LS7 Lifter Tick
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Apr 2026
Posts: 3
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LS7 Lifter Tick
Hello everyone, new to the forums and had a question. Hoping to get pointed in the right direction.
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 5,978
Likes: 719
Hello everyone, new to the forums and had a question. Hoping to get pointed in the right direction.
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
Safety Car
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 4,631
Likes: 1,818
From: Erlanger, Kentucky
Hello everyone, new to the forums and had a question. Hoping to get pointed in the right direction.
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
I developed what I believed to be a lifter tick in my H/C/I LS7. I swapped out lifters with the cheapo Delphi LS7 lifters, at the time I was unaware that those lifters would not work for my build. I still have a lifter tick, which I believe to be the lifter collapsing because of the heavy spring pressure and weak lifter. I am running BTR stage 4 LS7 cam (662" Lift) , BTR.685 DUAL SPRING KIT .685" LIFT, and 7.700 in. Length pushrods. When diagnosing, I unplugged bank 2 coil pack and the ticking stopped. No cylinder pressure = no tick? What does that mean?
Oil Pressure is at 22 PSI when hot. I know Chevy calls out for 20 PSI hot as acceptable. When draining the oil and cutting the filter it looked relatively clean, a few specs but nothing concerning. Please let me know what you guys think? Lifter tick or knock?
If indeed the ticking stopped when you disconnected one of the coil packs, that could indicate an exhaust leak on that cylinder. Some exhaust leaks sound exactly like a ticking lifter. Disconnecting the coil pack means no combustion, so no exhaust pressure, no exhaust leak. That should be an easy thing to check. Loosen the exhaust manifold bolts and check for black soot on the gasket.
