tear down the LM7 so I can inspect how well everything has held up and it is still a perfect running engine.
Yeah It was doing odd stuff. When it was cold oil pressure would be way below normal for a cold start and the lifters would tick. Once the oil warmed up oil pressure ran normal. When i took the oring off you can actually see wash marks in the oring from the oil bypassing the oring.
I just dealt with a very similar issue with a ls 6.0. “Lifter tick” was the customer complaint. Pulled valve covers and rockers were dry and not delivering oil even while running. Went in for an oil pump inspection when I spotted the cam bearing had walked out and was contacting the counter weight. Hope this isn’t your problem but to be honest looks and sounds just like my complaint
At work we have a few hundred of these in our system the cam bearing walk out is more common then you would think.
Filter would show it... Next.
I totally understand your frustration. I was the fleet mechanic for a construction that ran all Chevy trucks with 6.0L enigines. One day a truck was brought in for a "squeak". I automatically went to the serpentine belts and related components, but nothing looked wrong with that system. I even removed the serpentine belts and ran the engine, but the "squeak" was still present. When I would go underneath the vehicle with the engine running it seemed like it was from between the engine and transmission. I removed the transmission and ran the engine with the serpetine belts off and the noise was still present. At that point I determined that I had to tear down the engine and found that one of the rollers from one of the lifters was ceased and was not "rolling" and making the noise. I after I went through all the trouble of tearing down half of the engine and putting back together, I realized that we should have bought a crate motor for it.
for future reference...you can use an old timing light as a strobe to observe running valvetrain for abnormal behavior. Sometimes you'll see stuff you miss with the normal eye
That's a pretty good idea, thank you.
Also if you put your phone camera in slow motion video you get the image with the sound in perfect timing which helps diagnosing.
Great idea!!@@sw5334
If you can get access to the high pressure fuel pump. Get a thick blade screwdriver with a plastic handle that is long enough. Place the blade on the fuel pump. Engine running your ear on the end of the plastic handle. You will hear the pump knock if it is so.
Old school mechanics trick is an old cut down broom handle, does the same thing.
my old man showed this exact method
Stethoscope can do even better! They sell them with a rod on the end
Check that loose spark plug, i have heard that sound before, and if that is not the culpret at least you know that one won't come out.
Sure doesn't seem like much oil is getting up there. Those rockers should be wet or pissing oil when it's running
Another comment suggested low oil pressure, and this would reinforce that idea
That is what I thought, but I have been out of the game for so long, I thought surely some oil must be getting up there, it looks like you could drive that without valve covers LOL
I’ve started an lh7 without valve covers and they run kinda dry ngl. I’m used to seeing the oil bath on class 8 truck engines when you start them up. But I guess gas is a little less messy?
I'd have to agree, there wasn't any oil up top at all
Hydraulic lifters could be collapsing because of that too and causing that tic noise
That's what I was saying
These vans usually get abused like hell and most who drive them don't know what even a dipstick is or looks like
Josh, high pressure pumps are noisy hence all the foam insulation…they are also extremely expensive!
Try an old school method for finding exactly where the ticking sound is coming from an engine.
1. Get a broom handle or rod.
2. Start engine and run until you can hear the sound.
3. Place one end of the broom handle against your ear.
4. With the other her end of the broom handle, probe all the different spots on your running engine where the sound may be coming from.
This method of “ticking detection” goes back all the way to the beginning of NASCAR.
I have the same motor in my work van .same noise since it was brand new with 12 miles. We have in house mechanics. Had one that thought there was a problem and spend a bunch of time and money even sent it back to the dealer. Said to be normal from the dealer. 122k on it now . Noise hasn't changed and haven't had a motor issue.
I could be wrong! But… that sounds like a lifter has taken a dirt nap. Somewhat common for the GM 6-8cyl ls style engines. That may be a DOD engine. (Displacement On Demand)
I would check all of your lifters, lifter trays, and camshaft for damage. I would personally suspect the passenger side cylinder closest to the fire wall. Look for a lifter that has spun in the lifter tray and a flat spot it the roller of the lifter and a flat spot in the camshaft.
