‘09 SSV. Has an occasional loud ticking on cold start. Usually goes away in a matter of seconds. Sounds like a collapsed lifter that is stubborn to get pumped back up.
Purchased a Range AFM disabler today. I’m hoping if that lifter stays pumped up it won’t get worse. Anybody have good experience with using a Range in the early stages of lifter failure?
Thinking springtime will be time for the AFM delete via cam/lifters/tune. Any opinions between a kit from Brian Tooley vs Texas Speed?
Mine did this when I first bought it at 147K miles. It subsided and eventually stopped completely, to which I credit the use of top-quality oils, regular change intervals and disabling of AFM via PCM tune. At around 190K, the cold start ticking returned but was still very minimal. I drive mine mostly just on the weekends, and not every weekend. So, it sits a lot, allowing the oil to drain from the lifters.
I limped it along by holding the throttle pedal to the floor and cranking the engine until the PCM stopped the cranking (about 10 seconds). Waited a minute for the starter to cool a little, then repeated. Then, released the pedal and started the engine as normal. The cranking cycles builds a little oil pressure in the system to help pump up the lifters. This often prevented any ticking or at at least greatly reduced it. Try this with yours at the next cold start to ensure it's a lifter bleed-down issue and not an exhaust leak.
Personally, I'm not much of a fan of the Range since you can have the PCM tuned for much less ($60) and it's a permanent fix that doesn't require maintaining a dongle plugged into your OBD port. If you have emissions testing in your area, you'll have to remove the Range and complete drive cycles to set the readiness monitors before you get your inspection. This means abruptly re-activating a system comprised of small moving parts that has been dormant for a length of time, up to a year or so.
I don't have much input between the kits offered by these sellers other than be sure of the parts you are receiving. You want genuine OEM lifters and lifter trays for sure. The rest of the parts aren't as critical. Both companies offer cams that are very similar so they're practically a wash. The bigger factor is selecting the cam best suited for your use and needs of the vehicle and how much you're willing to change to support the cam you choose (push rods, torque converter, amount of tuning required, etc.). Pick a game plan and stick to it. My game plan changed during the halftime show and the snowball doubled in size.
