Cylinder 7 noise
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
Cylinder 7 noise
I have an excessive ticking noise on the driver side that sounds like it’s coming from cylinder 7. It’s not crazy loud but def louder than the passenger side and is very annoying. I’ve pulled the valve covers several times and everything looks fine. I have a 228/228 .600 cam, dual springs and ls7 lifters with less than 2k miles on it since the work. Is there anything in particular that would affect cylinder 7 more than the others? I have no misfires, oil pressure is okay and it runs fine. When hot the oil pressure can get down to about 30psi but is good otherwise. It’s annoying as hell when driving, it’s especially noticeable around 1500-2000rpms.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,049
Likes: 316
From: USA
My car had a light ticking sound at idle/low rpm when I cracked the piston and cylinder liner....otherwise ran good enough you wouldn't know it lol. I thought it was valvetrain until I did a compression test and pulled the smashed spark plug. Not trying to scare you or anything but a quick spark plug check might not be a bad idea.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
No I haven’t
I can go pull the plug and post a pic
My car had a light ticking sound at idle/low rpm when I cracked the piston and cylinder liner....otherwise ran good enough you wouldn't know it lol. I thought it was valvetrain until I did a compression test and pulled the smashed spark plug. Not trying to scare you or anything but a quick spark plug check might not be a bad idea.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 1,562
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From: Morristown, TN
Hopefully its not a lifter about to go out like mine did!
Do you have coolant crossovers in the rear? Isnt Cylinder 7 the one that gets the piston problem??
Do you have coolant crossovers in the rear? Isnt Cylinder 7 the one that gets the piston problem??
Last edited by dskinsler83; Mar 31, 2020 at 08:45 AM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
My driver side has always been a bit noisier than the passenger side for some reason but nothing crazy, even when the motor was stock. I believe I have read that cylinder 7 is the one most prone to piston trouble and that’s why I am concerned. I’ll post a video and see what u guys think
1/4 mile/AutoX
Joined: Jun 2014
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From: Buffalo Texas
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
Here’s a video of what I’m talking about, I’ll post a better one later. Again, everything looks good under the valve cover. Before everyone says pushrod length I’ve measured and I’m running the correct lifter preload and just to be sure I’ve even tested out three different length of pushrods, no change. Is this normal?
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 4,043
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From: Central NJ
Well, glad to hear....hopefully something cheap and easy.....I know sometimes the injectors can be noisy but yours sounds a bit too loud....what about exhaust gasket leak or manifold\heard bolt loose.....Ahh, just looking at the cheap and easy stuff
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
A cheap and easy fix would be great but unfortunately I’m not that lucky lol. I’ve checked for exhaust leaks, loose bolts, everything. I’ve seen other videos of cammed motors that sounds similar so Idk maybe this is normal? But something tells me it isn’t... I know there’s a lot of cammed cars on here so I was hoping somebody could enlighten me. All I can figure is that it’s lifter or piston related. The lifters are brand new ls7 lifters so idk...
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,049
Likes: 316
From: USA
Get another video at a constant engine speed (idle), and put the camera in a spot where it can pick up audio well and get at least a 5 second clip. You can slow the video down and count the taps to see if its something thats happening once per crank revolution or once per cam revolution (half crank rpm). That should help you narrow down whether it's a piston noise or something in the valvetrain. I think it sounds like valvetrain (half speed) but video to confirm is good.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 3,183
Likes: 265
From: Virginia
So when the motor was stock I felt like it was a little noisier than most and after the cam swap and new lifters it sounds like this. I’m wondering if maybe I have something going on with my oil pump such as the o-ring pinched or something. I remember seeing a thread where a guy had a pinched o-ring but normal oil pressure and it was letting air get in the lifters and causing them to be noisy. When I had my cam done I just kept the stock oil pump. I feel like it’s related to the lifters also.
Last edited by bwill03z; Apr 1, 2020 at 08:41 AM.
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make sure it isn't the evap solenoid, my old trans am made a similar noise and it ended up being that solenoid... it's on the same side you are hearing the noise and is easy to check, just put the tip of a long screwdriver against it and the handle against your ear... actually you can use that same screwdriver trick to isolate the location of the noise if it doesn't end up being the solenoid