I have used an automotive stethoscope , it has a metal rod you touch to parts to find noise source , also I have taken off the rod / diaphragm & put a piece of fuel line --- to listen for air leaks . Thanks again
Stethoscope with plunger. Great troubleshooting tool. I can usually diagnose a cylinder through the the valve cover. Great for pulley bearing monitoring
Josh don’t trust the oil pressure gauge on the dash. Those rockers should have a nice steady stream of oil coming out of them. Should even splash all over like the old gasser’s you worked on. Oil pressure problem is my bet.
STP Josh. Even if the engine is coming apart you'll never hear it!
My 19 6.2L DI had the same sound. It ran for 100K and is still running.
That is my plan.
I love this content.
Ironically, I am now working on Cat and Cummins diesels now.
I am a scrub mechanic.
But still tearing them apart.
Glad to see the opposite perspective.
I cut open my oil filters too. It feels like I am reading tea leaves. No forbidden glitter like I do cars says.
That's funny, Eric just did a '14+GM 6.2 L8_? engine teardown the other day(Monday?). Completely destroyed piston, rod, spun bearing, nice big hole in block from wrist pin exit, oil pan full of parts, pieces & forbidden glitter! 👍🏻👌🏻🛠️
After driving vans for years and years for work and then my own business, it was time for a change. I was looking at panel vans ( bread truck vans) that would be about the length of an extended van. There is room to stand up in them. Room for a work bench, a generator, a heater for the winter time....Overall more space and the cummins 5.9 gets better mpg than the engine I had. The aluminum body won't rust away, which is a real problem in the midwest. And if you don't mind the insurance for a CDL truck, you can find used utility panel trucks with air compressors and generators with low miles.
Thanks!
Thank you Philip!
@@AdeptApe Ha! I guess the robot pulled my other comment. So in our GM truck owner's manuals, is an additive every 3k miles into the tank.
It rhymes with the name of your oil filter lol! Cheers!
Edit: I just got you your first bottle!
My brother is a mechanic, I watched him lift the body off the frame to change a rack&pinion. Did the spark plugs while there, they too were impossible while the body was set in place. It only took him less than 2hrs to get the cab off the frame.
another theme on the hose , I found a drilled out grease nipple in one end the other end in your ear , the nipple on any steel or alloy part seems to make any noise louder, especially good for old buggers like me that are half deaf
Josh, I’ve read a lot of the comments and I’m done Mechanic by any means, but I would think it has something to do with that high-pressure pump. I do not like things that are ticking inside my motor either that drives me absolutely insane. Hope everything works out.👍👍👍
harbor freight blue gloves are awesome, check the High Pressure Fuel Pump
Can you get it to TDC, and check the clearance on valves, then rotate it, and check the clearance on the other valves. Also use a long blade screwdriver, and put it up against the rocker covers, etc, and listen to the screwdriver when it is up to your ear. with your ear up against it. Also I see no oil being splashed up in the top end.
I would try taking the accessory belt off and checking how the belt and pulleys are doing. I don’t use Delco filters on my Chevs anymore. I thought they were good too but when I opened them they looked like yours. Oil was black and filter was clean. It wasn’t filtering anything. Now I use Baldwin and higher end Purolators. Also I noticed Honda and Toyota factory filters are terrible. Unfortunate but true.
Yes, I only use Wix filters.
I just cut open the oil filter on my wife's Toyota Camry. It's a very made filter, solidly built with a heavy steel can, rugged bypass valve in the end opposite the threaded fitting, and a heavy pleated filter element. It looks great. But the Fram filter I was running on my small farm tractor was crap, very flimsy and barely up to the task.
Lol. It's called GM greatness!
All direct injection gasoline engines have the same intake sludge issue, not just GM.
Great video of diagnosis Josh. I think I am welcome for watching your video. You have a great weekend. Lets see in next present time. How the engine sounds. Cheers man. 🔩🔧🍾🍻👊💪👍👊
Thanks Jeri, hopefully it keeps running and running. If nothing else I'll mess with it in Winter here when things are a little slower.
My 05 hemi with 350,000 plus miles,I started using 10-30 shell Rotella diesel oil to get rid of my tick
Hi I work in the transmission side of things . The ticking noise is coming from the torque converter because it is after market how I know it’s coming from the torque converter is because in your video your missing a 13 mm nut on the fuel line and also I rebuild 5 6l80e a week . Good luck with the van idea for a service rig .
