LT Valve Lifter Issues
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LT Valve Lifter Issues
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2018
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From: North Texas
Still does not correct GM's bad design.
And catch cans have their own problems.
And the only correct way to correctly remove carbon is to use a walnut pressure blaster system but you got to remove a lot of parts to get to the valves.
GM should have at least used port and DI together like Toyota / Lexus etc.......
And catch cans have their own problems.
And the only correct way to correctly remove carbon is to use a walnut pressure blaster system but you got to remove a lot of parts to get to the valves.
GM should have at least used port and DI together like Toyota / Lexus etc.......
Last edited by Tinkertech; Jun 28, 2025 at 07:03 AM.
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From: The Bay, CA
I may be biased since I had a lifter failure but I am of the opinion that the problem is the lifter design. Anything other than replacing the problem lifters is just a band-aid delaying the inevitable.
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We used walnut blasting in the '90's to remove fuel deposit build up primarily on intake valves on port injected vehicles. The US gasoline companies finally reformulated their blends and intake deposits largely disappeared. Then DI comes out and we go back to the '90's. I think the 3M product is marketed as a PM service to prevent build up from causing problems in the first place.
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The article points out that stuck valves due to carbon build up with beat up the lifter. If in fact the lifter(s) is bad of course it would need to be replaced.
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2014
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From: North Texas
I can see where intake valve cleaning would be a good idea for DI engines. One question for me is, in the case of an LT4, does the cleaner get through the blower well enough to still be effective?
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: INDIANA
When I removed the intake silencer/hose assembly to install my A&A kit on my 14 Z51 C7, the silencer assembly dripped a solid trail of oil on the floor, 43K miles. Fortunately not a great build up on the valves yet but oil coating the intake ports for sure. I will be installing cans on both my vehicles.
I had a catch can on a 13 Denali with 160K miles and it stopped having oil puddled in the intake manifold so I know they work.
