I got a 2000 gmc Jimmy with an obvious 4.3l. Lol. But when the engine is cold there is a ticking, witch gets faster as the rpms increase. But if i let it idle for a couple minutes it goes away, and also goes away with in a half mile of driving. But once it's gone it's gone. Until it has cooled down and sat for a while. It has proper oil pressure. Running 5w-30 for winter.

But I'm not sure if it's a sticky lifter (I'm assuming its a lifter tick and not a piston slap) or with these chilly Wisconsin temps, the oil thickens quite a bit and it simply is taking a moment longer to get to the lifters. Or if I'm looking at needing new lifters, intake gasket, or something more serious.

One of my friends said it's nothing to worry about and that a "gm mechanic" told him that if the lifters don't make noise then there is something wrong. Witch sounds like an UNGODLY MASSIVE load of BS to me, but idk.

I trust what u guys say more then that "gm mechanic". I've personly been banned from that dealer ship from getting into an arguing match with one of their service technicians, they didn't like me proving them wrong. Cuz their the experts...... Blah. Sorry bout the little end rant, lol

 

Also it has right about 150k miles on it

 

as the lifters get a bit worn it could take them a bit to fill with oil (specially if it's cold outside) the other thing is are you sure it's a tick and not a clunk that sounds like a tick. The cylinders and cylinder walls heat at different rates (aka expand at different rates). My truck always makes a little ruckus when I first start it when it's cold outside (East lansing MI doesn't get as cold as wisconsin but it's close)

 

Start off with... it aint bearings. Bearings make more racket when engine started warm.

Second: If that's what that ASE certified paper hanging on the wall GM Professional actually SAID, it is Bull****. The parts of the lifter that holds pressure doesnt wear to speak of.. and again if it does it would tick more when started after sitting in hot weather.
Actually Lifter get gunked up. Usually from improper maintenance and using oils named after a state that isnt Texas and not changed often enough for the driving patterns.

Third.. I will bet that when you get spells of overnight warm weather, the incidence decreases.. and if you think about cars where you have heard lifter noise as they started or drove by, that was a louder slightly higher pitch.

ergo.. 95% sure it's piston slap. You dont like it.. get a bottle of Lucas and pour half of it in while engine warm and running. Bet it stops in about a hundred miles or sooner.

It did in mine. I'd heard of piston slap but never had it until I got the Bravadiva.
OTOH, some say Lucas wont make any difference because the real culprit is Piston dome deposits.. if so, that would seem to call for a Seafoam treatment. Which I aint about to do.

 

Appreciate the comments, also on a kinda side note ive been useing Restore sofar only in the last 2 oil changes, think i should keep useing it?

 

Eh,it might hurt it,it might not. I had a sunfire that had #90 in cylinder 2. Started using restore and it bumped up to 120. used it till the trans blew and scrapped it.


Try doing a oil change with 10w30,and add a bottle of seafoam in the crankcase. drive it for 100 miles and change the oil back to 5w 30. The lifters might be dirty causing the tick.

 

Lower intake manifold gaskets like to leak coolant on these things. If they leak internally, (very common) the coolant will dilute the oil and cause lifter noise on cold start ups. At first it's only for a second or two, usually on only one, sometimes two lifters but as more coolant gets into the oil it ticks progressively longer during warm up. A cooling system pressure test, both hot and cold, will determine if there's a leak. If you need to keep adding coolant, and can't find a leak, this just might be the problem. Piston slap, BTW, is also quite common on the 4.3L & moreso on the 5.3L GM engines. Friend of mine has a 5.3L in a Yukon that's been hammering cold for about 80K miles.

 

Thanks for the info guys, REALLY appreciate it.

I guess what I'll do is get a bottle of Lucas, and put that in, if that don't help then Ill look into sea foaming it. And then if that do t work looks like this summer I'll be getting a new LIM gasket.

Also when I do my next oil change (1000 more miles-ish) I was thinking of switching to a full synthetic, any opinion on brands?

 

Well pettyfog, as usual you were right, *applause* lol. Must be piston slap, i added a bottle of lucas to the oil, and i havent heard it since. And since its starting to warm up here , im going to be going back to 10w-30. With switching to a full synthetic, do i need to add lucas to every oil change? Should i keep useing Restore? Or is there something else i should use, or you think straight up oil will be fine?

 

Nope, you dont have to. Might want to use about 1/4 bottle till summer, dont need more with the Mobil1 till next winter. Believe me.. I dont believe in additives; it's just when it's last ditch or fixes annoyances.

Check Walmart for the jug of Mobil1 , think it's as cheap as you can find full synth. Mind you.. change the filter at 3000 or less. Mobil1 is going to clean any crap left from dino.