I've never heard a DI pump fail like that unless it wiped out the cam and then you would be having all sorts of fuel issues. Time to pull the trans pan and see what kind of goodness is in there. Or I bought one of those big oil change pump thing a ma giggy and stick the hose down the dip stick and see how bad the fluid looks. Driving a 13 Tahoe PPV with a great 6 speed so I check and change the fluid regular to keep issues at bay. It isn't if your 6L80 will fail but when will the torque converter go to $hjt and eat the trans. GM design team hit a home run for tranny shops since it's the gift that keeps giving. I just collect parts when they become available and will have a new to me tranny waiting for it's new home hopefully soon. More and bigger clutches, and anything that was GM besides the bell housing is going to be gone 🥃. I will gladly give business to a good local shop that will put Sonnax or better parts back in then the GM failures!
Using a stethoscope or long screw driver on the noisy parts, can determine source of noise, probably the pump, or injector even
The head light strap 😂. Get a oil sample just to be safe and send it Glad to see nothing was catastrophically wrong with the van
those engines are know for the oil pressure relief valve on the oil pump to stick. sometimes close with is good. in mine it stuck open and gave me about 10 psi. had to change oil pump
Sounds like any other modern DI engine, including 'imports' from Europe or Aisa. Noisey fuel pumps and injectors are common across all makes.
Master BMW tech, 20 years experience of most makes. Cheers,ed
Hey ape!!!
Love your channel. If i may offer advice, get out of that van! Im sure its cheap but totally a pain. I used to run a van and between the noise of everything clanking, having to try and strap things down and not having anything to strap them to, having to get in and out bent over and even sometimes fluids or fuel spilling in there and literally stinking up the van its a real pain. I know service trucks are expensive but to start out do what i did. Go out and find a good retired at&t service truck. I paid 3500 for it and it had a cummins onan 5,000 watt generator in it!!
Josh I would check the idler pulley , alternator, ac compressor and last the flex plate.
I did without a crane for three years on just a regular service truck. I could never go back .
You should run with valve covers off and touch each rocker and see if you feel roughness while running. I’ve replaced a lot of camshafts and lifters in these things. V8 and V6 DI engines. GM Tech
I have a 2013 2500 Chevy Express van with 310,000 miles. Impressed so far and now I consider it a challenge.
My 5.3 had a strange sound which sounded like a "sucking squeak". I actually Google's 5.3 strange squeak and found a vid with the exact same sound. Turns out, a roller lifter roller actually failed. Turns out that it is a common problem with the 5.3 liter AFM (active fuel management system) The cost (for me) was $3600 with GM covering half the cost.
IF it happens again, I will be doing the AFM delete, going with at least a stage 1 cam (with retune) and be done with it.
Also, keep in mind that GM had huge problems with their fuel pumps for these direct injection systems, especially with the 4 cyl Equinox. The seals would fail and fill the crankcase with gas, watering down the oil, and ruining the engine.
I loved your joke about "lets shut the garage door and let it run a while and that should fix all my problems" because lately i feel like that's my life. Everything needs attention 😆. Having said that, i would suspect oil pump. That top end is way too dry imo. It seems to be the LS based engines weak falls for whatever reason. Usually the relief spring/plunger. My bud has been through 3 oil pumps on his camaro (6.2)
3 oil pumps? Sounds like he hasn't found the root cause.
@kkoch666 the root cause is the design of the relief spring plunger. It binds. Everyone knows that
@@chrisduncan2626 Sounds fishy. 3 pumps in how many miles?
@kkoch666 not sure. They were all warrantied though. Engine is fine and has been for a while now
Pffftt....My F150 been tickin like a mother from day 1
350k later on the odo and still ticking strong lol 😆 Great vid Josh 👍
Basically gas direct injection is not too disimilar from diesel direct injection. Injector is in the head and not in the intake manifold like on a port injection gas engine. Now in the case of newer Ford engines, they are both port and direct injection. Ford did this for 2 reasons, reduce carbon build up and increase power. Normal direct injected gas engines have been notorious for excessive carbon build up, whic has caused poor power, poor fuel economy and a few other valve issues. Carbon would just stick to the valves. Ford added port injection to help clean off that carbon build up problem. They did this on the 2.7 Ecoboost V6, 3.5 EcoBoost, and the 5.0L V8 Coyote.
