Thread: LIM job just finished & still ticking!! VIDEO & Help! **UPDATED July 19**

ok well I managed to finess the valve cover out without taking the alternator bracket or coolant elbows completely out I fired up the car with no valve cover and everything visually looks ok. What is my next step? Can I remove rockers & look at pushrods? I am really hoping to figure this out before going in to replace a darn lifter.

have you put seafoam in the oil yet?

Originally Posted by dsmuts

have you put seafoam in the oil yet?

Didnt put seafoam in the oil. From what I read it appeared the top end method is the method that cures lifter tick if possible. Car is 50% apart now...

Originally Posted by Elite6

Didnt put seafoam in the oil. From what I read it appeared the top end method is the method that cures lifter tick if possible. Car is 50% apart now...

putting seafoam in the vacuum system (sounds like what you did) isnt going to help with lifter noise, your going to have to try putting some in the oil when you put it back together

Yeah try some in the oil I'll bet the tick goes away.

I did the whole LIM job the first time, car back together & still ticking. Decided it must have been the lifters, did LIM job again (of course gaskets got a slight tear when trying to clean - needed new ones). Get car back together 10 mins ago & fire up... STILL TICKING!!! !!

Decided I would try the injectors but can't imagine them making that noise!! Pull 1,3,5 no change... Pull 2 no change, pull 4 and noise gets much quieter!! Seriously? I never ever would have guessed the injectors could possibly be that loud. Going to junkyard to grab some - bloody hell man.

Are GT injectors the same?

They are different. You need gtp inj

Well swapped injector and still have noise. I am at a loss now. Lifters replace, pushrods and rockers looked ok, springs looked ok... Could it be fuel rail?

boroscope and look through the plug hole and see if the valve is maybe bent or chipped piston?

any chance its an exhaust leak?

At this point anything is possible. How can i tell for sure? I do notice a little bit of smoke from underneath rear valve cover. I thought it was oil burnoff but not sure...

the only way short of seeing a black area at a connection or right at the head, is to when the car is ice cold, start it up and pass your hand over all exhaust parts, ( idea is to feel the leak hit your hand) where parts meet and so on. it will get hot fast, so be kinda quick about it.

i had a missing exhaust bolt in my 03 gmc, i could hear a ticking when it was cold, but as it warmed up the tick went away. the manifold and heads got expanded from the heat and it would seal up.

It does look like a new flex is on the back by the rear header

Did some reading, I think I can put the car in gear, hold the brake and give it some gas. If the noise goes away it is the flexplate? At this point its got to be either

1. Flexplate
2. Nasty Exhaust leak
3. Bent valve
4. F bombed rods?

Flex plate looks ok from my limited view under the car and bolts are tight. Didnt hear any change when brake torquing either. I did notice a little leak from the damn lim gaskets. Cant believe it so its either exhaust or worse i guess.