Sometimes it is just better to pop the hood...

littleblazer

Original poster
Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,265
So lately I've become the resident mechanic for all things gm around the house. I don't mind and all so it's good. Well a couple months ago I had pointed out that the sierra seemed like it had a lifter tick or an exhaust leak. More so an exhaust leak in my opinion. Well fast forward to yesterday and my father asks what would make the truck run a little rough at idle and smell rich. I rattled off some things but at 200k I said maybe fuel pressure regulator or injectors. So I said I'd hook up the tech 2 and do a power balance. That night I'm playing and I just say "that exhaust leak sound louder?" He said maybe so I popped the hood to see if the bolt heads broke off like on the other side. Now what I notice is the plug boot (the ls uses this metal can over the plug... just look it up) is moving. So I am like okay I can see the exhaust leak is somewhere around there. Then for the hell of it I turn it a little. Then a little more. Then the boot gets hard to turn. Long story short this plug is like a full turn out from being snug. Not even tight.

So I guess it pays to check things out every once and a while. The truck had a tuneup done this spring at a reputable shop and I get it. Mistakes happen. But I guess it couldn't hurt to check and verify the work you have done. Don't know why I'm posting this but I found it humorous in a way.
 

Capote

Supporting Donor
Member
Jul 14, 2014
24,227
Atlanta, GA
So lately I've become the resident mechanic for all things gm around the house. I don't mind and all so it's good. Well a couple months ago I had pointed out that the sierra seemed like it had a lifter tick or an exhaust leak. More so an exhaust leak in my opinion. Well fast forward to yesterday and my father asks what would make the truck run a little rough at idle and smell rich. I rattled off some things but at 200k I said maybe fuel pressure regulator or injectors. So I said I'd hook up the tech 2 and do a power balance. That night I'm playing and I just say "that exhaust leak sound louder?" He said maybe so I popped the hood to see if the bolt heads broke off like on the other side. Now what I notice is the plug boot (the ls uses this metal can over the plug... just look it up) is moving. So I am like okay I can see the exhaust leak is somewhere around there. Then for the hell of it I turn it a little. Then a little more. Then the boot gets hard to turn. Long story short this plug is like a full turn out from being snug. Not even tight.

So I guess it pays to check things out every once and a while. The truck had a tuneup done this spring at a reputable shop and I get it. Mistakes happen. But I guess it couldn't hurt to check and verify the work you have done. Don't know why I'm posting this but I found it humorous in a way.
I had an annoying ticking for almost a year in like 2013, I thought it was an exhaust leak, but I could never locate one, not a vacuum leak either. It got to the point where both me and Brandon thought it had to be a lifter sticking. So we pulled the valve cover, replaced all the lifters, cleaned up everything in the area, and put the valve cover back. Still was ticking...... so several months go by and I pretty much gave up. Then one day I happened to get a misfire on cylinder 4 or 5 was it? Can't remember which, but basically the coil pack that sits closest to the firewall perch. So I removed it and oh my god, that thing was full of water. That whole time it was arching that I was hearing...... Once I replaced the coil pack and plug, my truck's engine was quite as hell and it ran better too. It was baffling how something so simple was overlooked. I guess at the time it was just condensation built up and not full-blown flooded yet because of the shrunken coil pack seal.
 

Mounce

Member
Mar 29, 2014
13,667
Tuscaloosa, AL
Found same thing on our 03 Silverado (5.3) we used to have. Popped the hood before we left on a 400 mile trip and noticed a plug boot wobbling while it was running, plug was loose. Was running absolutely fine though. Blame was on me, had done a tuneup on it. Just worked loose over time I reckon, was definitely tight when I was done with it, just maybe not tight enough I guess.
 

shovenose

Member
Apr 24, 2016
318
SF Bay Area, CA
Yeah I chased a ticking noise in my 99 Burb 5.7 for a while, turned out one of the plugs was damaged. ACDelco plugs put in like a week prior to the noise starting. Guess they dropped one and put it in anyway. Lesson learned, do it yourself :biggrin: only found that issue because I was doing something else under the hood and noticed one plug wire vibrating oddly...
 
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