I think it’s the high pressure fuel pump and I believe that runs off the cam and you should replace before it hurts the cam
Two things to try, sticky lifter, they recommend spring carburetor cleaner down the push rod to clean the lifter, or I would just try some marvel mystery oil it's work for me in the past
I thought it was only people with the new Corvette that cried about the high pressure fuel pump noise
I worked out of a van and a service truck and me personally I prefer a service truck
Why?
@@oscarsaravia8984climbing in and out of the van every couple minutes can be hard on the knees
But in a pinch a low buck alternative
yup. with vans everything winds up in a big pile in the back.
With a van you can crap in a 5 gallon bucket in the back with privacy. It's nice
Where is the oil ????
I was surprised about that too.
Kinda dry up top??
Nothing squirting??
They have needle bearing rockers and roller lifters without oil they get ruined .
They have implemented computer controlled oil pumps that don’t supply as much oil at idle as older designs did. GM says it is sufficient 🤷🏽♂️. If something is going south it’ll toss a code before long. To me when you rev it it doesn’t sound like a DI pump. The is a “tick” that’s associated with the pump but there’s a deeper noise that’s cyclical. At least that’s what it sounds like on video.
A non scientific test to determine if it is in the pump or in the engine would be to do an oil change and fill it with thick oil 20w50 and even a bottle of Lucas goo. If it’s in the engine the thick viscosity will make a discernible difference in the sound at least until it gets hot and thins out. If there’s absolutely no difference in the sound at all then you know it’s the DI pump. Drain the thick oil out and put it in a lawnmower or keep it in your truck for when you’re messing with a customer’s equipment that’s just worn out and needs top off oil. A few minutes of running thick oil in it won’t hurt a thing.
@@prevost8686 true 20w50 to see if that quites it down .
These have PMW oil pumps ?
Variable displacement?
Bizarre
I recall hyd lifters only stroke .060 +- so if can lobes were worn off past that lifters would be real loose louder up top.
Not sure if these have a counter balance shaft like 4.3 v6?
@jacksautorepair no offense but the amount of tools is no way close to being over the weight
I agree, it sounds like valvetrain issue, either a broken valve spring or lifter failing. Also does seem rather dry up there in the valve covers, that may also be worth looking in to.
I chased a ticking noise like that for weeks in my Chrysler voyager turned out it was a cracked flex plate. Couldn't see it much when removed but the new one solved it. No more ticking noise.
Check the spark plugs see if they are lose. Like the Ford Triton engines
Yeah... exactly like a Ford from twenty years ago...
I'm with you it sounds like it could blow at any given moment
Hello, big fan of your content. On some high injection fuel pumps design, they use a camshaft follower. They also have a built-in pressure regulator. Di pump are naturally noisy, most manufacturers use some type of foam insulation to help reduce this tick noise.
I had a similar issue on my 1999 GMC 3/4 ton Sierra with a 6.0 engine years ago. I know you have a V6 but it could be the same thing. After investigating everything I could think of I removed the inspection cover under the transmission. I shined a flashlight up around the torque converter and flywheel. I could see small cracks between the bolt holes on the flex plate. This was my problem and after removing the transmission and replacing the flex plate the problem was solved. This tick only happened when the truck was idling, when it was driven down the highway it would quiet down. The truck has much later in life developed a tick that seems to be caused by a lifter. Oil was changed normally for years but one of the lifters seems to have sludge in it. I eventually found that changing to 0-20 oil the lifter has started to get much better with time.
we had a knocking noise on a freshly rebuilt Jasper LC9 5.3L V8. Turns out the knocking noise was the a/c belt tentioner hitting the limit stop as the belt had stretched though still in good shape. Filed down the limit stop some and the noise is gone. Really sounded like the motor coming apart.
Josh the clean appearance of the rockers ,valve springs ect. was troubling , I know the newer engines use needle bearing rocker arms but the valve guides ect still need oil. A down and dirty test for worn bearings is after a oil change to listen on start up for extra loud knocking sounds before the oil gets back to the bearings. A oil pressure test would give a clue to a possible leaking pickup tube getting air bubbles in the lifters. Thank you for your channel it helps so many people.
That is a really clean engine considering the miles. The last owner definitely did the oil changes.
