Options for sticking lifters?

[1500z71]

Hey guys, just want to hear your thoughts and opinions on this. Four years ago I had a lifter issue on my ‘93 5.7 that kind of resolved itself and went away after switching to a heavier oil. Well now that I am daily driving it again the issue has crept back up. It’s begun to do it on long interstate rides or when pulling a boat a good ways. I added some marvel mystery oil 300 miles ago and it seemed to help, it made it quieter and now it will come and go, instead of usually starting and not stopping and getting worse until I shut the truck off for hours. What are some options to consider? I can do the lifters, not an ideal decision, but that may be most feasible for my situation now. Maybe change the oil and run a fresh round of MMO through it? Long term, I guess I could start looking at swaps. Crate 5.7, 383, 454, LS 5.3, but that would be the hardest and would have to be put off for a long time. I’d love to hear what you guys think, though.

Motor has 177 on the clock, and I’m quite sure it’s the lifters by my research, it’s in the back of the motor and the louder it gets the less power the truck has. I have a link somewhere to a video. Thanks!

 

[long_bed]

I did a seafoam crankcase flush about 7000 miles ago for an occasional ticking lifter and switched from 10w40 to 5w30 high mileage full synthetic. Also, got rid of some cheapo no-name oil filter on there and switched to a better model that I could find locally.

Haven't heard the noise since. I believe my lifter got loud due to trash or sludge building up in the lifters or oil passages somewhere. My motor still doesn't burn or leak hardly any oil between changes at 202K miles now. I get slightly higher oil pressure and it runs a little smoother. At some point I will pull the valve covers and do a valve adjustment since it seems to be pretty stable again.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

Years ago, we used to throw in a couple cans of STP, rev the piss out of the engine for a few minutes, and then change the oil. Sometimes it'd work, sometimes it wouldn't.

 

[sewlow]

Why my '97 had a tick. Just the one. Caught it before it started to eat the cam lobe.
Tried lots of 'cures' beforehand. Heavier oil. STP. Lucas. A quart of trans fluid in the crank-case. (High detergent) Eventually it was constant.

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[SAATR]

Buy a couple of cans of BG EPR and enough cheap oil and filters for 2 oil changes. Run the BG EPR in the engine, as directed, and change the oil. Put around 1500 miles on the new oil and repeat the process. Then run that for 1500 miles and change again. Then, after that 1500 miles, run whatever oil and filter you want. If that doesn't fix it, you're going to have to pull the intake and pull the lifters for inspection.

 

[1500z71]

Buy a couple of cans of BG EPR and enough cheap oil and filters for 2 oil changes. Run the BG EPR in the engine, as directed, and change the oil. Put around 1500 miles on the new oil and repeat the process. Then run that for 1500 miles and change again. Then, after that 1500 miles, run whatever oil and filter you want. If that doesn't fix it, you're going to have to pull the intake and pull the lifters for inspection.

What does the BG EPR stand for? I haven’t ever heard of that

 

[1500z71]

Why my '97 had a tick. Just the one. Caught it before it started to eat the cam lobe.
Tried lots of 'cures' beforehand. Heavier oil. STP. Lucas. A quart of trans fluid in the crank-case. (High detergent) Eventually it was constant.

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Seeing this makes me want to go ahead and dive into it to try and prevent that

 

[1500z71]

I did a seafoam crankcase flush about 7000 miles ago for an occasional ticking lifter and switched from 10w40 to 5w30 high mileage full synthetic. Also, got rid of some cheapo no-name oil filter on there and switched to a better model that I could find locally.

Haven't heard the noise since. I believe my lifter got loud due to trash or sludge building up in the lifters or oil passages somewhere. My motor still doesn't burn or leak hardly any oil between changes at 202K miles now. I get slightly higher oil pressure and it runs a little smoother. At some point I will pull the valve covers and do a valve adjustment since it seems to be pretty stable again.

Your mileage may vary.

That’s the best I would describe mine, occasional ticking lifter. What exactly is involved in a seafoam flush?

 

[SAATR]

What does the BG EPR stand for? I haven’t ever heard of that

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[MIHELA]

You can put a quart of ATF in at the next oil change and then change it at 500 miles. That can dissolve a lot of sludgy build up.