Constant ticking @ top of engine... lifter?

[Professor L Gee]

Busted. A proper/thorough compression test probably could be performed in an hour if you had eight techs, each with their own wrenches and compression testers. We all know this didn't happen. Shame on that shop.

Have you done any further investigating? I'll repeat @swathdiver's advice on getting a mechanic's stethoscope. Narrowing it down to a cylinder would be a first step in helping us to help you. The stethoscope is $5 at Harbor Freight and $6-$18 on Amazon. What's the most mechanically involved you're comfortable with performing?

If I have to get into removing heads, I feel like I'd be out of my element. Anything before that should be fair game, if slow and steady.

That's all a mechanic's stethoscope costs? I should have had one yesterday...

 

[Professor L Gee]

Your tick sounds louder than mine but mine has made a ticking noise for a long time when under the hood which I was today (changing the radiator). Mine has 270K miles I don't even hear the ticking inside it even with windows down, only when I have the hood up. How pronounced is yours?

Mine must be louder than yours then... you can always hear it. And under the smallest load, you hear a chattering rocker arm as well.
Here's a recent video (PSA: don't film and drive, kids):

 

[Professor L Gee]

What's the latest, Doc?

Went to another shop this morning, and unfortunately they can't even get the truck into the bay for another two weeks.

The service manager was willing to give me quotes though, partly because he's very familiar with these engines.
~4200 for lifter repair (all 16 lifters, head gaskets and machining, etc.). AFM lifters are on backorder for my engine though.
~9700 for a remanufactured engine (Jasper) that has AFM deleted.
His recommendation was to go the engine route, because they've replaced lifters for customers only to have the engines go out anyway due to camshaft failure.
I was going to ask if they delete AFM at the shop, but he beat me to the punch and said that they don't, per the owner's preferences.

 

[Geotrash]

Went to another shop this morning, and unfortunately they can't even get the truck into the bay for another two weeks.

The service manager was willing to give me quotes though, partly because he's very familiar with these engines.
~4200 for lifter repair (all 16 lifters, head gaskets and machining, etc.). AFM lifters are on backorder for my engine though.
~9700 for a remanufactured engine (Jasper) that has AFM deleted.
His recommendation was to go the engine route, because they've replaced lifters for customers only to have the engines go out anyway due to camshaft failure.
I was going to ask if they delete AFM at the shop, but he beat me to the punch and said that they don't, per the owner's preferences.

Prior to 2010 or so, I considered myself primarily a brakes and shocks kind of guy. But I've had cars that I loved that needed work at various points, and felt I had little to lose by tearing into it myself, and much to learn from the experiences. If you have the money and no interest, then might as well let someone else tackle it. But if you have some interest and hate the thought of spending that kind of money, you could complete this job in a couple of weekends. I've done it. Three times. I have a thread here on it complete with a parts list and pretty detailed list of tips/tricks such as only using OEM lifter trays, so you'll only have to do it once.

For a cam, lifters and all of the related parts you'll need for a solid refresh (e.g. water pump), you can do the job for less than $1500. Let us know if you want to give it a try and we'll get you through it.

 

[Professor L Gee]

Prior to 2010 or so, I considered myself primarily a brakes and shocks kind of guy. But I've had cars that I loved that needed work at various points, and felt I had little to lose by tearing into it myself, and much to learn from the experiences. If you have the money and no interest, then might as well let someone else tackle it. But if you have some interest and hate the thought of spending that kind of money, you could complete this job in a couple of weekends. I've done it. Three times. I have a thread here on it complete with a parts list and pretty detailed list of tips/tricks such as only using OEM lifter trays, so you'll only have to do it once.

For a cam, lifters and all of the related parts you'll need for a solid refresh (e.g. water pump), you can do the job for less than $1500. Let us know if you want to give it a try and we'll get you through it.

Well, the truck isn't going anywhere any time soon, so I'll have a few days to play with it. I think I want to start with checking to see if there's lifter failure or just stuck-ness, and then go from there. I'm also reading up on the VLOM and how that can also cause phantom lifter failures.

Since you did the cam, did you also replace the timing components? The shop I just went to seems to recommend that.

 

[Geotrash]

Well, the truck isn't going anywhere any time soon, so I'll have a few days to play with it. I think I want to start with checking to see if there's lifter failure or just stuck-ness, and then go from there. I'm also reading up on the VLOM and how that can also cause phantom lifter failures.

Since you did the cam, did you also replace the timing components? The shop I just went to seems to recommend that.

I did, all except for the crank sprocket as mine was indistinguishable from the new one I’d bought. Check that link in my post for the details. I linked right to the parts and tips lists.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Professor L Gee]

Slow and steady updates!

So I had some time off today as well as some newfound energy (had been fighting a sinus infection for days), and I decided to go in and see which lifter had let me down.

I took off the passenger-side valve cover first (an absolute pain on all fronts), because a few months ago I had gotten a P0306 when driving home through Tennessee. That side was solid all the way down.
Decided to go into the driver-side (SO much easier), and lo and behold, the intake side of #1 is floppy and loose. The other seven were solid.

We're traveling this weekend, so the truck is gonna sit without coils and valve covers for a few days. Good luck if someone tries to steal it out of my driveway.
My next task will be to figure out if that lifter is bad or just stuck. I found a guy on Youtube who has had success unsticking lifters, and for right now I figure it can't hurt to try. If it works, cool; if not, the extra work will have to be done anyway.

As a sidenote, I have a list of "while I'm in there" tasks now that I've taken a few things apart... replacing valve cover gaskets (looks like that job was coming due anyway because of 183k miles), inspecting the VLOM to see if there are any leaks or clogged passages/filters, and (unrelated) re-looming a few harnesses.

 

[Geotrash]

Slow and steady updates!

So I had some time off today as well as some newfound energy (had been fighting a sinus infection for days), and I decided to go in and see which lifter had let me down.

I took off the passenger-side valve cover first (an absolute pain on all fronts), because a few months ago I had gotten a P0306 when driving home through Tennessee. That side was solid all the way down.
Decided to go into the driver-side (SO much easier), and lo and behold, the intake side of #1 is floppy and loose. The other seven were solid.

We're traveling this weekend, so the truck is gonna sit without coils and valve covers for a few days. Good luck if someone tries to steal it out of my driveway.
My next task will be to figure out if that lifter is bad or just stuck. I found a guy on Youtube who has had success unsticking lifters, and for right now I figure it can't hurt to try. If it works, cool; if not, the extra work will have to be done anyway.

As a sidenote, I have a list of "while I'm in there" tasks now that I've taken a few things apart... replacing valve cover gaskets (looks like that job was coming due anyway because of 183k miles), inspecting the VLOM to see if there are any leaks or clogged passages/filters, and (unrelated) re-looming a few harnesses.

Makes sense as #1 is an AFM cylinder.

 

[Professor L Gee]

Makes sense as #1 is an AFM cylinder.

Yeah, I prioritized those. Would have been a huge surprise if any of 2, 3, 5, or 8 had gone out.

 

[Rocket Man]

Looking forward to more diagnosis. It’s no coincidence that one shop recommends the rebuilt engine route- it’s the highest profit/ amount of work ratio.