Very interesting video Josh. Allthough it is not a heavy duty diesel work-engine. I hope you find the root of the ticking problem, and I look forward if you record it on video! Keep up the good work! By the way, buying a high mileage vehicle like you did is interesting, and lets you have a comfortable ride probably for a little cheaper. The strategy is interesting!
Odd there is no oil on the rocker arms or puddled on top of the head bolts.
Odd... because there is.
@@Failure_Is_An_Option Look again. There is a clear absence of motor oil on those rockers. None of my engines run that dry.
@@Failure_Is_An_Option PLEASE point out the oil that only seems to be visible to you.
I have an L86 6.2, and from day 1, my wife and I could hear a tick. It was really obvious when in a drive thru, and also when under heavy load pulling a hill. I was told it’s the fuel pump as well.
That clicking sounds an awful lot like the pump on my mom's Golf, which is direct injected gas. VERY clicky-sounding fuel system. Based on the TSB you mentioned and after listening to the noise again and again, I think that's just your DI pump my dude. Otherwise I'd say it was an exhaust leak, really doesn't sound like of these that's eating valves.
A Chevy v8 is not like your moms golf
Maybe inspect the flex plate bolts
@@fastinradfordable this is a v6 and gdi is very noisy.
I also own a chevy V8, you gormless turd. The two are not mutually exclusive. Moreover, this is a DI V6. Git rekt.
Should run a wick filter truthfully it's a better filter
Josh, a few thoughts from my engineer/mechanic background. First one is that sound does sound like it could be either a high pressure fuel pump or a lifter. You didn't say how many miles were on it besides "a lot". If the previous owner was using cheap oil and/or extending the oil change intervals (both possible/likely), you could be hearing a lifter tick. When you had the valve covers off I noticed how little oil there seemed to be up top and noticed zero oil while running, which seems odd to me but I'm not familiar with these engines specifically. I'd try running some higher end synthetic for a few oil changes and see if that makes a difference. An old school trick that we also did sometimes was throw in a quart of ATF as that has a lot of detergents in it, and sometimes that would clean things up. The risk is it dislodges some gunk that gets stuck elsewhere, but I never had that happen personally.
Gasoline has low lubricity (unlike diesel) and that can be harder on high pressure fuel pumps. So, again some additives into the gasoline could help. I dealt with a similar problem on an engine I was testing long ago.
Were it mine, I'd not tear into it any further and try just some different additives/fluids for a bit and see if it gets worse.
It's all a dream. You will awake when the engine goes bang and realise you were servicing a Cat engine all along and all is good. 😂
The 4.3 v6 has the afm active fuel management is what it sounds like
shes clean inside that's for sure def was taken care of!
Modern day petrol poppers are often times a mystery wrapped in enigma. Maybe try running seafoam through the intake & fill it with some premium petrol. Fleet vehicles generally always run 87 octane all their lives. Just a thought
I’ve been in your shoes dealing with a loud Heui injector that sounds like a knock. Then I remember zip ties and bias plies red lining every vehicle he owns, and then I stop worrying about babying mine.😂
This was actually really cute to watch. The teacher has been thrown to the back of the bus. lol!!!. Welcome to our world buddy,
We gasoline mechanics that is.
Gas engines have come a very far way since the old carbs. Almost like spaceships now with all that electrical nonsense to manage fuel curves and such to keep smoke from pouring out of the tailpipe.
Plugging in a scanner does not always tell you what you want all the time.
It’s usually just a suggestion.
I would say add some cleaner to the oil. It may be a sticky lifter and go from there.
Before throwing the parts cannon at
it you want to rule out the cheapest methods first.
Good luck!!!
Time to break out the electric ears to see where the noise is located. Watching the wave form. Now that I think about it, there may be some sound wave forms on IATN to look at and compare to known good working high pressure pumps. If you had a lifter collapsing, you would see it on a power balance graph. Just some advice from a former GM factory tech that is now a Ford Super Duty Specialist.
I hope you have not lost your way.
I think this was a very well documented video!
My 1990 Toyota pickup starting ticking years ago. I did the same things you did but also checked timing chain. Could not find anything wrong. So I just drive it. Figured if it pukes then it pukes. So far it has been about 7 years and it still ticks loudly every so often but it is still going. Your case is a little different as it is your work vehicle.
What about the infamous hemi tick, those are sometimes a small exhaust leak on the manifold.
