Risk of ignoring lifter noise?

[VetteMed]

Got the driver's side cam cover pulled (the noise was most prominent in this area). I really don't think anything "looks" any different from about 7k miles ago, which was the last time the cam covers were off, prior this noise developing.

There is some scoring on the bearing surfaces of the cam cover, but I don't know how much of that is normal wear.

Is there any way to determine which lifter(s) are bad, if any? I notice that when the cams are positioned such that the valves are closed, the lifters are able to spin / rotate, is this normal?

The wear strip on the LH chain guide is broken, but it does not appear any worse than 7k miles ago.

The edges of some of the timing chain links appear "polished", but I figure that's normal wear.


SO, where do I go from here?

Thanks,
Andrew

[VetteMed]

I suppose there's no sense in prolonging the inevitable here... I am going to plan to pull the motor out. I can now see that my diagnostic options are limited without actually holding any (defective) components in my hands. I guess this officially ends the "how far will my motor go without internal problems" question. The answer: just shy of 195K miles.

[Pete]

Originally Posted by VetteMed

Got the driver's side cam cover pulled (the noise was most prominent in this area). I really don't think anything "looks" any different from about 7k miles ago, which was the last time the cam covers were off, prior this noise developing.

There is some scoring on the bearing surfaces of the cam cover, but I don't know how much of that is normal wear.

Is there any way to determine which lifter(s) are bad, if any? I notice that when the cams are positioned such that the valves are closed, the lifters are able to spin / rotate, is this normal?

The wear strip on the LH chain guide is broken, but it does not appear any worse than 7k miles ago.

The edges of some of the timing chain links appear "polished", but I figure that's normal wear.


SO, where do I go from here?

Thanks,
Andrew

Yes,on the lifter rotate

Yes,on the polished chain

If there was work done to the motor recently and before you yank the motor,i would look into the chain tensioner,tensioner is like a lifter.

Pete

[VetteMed]

Would the tensioner potentially cause the on-and-off oscillating type noise that I described?

Is there any way to diagnose a bad tensioner once it's removed?

[Pete]

Originally Posted by VetteMed

Would the tensioner potentially cause the on-and-off oscillating type noise that I described?

Is there any way to diagnose a bad tensioner once it's removed?

Once you take it out it should release all the way out and should be able to take it apart into two pieces if not then it's stuck and no good.

Pete

[VetteMed]

Originally Posted by Pete

Once you take it out it should release all the way out and should be able to take it apart into two pieces if not then it's stuck and no good.

Pete

OK, thanks Pete. I removed the LH tensioner earlier this evening, and it does in fact release and separate into two pieces. there's some scuffing along the surface where the tensioner contacts the guide, but it appears normal otherwise.

I am going to pull the RH tensioner tomorrow.

Is there a third tensioner for the main chain?

[Pete]

There is a third one but that one is basicly fixed.
Just make sure you reload the tensioners the right way before reinstalling them.

Pete