2007 Silverado V-8 - Tick , tick , tick

Pennzoil motor oil
Status
Not open for further replies.
W

WyrTwister

Joined
Jan 13, 2013
Messages
4,160
Location
Texas
Think this is a 5.3l , but not 100% sure . About 230,000 on the clock and original engine .

This is the company truck I have been driving about 6 months . No idea how often the oil was changed before that . I have been taking it to the fast oul change place about every 3000 miles . 5-w-30 conventional oil & who knows what filter .

I have noticed when I first start it in the AM , if the temp is below about 30F , it has a slight tick , tick , tick . Sounds to me like valves / lifters . Best I remember , a rod knock sounds more " hollow " . But it has been years since I dealt with a rod knock .

Spoke with one of the guys I work with that is car / truck literate . He suggested try heavier / thicker oil . Went to the fast oil change place and asked for 10W-40 . They only had 4 quarts & wanted to know if 10w30 would be OK . I told him use the 4 quarts of 10-40 and 2 quarts of 10w30 . He said it was not good to mix oil ( both oils were the same brand , as far as I know ) . I said , they both come from the same refinery .

Well , he said they would do it . What they put in , I do not know .

I figured it would mix fine & give something like 10W-36 , approximately .

What say yea , was I off base ?

Started it up this morning & could detect no change . Sounded fine this last summer and sounds fine after it warms up .

Told my boss , as old as it is & that many miles . I said , if it was mine , I would not think it would be worth replacing / overhauling the engine . At that age , little chance of finding a good , low mileage engine at a salvage yard .

I recommended driving it until it lays down and dies . Then get rid of it . He agreed .

Thanks , :-)
 
Maybe the ticking sound isn't a lifter. It might be an exhaust manifold leak. Check the exhaust manifold bolts between the exhaust manifolds and the heads.

Many times a stud breaks caused by expansion and contraction during the heating and cooling cycles. The broken stud allows a slight exhaust leak. When the engine warms up and the exhaust manifold expands it closes the gap between the manifold and the head stopping the leak until the next time the engine cools. The cycle then repeats itself.
 
With that kind of mileage I wouldn't worry about it as long as the engine doesn't feel like it's stumbling any. It's most likely one of the lifters is worn.
Assuming it's not something else like an Exhaust leak.
 
Last edited:
The famous GM tick. I doubt you'll ever get rid of it honestly, and the "knock" you hear is the infamous piston slap. Heck even the little 2.2 in my S10 does the same thing; it sounds like it's going to fall apart until it gets warmed up. No oil has really changed it, but a half quart of Rislone helped quiet the lifters slightly. It's definitely louder in the colder months, for obvious reasons.
 
These engines (I had a 2005 5.3 myself for five years) have both piston slap and are notorious for exhaust manifold leaks. My ticking was the exhaust manifold. When cold it was louder until things warmed up then it went away. Turned out to be a broken bolt and once extracted and replaced the tick was gone.
 
If you do have an exhaust tick caused by broken bolts one poor boy method is to to buy a tube of a Permatex Ultra Copper and run a bead where the manifold meets the block. It actually helps. Also, the engine size should be indicated on the top of the air box. That fast change guy was just plain wrong. I'd vote to try a 10w40 to see if it makes a difference. Would only really help if it's lifters. By the way, if it's a 5.3 it might be an AFM system. Just google AFM to get the sad story.
smile.gif
 
Last edited:
Loose spark plug.

Collapsed hydraulic lifter, bad lifter, bad cam lobe.

And the other stuff already listed, piston slap, exhaust manifold leak.
 
My 2005 5.3 ticks on cold start for about 1 second. I figure it has a rogue lifter but at 203,000 miles, I don't give it a second thought.
 
You have an xW-30 or an xW-40, there is no such bloody grade as "10w-36".

Depending on the base oil blend, VII dosing and PPD's used, the W rating may or may not stay the same in this mix.

If it makes noise until it warms up, it's piston slap, which these engines are notorious for and nothing you are going to put in the crankcase is going to fix it.
 
The type of oil, weight of oil and the oil filter are all very important to the 2007 5.3 L with AFM. The lifters are known to get get stuck and eat up the cam lobes. One of the clues is a constant ticking. Do you have the AFM delete?
 
Originally Posted by Greatlake
Maybe the ticking sound isn't a lifter. It might be an exhaust manifold leak. Check the exhaust manifold bolts between the exhaust manifolds and the heads.

Many times a stud breaks caused by expansion and contraction during the heating and cooling cycles. The broken stud allows a slight exhaust leak. When the engine warms up and the exhaust manifold expands it closes the gap between the manifold and the head stopping the leak until the next time the engine cools. The cycle then repeats itself.

Never thought about an exhaust leak .

Thanks , :-)
 
Originally Posted by StevieC
With that kind of mileage I wouldn't worry about it as long as the engine doesn't feel like it's stumbling any. It's most likely one of the lifters is worn.
Assuming it's not something else like an Exhaust leak.


Engine runs strong . Never noticed any smoking & so far , I have not had to add any oil , since I started driving it . Quietens down afrter it comes up to temperature ( heater starts blowing warm air ) . Never heard it when it was warm weather .

Thanks , :-)
 
Originally Posted by CT8
Don't worry about it.


Agree, I'm old school. With that many miles an engine tick is way, way, way down the list of things I worry about.
 
Originally Posted by Delta
The famous GM tick. I doubt you'll ever get rid of it honestly, and the "knock" you hear is the infamous piston slap. Heck even the little 2.2 in my S10 does the same thing; it sounds like it's going to fall apart until it gets warmed up. No oil has really changed it, but a half quart of Rislone helped quiet the lifters slightly. It's definitely louder in the colder months, for obvious reasons.


Do not know about piston slap , although I have read about it . So , have no experience with it & do not know what it sounds like .

Never used Rislone . Is it a " cleaner " ? Would synthetic oil clean better than the conventional oil that has been run in it ?

Thanks , :-)
 
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
If you do have an exhaust tick caused by broken bolts one poor boy method is to to buy a tube of a Permatex Ultra Copper and run a bead where the manifold meets the block. It actually helps. Also, the engine size should be indicated on the top of the air box. That fast change guy was just plain wrong. I'd vote to try a 10w40 to see if it makes a difference. Would only really help if it's lifters. By the way, if it's a 5.3 it might be an AFM system. Just google AFM to get the sad story.
smile.gif


If the oil change guy did as I asked , it now has 4 quarts of 10W-40 and 2 quarts of 10w30 . This morning , I could tell no difference in the sound .

Have to turn the radio and the heater fan off to hear the ticking .

Thanks , :-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

B
Best oil and oil additive for a Silverado 5.3 lifter tick?
2 3 4
Replies
78
Views
14K
UNC196
R
Early First Oil Change on New vehicle- Good Idea or Waste of Money?
2
Replies
22
Views
876
Bailey28
T
Which oil to buy based on engine sound? 5w-30, 10w-30, or 10w40?
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
CleanSump
O
Nissan VQ40 cold start Rattle
Replies
4
Views
724
Okis14
sru1436
Oil for 2006 Honda CR-V?
2
Replies
27
Views
778
D1dad
Back
Top Bottom