A bit different on these... These pretty much only leak if a bolt breaks.
hemi tick is injectors any other noise is something else
@@SatanKarma1my ram had the same ticking noise and it was from broken exhaust studs. Even though this is a GM, after it was warmed up it went away, but eventually got worse. So your hemi tick was probably something else.
This is exactly why if I ever go into a small business I will refuse to use vans in my fleet.
My first job was at U-Haul and the Econoline based trucks always took longer to get back from the shop for similar issues compared to the F-350 based trucks. A lot of times those trucks could be fixed on our lot by the mobile mechanic because you could get to stuff.
The DOD lifter failure is common on the LV3 motors, but the LV1 doesn't have DOD. I would also check your torque converter bolts.
It probably has DFM/AFM... The lifters usually fail. if you can get them replaced quick then your cam can be saved!!
Drive mine in D5 ,M5 deactivates the AFM
I got 220k on 5.3 Yukon no problems change oil 3k.
I drive in D5 M5 as much as possible now.
There is a new tool to unstick lifter spring without pulling cylinder heads off.
Just intake is removed .
Oil pickup tube o-ring on these LS engines gets hard and will cause low oil pressure. Had a similar ticking and this fixed it. I have replaced several for other people in my area.
Is it in the oil pan or the oil pump in the front cover? My oil pressure is pretty darn good, reading about 60 psi when driving and about 30 at idle.
@@AdeptApe mine showed pressure, but it was aerated oil… like when a drink straw is cracked. It’s in the pan, drop the pan and it’s a couple bolts. The worst part of the job is buying an expensive pan gasket. Rtv corners where parts meet. A few different o-rings for different engines as well so make sure it’s for your model.
My 5.3l had a failed lifter. The rocker arm was not loose and moved up and down as it should. Rest your hand on each rocker while it's running. The good ones will feel smooth - the bad lifter will feel very rough.
Guess you didn't watch the video.
I am borrowing a Chevy pick up from my work while I work on my truck. It's got the 5.3L, and it makes that sound. This truck is a 2017 and has only 54xxx miles.
Whats the oil pressure there should be oil visibly coming from rockers
When I was in high school I started dating my future wife. One day she was driving her mom’s fairly new Catalina that had a ticking noise. She said her dad said it was a lifter. I raised the hood and found a spark plug wire off the plug and arcing. I don’t think her dad appreciated her smart aleck new friend. But he and I became pretty close after I married her.
Know-it-all kids! 😂😂
You can always pull the high-pressure fuel pump and look down in the hole and see if the cam is damaged or I guess you could do cam and lifters on the engine if the noise is coming from up top you can go to HarborFreight and get a cheap stethoscope to possibly help you pinpoint where the noise is coming from the top or the bottom
What seems odd to me is the lack of oil being pumped up through the push rods, especially on the passenger side. There's a few pumping on the drivers side but not all. Collapsed lifters?
A novel way to trace noises and ticks is to record the audio and note the RPM, then use an audio app or software to see the peaks and some math to determine what it could be or rule something out.
I agree theres not enough oil up top. I think theres a screen under the oil pressure sensor that gets plugged. I believe it feeds the top end. Do a manula pressure test on pressure
Also fuel pumps in tank
So in my experience I have had similar noise issues with 4.3l engines & come to find that noise actually coming from front of engine traveling thru to rear . That being said after teardown of front cover , front timing chain tensioner spring & chain guide plate was actually coming apart making chain a little to loose & sounds like engine tick. Like I said definitely sounded like coming from rear of engine. But that noise definitely travels.
Sounds like the HP fuel pump to me. Very common sound on VW too. With them the pump runs off the cam with it's own lobe. On the pump itself either the roller starts to fail and damages the cam eventually or the spring breaks causing excessive noise.
My 6.0 L Silverado 2500 ticks on startup for about a minute, then goes away after warming up. The exhaust bolts are known to break. I have just over 200K miles. I'm not sure, but am attributing it to the broken exhaust bolt.
It’s a 4.3. Not worlds of power but will run forever. A very good engine in my experience. Just keep the oil changed and drive it into the ground!
lol your high pressure system shouldn’t sound like that bulletins make me laugh. There’s a lot of GDI engines around now none of them sound like “ a ticking noise is normal operation “ … that sounds like typical afm failure but in a v6 lol