Z06_ARCHITECT

PLEASE HELP!! Hello all, i am on my 5th Corvette, saved up to buy my dream 2006 z06 75,000 miles. stock as far as i can tell. I bought it a year ago and have noticed a ticking/knocking noise at lower revs and didnt think anyhting of it as ive heard of the standard LS7 ticking noise, but now worry as i stumbled accross a youtube video that sounds very similar to mine. Ill post below. I am not wealthy , just an average american citizen that LOVES vettes and saved up to get one so taking it to a shop and letting someone run loose$$$ on it scares the hell out of me as im no mechanic and worry about getting "taken" for thousands of dollars but am equally afraid of dropping a valve and loosing an LS7 or something of that nature. IF this is the valve guide issue im reading about. I read that the notorious valve guide issue was 2009-2011 c6z's mine is an '06 with 75k miles so does this not apply? Ive read on the forum that if youve got a fraction of the 100,000 miles it should be fine and mines got 75k+ but again scared im going to loose a motor. I live in central utah and the only corvette shop i know of is Lung Automotive in Lehi, Utah (Vince Lung) has several z's, but im not sure how great he is?, if anyone knows of a local vette shop in utah please advise or is this something i bite the bullet and pay the corvette dealer tax and take to dealer? Is there any way the dealer will take care of this beyond factory waranty (stupid question) I dont want to sell the car but dont have excess funds to drop an arm or leg into my baby. The shop said a bare minimum of $3-3,500 IF its the Valve guide issue but that was over the phone and without looking at my z. I guess im loooking for any help or advice, i can be given by those that see the video and know whats going on. ive spent a month going thru the forum threads, and google on the issue and jsut dont know where to go form here. please help?? ive had some issues with my z, the radiator support is broken in two, was from the day i got the car, my AC compressor made a HORIFFIC clacking sound so i cut the belt, likely a toasted compressor or AC clutch? and now and more importanly this serious issue!!! please watch: this youtube video is NOT my car but sounds very similar.and near the same RPM range,.. id probably be better off posting a video of my actual car but take a listen if you have a moment and let me know what you think.maybe ill ad my own car video after this one. heres the link:

dcamick

Not a Rod or Main Bearing....... sounds like top end noise Not Normal, to say the least....

fueledpassion

Probably just a failing lifter. That is somewhat common in the LS family. Mine makes some noise too but it isn't near as pronounced and loud as this video, but I have aftermarket heads/cam, so certain valve train noise is expected.

Only way to know is to physically check the top end. You should probably invest in a warranty if you are not able to afford occasional, large expenses to repair the car. It is a race car and things will break on it in time. I mean, at some point in the next 25-30K miles, I'd expect you'd have had to replace all 4 tires, at least the front rotors/pads and a new clutch. All that right there would run you a few thousand dollars for perfectly normal wear and tear...what I'm trying to say is that money is a requirement for this car.

Dan_the_C5_Man

Lifter - either collapsed and / or cam lobe wiped out (sometimes you'll get a squeak or squeal with a bad cam lobe).

DaOtherOne

Hib Halverson

Has the check engine light been on in that car and if so, why?

What's the car's oil consumption history?

Those two pieces of information are required to give you any useful information, beyond guessing.

As for that video clip, no question that LS7 has some valve related issue. I can tell you that it's not likely a "collapsed" lifter as, a collapsed lifter makes even more noise than that. It's possible the camshaft has failed but that's not likely. It's possible that the heads have severe guide wear.

Unfortunately, GM is not likely to repair an engine on an '06 with 75,000 miles on it.

If you don't have 3000-3500 to make repairs, you're going to be in a real pickle because, if your car sounds like the one in the video, I wouldn't drive it much more until you identify and solve the problem.

Unreal

Vince@Lung is awesome. Great guy, great shop, great mechanic.

Brock&Heath@Premier in West Jordan are also good and can help you out if Vince can't get to it.

There are some other shops, but I would avoid them like the plague. The above 2 are the only ones I would consider.

LS7Vet

Leakdown test kit from Napa autoparts. Don't drive it.

