NEED HELP 5.3 ticking noise

Bitchin Rado

Bitchin Rado

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Joined
Sep 9, 2025
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12
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Freehold, New Jersey
Hello all I’m new here and this is my Rado. 2002 Silverado 1500 IMG_0120.jpeg
Lately she’s been having a ticking noise for the past few months. It’s constant, though sometimes it may be either louder or quieter on startup and then as I drive it either may get slightly quieter or stay the same. I’ve brought it to five shops all of which either did nothing about it or told me I need a new engine and threw me a completely unreasonable estimate.
Three of said shops told me it was a lifter, one of the fore mentioned confused my truck with a second gen with AFM. However one thing I have noticed is that I have three broken exhaust manifold bolts. Two on the driver side manifold, the very first and very last, and one on the passenger side manifold. The very first. I’m just wondering is it a lifter? Or is it an exhaust leak? I have no misfires, no check engine codes, and supposedly all the rockers were tight and had no movement, which I would find funny if it was a lifter. If it is a lifter, what can I do to quiet it? I’ve tried several additives and nothing seems to work and trying to replace the lifters and cam myself is beyond my skill level and impossible with what little tools I have and the fact I have no garage. Not to mention basically all the shops came up with some BS excuse to not fix it, except one who was willing to do it but I needed the truck for school. Shout out to Freehold Tire Pros for their honesty. Another shop told me it was not a big deal and that all 5.3s tick eventually, which I believe, but not this loudly. I’d appreciate someone who could help me with this stupid thing. It’s really a pain in the rear to hear all the time and being in school is just gonna get me laughed at.
 
When you stand by it, do you smell exhaust? If yes, then probably an exhaust leak
 
To me, it sounds more like a lifter tick. With manifold exhaust leaks, they usually get quieter when it gets hot as things expand and don't sound as sharp. The video might make it sound like that though. Try and look around the manifolds to see if there is any carbon showing at the manifold which would show a leak.

Those Dorman clamps might work if there isn't something else bolted on the front or back of the head. Different ones are specified for the different positions and if there is an EGR or not.

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Looks like you'll need two 917-107 for the rear left and right front (if there's no EGR in the way) and a 917-142 for the left front.
 
Mooseman said:
To me, it sounds more like a lifter tick. With manifold exhaust leaks, they usually get quieter when it gets hot as things expand and don't sound as sharp. The video might make it sound like that though. Try and look around the manifolds to see if there is any carbon showing at the manifold which would show a leak.

Those Dorman clamps might work if there isn't something else bolted on the front or back of the head. Different ones are specified for the different positions and if there is an EGR or not.

Dorman Products - Aftermarket Auto Parts & OE Solutions - Search Results

Dorman gives auto repair professionals and vehicle owners greater freedom to fix cars and trucks by focusing on solutions first.
www.dormanproducts.com www.dormanproducts.com

Looks like you'll need two 917-107 for the rear left and right front (if there's no EGR in the way) and a 917-142 for the left front.
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it used to go away on its own but one day it just started and never stopped. I thought the gasket may have warped due to the constant change in temp.
 
Or burned through. You'll need to have a look with a mirror or borescope. If that's the case, the clamps wouldn't work and you'll be in for a full R&R of those bolts.
 
Two options to try and listen for the location of the noise. A stethoscope with the metal tip to listen for the internal lifter tick and/or a flexible tube with one end to your ear and the other moved back and forth along the exhaust manifold to listen for the leak.
 
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I am thinking he has a collapsed lifter, or a bent pushrod, maybe even a shaved cam lobe. Worst case, a dropped valve seat.

He should be able to pull the valve cover off, and check the tension of each rocker. If its loose, that would show damage of either a bent pushrod, or a collapsed lifter.

If that checks out, then roll the engine over slowly by hand. You should be able to look down the lifters, and each lifter should sit at the same level across all 8 lifters. If one sits higher, or even lower, that could indicate a dropped valve seat. Also, each lifter should move the same amount, at the top of the cam lobe profile. If it doesnt, than that would indicate a possible shaved cam lobe, or collapsed lifter.
 
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TollKeeper said:
I am thinking he has a collapsed lifter, or a bent pushrod, maybe even a shaved cam lobe. Worst case, a dropped valve seat.

He should be able to pull the valve cover off, and check the tension of each rocker. If its loose, that would show damage of either a bent pushrod, or a collapsed lifter.

If that checks out, then roll the engine over slowly by hand. You should be able to look down the lifters, and each lifter should sit at the same level across all 8 lifters. If one sits higher, or even lower, that could indicate a dropped valve seat. Also, each lifter should move the same amount, at the top of the cam lobe profile. If it doesnt, than that would indicate a possible shaved cam lobe, or collapsed lifter.
Click to expand...
Say it was a bent pushrod or collapsed lifter wouldn’t that cause a misfire?
 
And it would run like crap. But the lifter could be just stuck at a particular position so it could still be opening the valve but not adjusting itself, sorta like an old solid lifter.
 
Another thing I just thought of, but I have no idea how you would check it..

The lifter may have turned in its tray. The tray is plastic, and this is a known problem. When the lifter turns, it can wipe a cam lobe.
 
TollKeeper said:
Another thing I just thought of, but I have no idea how you would check it..

The lifter may have turned in its tray. The tray is plastic, and this is a known problem. When the lifter turns, it can wipe a cam lobe.
Click to expand...
Yikes hopefully it’s just sticking because it does seem to quiet down after long periods of driving
 
Bitchin Rado said:
Yikes hopefully it’s just sticking because it does seem to quiet down after long periods of driving
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That could be one of 2 things... After long periods of driving, the lifter could be getting pumped back up, even partially, with oil...

The other one.. The lifter could have turned in the tray, and be lined up with the cam... For the moment.
 
TollKeeper said:
That could be one of 2 things... After long periods of driving, the lifter could be getting pumped back up, even partially, with oil...

The other one.. The lifter could have turned in the tray, and be lined up with the cam... For the moment.
Click to expand...
Also that happened after I added some Lucas to the oil if that makes any sense
 
If the lifter did turn, the cam would be wiped out and there would be metal in the oil. No coming back from that.
 
Also I just remembered that the O rings on the oil pickup tubes of these trucks crack and go bad and end up sucking air into the oil pump around 150k, mine has 180k now. Though I have good oil pressure around 40 at cold idle and 30-35 at hot. Could it still be a cause of the noise?
 
Just for one lifter? I doubt it. Those pressures look normal to me.
 
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