checking a engine tick

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
This is my daily driver K3500 Gen VI 454. It's a stock engine, but many of you here are more familiar with the internal workings of engines than in the truck forum.

The other day, I noticed my truck was ticking loudly going down the road. The truck was cold, but it was more than a start up tick, as a start up tick would have stopped by then. I wasn't sure what it was, I thought maybe it was the PS system since it has a leak, but the sound wasn't really right for that. The sound stopped as I was going up a hill, but my oil pressure was way high. The oil pressure did start to come down eventually, but it still ran about 20 pounds higher than normal all day. I dumped some seafoam in, but haven't run it that much since then.

Researching high oil pressure with Google is pretty tricky since you get either "low pressure" threads, or "oil pressure switch" threads.

This morning the truck is again ticking loudly. The area it's coming from is hard to determine.... sounds like it's coming from underneath the truck if you bend down, but it's loud under the hood too. It's a fairly light, so I don't think it's bottom end, but maybe. I didn't run it long enough to warm up.

I'm thinking, I have a blockage someplace, but where? How can I fix this? I was thinking maybe drain the oil, and fill with a few gallons of kerosene and let it soak for a week?


obviously you can,t cure a problem until you've isolated the cause, Id start with an oil and filter change, use a good 10W30 and add a quart of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL,and a quart of Rislone, as both contain additives that will free up some varnish deposits and stuck lifter, from the varnish and crud, internal parts tend too free up,over some running time (generally inside of 45 minutes)the valve train is the most likely but hardly the only potential source of the ticking sound, so I'd start looking there!

I'd try to locate what side/cylinder bank, the noise is on first,then pull the valve cover on that side, and while its ticking at idle press your palm down on each rocker, youll both hear and feel the change in the sound once pressures applied to a worn rocker, if thats the source, chances are good its a worn or burnt rocker, or lifter,
you might also pull each individual ignition wire , listen to the change in the engine sound then re-connect it before moving to the next one, at times that will be helpful, in isolating the source of the ticking sound.
if the ticking's gone I'd add a quart of MARVEL MYSTERY OIL to the engine and drive it until you have the time to look into the potential issue later, M.M.O. and rislone both have a lot of crud/sludge solvents and detergents that will further clean up that engine internally given some time, you might want to change oil filters to remove enough oil too allow the room for that quart of M.M.O. and by now that current filter has accumulated a bunch of crud that is best removed from that engine.
that seafoam may have broken loose enough sludge to partly clog that existing oil filter in less than 4-5 hours run time.
marvel.jpg

rislone.jpg

watch video



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/pro-66830/overview/
pro-66830_cp.jpg

liftc1f.jpg

worn5.jpg


6301a.jpg

6301b.jpg

6301c.jpg


66962.jpg

66797.jpg



https://www.harborfreight.com/multipositional-magnetic-base-with-fine-adjustment-5645.html

bv93fans.jpg

https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore,f,EAFeatured+Weight,f,Sale+Rank,f&q=indicator+stand

Rocker1closed.jpg


Rocker2mid-lift2.jpg


Rocker3fulllift.jpg

worn5.jpg

related links
http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/valve-train-clearances-and-problems.528/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/correctly-adjusting-valves.196/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...se-valve-train-or-rod-knock.13846/#post-70866

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/engine-tick-when-warm.10682/#post-46168

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/tracking-a-ticking-sound.10330/#post-42295

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-down-a-valve-train-noise.6237/#post-32472

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...e-springs-and-setting-up-the-valve-train.181/
 
Last edited:
keep in mind that if you have an engine valve train that clicks at idle,
you may want to carefully adjust your valves and check carefully for a worn cam lobe ,
or you may want to replace the one two or lifters that are being worn out.before the cam lobes damaged if you can catch it early,
the only way thats going to happen is taking the time to measure accurately ,
and use the correct tools, and that generally requires a partial engine s dis-assembly for close inspection.

catching a worn cam lobe rather early can prevent a great deal of metallic trash,
from getting dispersed by oil flow into the engine that can cause bearing and valve train damage.
yeah, magnets and shrapnel screens may reduce the potential engine damage,
and regular oil and filter changes are mandatory for best long term durability/,
but if you suspect a problem don,t ignore it,
its only going to get more expensive, and take more time and more parts, too correct over time.
the additives shown above do a good job of dissolving varnish and sludge,
this results in that partly dissolved crud and sludge and varnish,
getting trapped in the oil filter, so after a few days of running the additives an oil and filter change is a good idea.
but they can,t correct damage from wear,
so your going to have to partially dis-assemble and carefully inspect,
all the potential problem parts, to be sure, of the engines condition.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...am-lobe-rod-or-bearings-fail.2919/#post-26455


http://www.circletrack.com/enginetech/c ... ilter_fun/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-9 ... toview=sku

heres a helpful diagnostic tool,(the oil filter cutter pictured below) and yes I still cut open the oil filters and inspect the filter element on my cars oil filter
worn1az.jpg

proper magnets trap metallic debris
SmCo Samarium Cobalt Disc Magnets
http://www.magnet4less.com/
enginemagn.jpg


Samarium Cobalt MAGNETS HELP
http://www.magnet4sale.com/smco-disk-magnet-dia-1x1-4-samarium-cobalt-magnets-608-f-temperature/
magnets are ceramic and glass hard, don,t try to drill or grind them, as they can shatter
fillcut5.jpg

fillcut4.jpg

fillcut1.jpg

filtercutter2.jpg

fillcut2.jpg
 
Last edited:
Back
Top