Z06_ARCHITECT

there is no check engine light on at all, never has been. As embarassed as I am to say, When i got the car shipped to me me and my father in law and brother inlaw, both big car guys said it sounded a bit like a cam and said the LS7 has a bit of valve trane noise so i didnt worry aobut it, unfortuantely idrove it 1,000 miles home and have been driving it since last may. the noise has got no worse but i came on accident by the youtube video and said wow that sounds alot like mine and thats when i got spooked. It hasnt got louder or worse, no check engine lights etc ??? Im lucky i suppose i havent blown a motor assuming it was ok. I contacted a shop to get it looked at but am saving up soem funds before that. Does it help info wise that it consumes no oil and theres no check engine light on and it hasnt got louder or worse in a year of driving? thanks (car is currently parked for winter.

Z06_ARCHITECT

thankyou so much! Ive tlaked to vince and am setting some funds aside to pay for the upcomming repairs.
praying its not anything worse.

NiteriderFRC

My 2008 has the "common" valve train noise as well. It wasn't as loud after a recent oil change. A few hundred miles since and its back to its normal noises. It does bother me since this is my daily, its a very unnatural sound in my opinion. Im on my 6th corvette all LS engine cars (C5 and LS3 C6) this is by far the nosiest engine of them.

BJC_Z06

Yep, sounds just like mine. It has sounded like a sewing machine at idle since the day I bought it.

If the oil is good, no codes, and it drives OK, then drive it. Enjoy it.

Z06_ARCHITECT

[QUOTE=BJC_Z06;1591622503]Yep, sounds just like mine. It has sounded like a sewing machine at idle since the day I bought it.

If the oil is good, no codes, and it drives OK, then drive it. Enjoy it.Ya this seems to be the consensus, I talked to a Corvette Guru here and without seeing it he said wed be looking around $4,000 to replace the valve guides etc, IF it is a problem. A coworker bought a 2012 c6z with only 2500 miles on it and it sounds nothing like mine, sounds like a new v8 with the hood open, not like a sewing machine like mine, but Ive been driving it as normal as per some forum advice and its got no worse, no engine codes, no noticeable driving performace changes. feels like it did when i bought it but may be a bit louder but it is due for an oil change . Unfortunately we have a baby on the way and living in wintery ski utah, may be time to sell it and use my year round 4runner as my 100% daily driver. Will be sad to see it go as its been my dream car for some time but hopefully down the road I can grab another. thanks for the info.

Z06_ARCHITECT

thanks to all for your information, as an update, i recieved alot of advice, some said it sounds jsut like theirs and thats jsut the way it is. ive been driving it for a year now with no check engine lights, no worsening of the sound, no performance losses, performs amazing but sounds "off" to me but others say it sounds identicle to their daily drivers so ive continued to drive it. Mixed opinions from shops, some said set aside $4,000 and get the valve guides done but that was wihtout them actually seeing the car, others said if theres no engine codes and it drives normal, enjoy it. Well I have a baby on the way due in a few months and I think its time to let my baby go which is sad but hopefully someday I can grab another as i have LOVED my c6z. I need to put an new AC compressor in it and weld a crack from the previous owner on the radiator support and she will likely be off to the dealer ona trade or a new owner somewhere. This is my 5th corvette and definitely my favorite but life calls for a change being that i cant put a car seat and two little girls in the back of the car. ;-) Ill keep all posted but thanks for all the advice and help, you all have been so much help,.. who knows maybe it "wont sell" and ill "have to keep it" ;-)

Internets_Ninja

Sounds like a lifter to me. Either way you need to get the heads off. It's not too hard of a job to do it yourself. Get a new set of LS7 lifters and cups and replace them. You can check for cam damage and other issues in the heads while you're at it. I had a collapsed lifter in my LS6 before and it sounded identical and only became pronounced after the RPMs came up above 1500.

vettl83

This happened to my 08 Z, though not as prevalent as the noise in the video. Mine was more of a ticking sound like a loose rocker arm. Turned out to be bad lifters and cam. I had them replaced under warranty and have had no further issues. This was done at about 16k miles. Good luck in getting it sorted out soon.

Radical05

Well consider yourself lucky I wish I had that noise. Mine was a slightly bent main connecting rod caused from who knows what exactly (hydrolock? may never know for sure) and is in the shop to get fixed as we type. Had to wait 2 weeks to get the special order parts.

RGHIIZ06

I have a similar noise on mine, i isolated it to the passenger side of the engine. GM wants to remove and disassemble the engine to inspect. I had an extended carmax warranty. I am looking for another car now because they couldn't give me a time frame. Carmax was great with everything and has helped me out so fa

MDSilverVette

Hey, it sounds like a bad lifter. I bet if you inspect them one of the lifters is pitted! I would get it checked asap if I were you.

MDSilverVette

I bet this is exactly what it is.