I recently changed the oil in a friends 5.3 GMC Sierra with high mileage (over 200,000). He has been having what sounds like a sticking or failing lifter. He has been getting his oil changed every 5,000 miles at Pep Boys with whatever 5W-30 conventional oil and jobber filter they use. This time I had several 5 qt. jugs of Castrol Edge 10W-30 (A1-B1) that I bought on sale, so I used that and 1 qt. of Traveler 15W-40 to make up the 6th quart along with a Fram Ultra for this oil change.
After start up and warm up the engine clatter stopped. It occasionally returns for short intervals but he reports it has almost completely disappeared. He now wants me to keep changing his oil with Edge 10W-30!
I have always been skeptical of folks who claim a certain oil is makes their engine quieter, but in this case it is certainly true.
So what say you? Is it the oil or the filter that stopped the clatter?
Edge 10W-30 Cured Lifter Clatter
- Thread starter jhs914
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Was it the Castrol or the additional qt of 15w40 that thickened the oil slightly that made the difference? Once you throw a variable into the mix you really cant say, may be a qt of 15w40 in the conventional 5w30 would have produced the same result. 
My 2005 5.3 lost all it's clatter when I changed to BC 0w30. It clattered on everything else I used. I'm not going to question the results until my 3 years of stash runs out!
I wonder if the different filter was a factor.
How's the oil pressure? I had the same problem on a 200K+ mile 5.7 TBI Chevy SB, regular doses of VML 20W50 eventually cured the stuck lifter.
Originally Posted By: RedOakRanch
My 2005 5.3 lost all it's clatter when I changed to BC 0w30. It clattered on everything else I used. I'm not going to question the results until my 3 years of stash runs out!
My 2006 4-cylinder had lifter tick. Very loud too, people would look up when I drove past.
I tried many different oils and filters.
Oil: DuraBlend 10W40, HiTec 5W30 / 10W40, Shell Helix Ultra 5W40, GTX 15W40, SynPower 0W40, M1 5W30
Filter: Repco, Wesfil-Cooper, Valvoline synblend media, silverline
I also off-set the oil change from the filter change, so I could try as many combinations as possible. To be honest I found the the filter made the biggest difference at start-up.
Anyway, last weekend I changed the oil. Penrite Vantage 10W-40 semi-synthetic with a Wesfil-Cooper filter. Lifter tick is now 100% gone. Not there - hot or cold. Go figure.....I found my magic combination.
I also have an oil stash full of non-magic combinations. Such is the price of research.
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