3800 S II lifters

troy1 · 05-23-2006, 11:20 PM

Any one have issues with theirs, Do the 3800's have much of a problem at all with them? I have a intermediate light ticking sound that really sounds like a lifter. not a injector, rod or main bearing for sure!

JonJon68 · 05-24-2006, 08:18 AM

I've been noticing the same ticking noise on my 97 GT 3800, 112,000. I notice it at start-up then it eventually subsides as it warmes up. Good question. I'll be looking for any suggestions as well. Thanks

richtazz · 05-24-2006, 02:40 PM

The only issue with lifters on 3800's is when the upper plenum goes and you get coolant in your oil. Have either of you had to replace the upper plenum, and if so, did the coolant get in the oil? IF you haven't replaced the plenum yet, you might want to check for coolant leaking around the seam between the upper plenum and the throttle body, as that is an indicator of the plenum failure common to the 95-98 VIN-K's.

JonJon68 · 05-24-2006, 04:35 PM

Yea, I had the upper plenum replaced last March. Coolant never got into the oil before it was replaced however. As far as this ticking noise, it's very subtle and I don't seem to notice it very often so perhaps it's normal, or my imagination..Man, I'm getting old....

BNaylor · 05-24-2006, 04:55 PM

I know for a fact Troy did UIM work too.

What motor oil are you guys using and what weight? Dino or synthetic.

Our Regal LS with NA Series II 3800 is as quiet as a watch as is my GTP and Regal GS.

JonJon68 · 05-24-2006, 05:26 PM

During winter I was using 5w-30 but I have switched back to 10w-30. My oil leak is getting worse also, I'm thinking that it's the pan gasket or something above that.

richtazz · 05-24-2006, 06:40 PM

I agree Bob, my 99 GP GT is so smooth and quiet, I sometimes wonder if it's still running. 3800's have a fair amount of oil pan and rear main seal leaks. GM uses such quality gaskets these days. I wish I could find out definitively who makes gaskets for GM so I can be sure to never buy aftermarket versions of their crap.

BNaylor · 05-24-2006, 06:47 PM

Yeah, on the rear main seal the biggest sign is the accumulation of oil on the starter. Hopefully that is not the case.

troy1 · 05-24-2006, 07:12 PM

10W30 val. 2500 change interval. Ran some sea foam through her yesterday and changed the oil to day thinking maybe some sludge found it way up there. I recently switched to valoline form havoline got tired of how the oil looked the valoline stays so much cleaner looking in my opinion. Yes UIM work done but no coolant ever reached the oil.

troy1 · 05-24-2006, 07:18 PM

Took 3 times posting small bits every time to do that ^^

troy1 · 05-25-2006, 02:19 PM

wouldn't the lower intake be more likely to get coolant in the oil? UIM usually leaks to the out side. do the 3800 have piston slap? I have heard 5.3L V8 and the new 4.2L I6 noisy at startup. whats with GM these days

BNaylor · 05-25-2006, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troy1

wouldn't the lower intake be more likely to get coolant in the oil? UIM usually leaks to the out side. do the 3800 have piston slap? I have heard 5.3L V8 and the new 4.2L I6 noisy at startup. whats with GM these days

From my experiences a UIM coolant leak winds up in two places...externally on the engine and then on the ground or consumed in combustion. LIM is a different story.

I believe the older Series I 3800 engines had piston slap problems. You can get piston slap in any engine but it normally takes a lot of mileage or wear n tear to do that.

On the newer GM engines the part that bugs me is they appear to consume more oil. So using a quart every 2500 miles or so may be normal according to GM.

troy1 · 05-25-2006, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bnaylor

On the newer GM engines the part that bugs me is they appear to consume more oil. So using a quart every 2500 miles or so may be normal according to GM.

Yes I agree 1qt every 2500 miles on a newer engine what’s going to happen when it get 100K on it? I think its just plain bad machining/tolerances. Put it together cheap and fast. We had a 5.3L with about 75K in the shop man did it smoke on start up after a day poor craftsmanship

richtazz · 05-26-2006, 11:27 AM

The OEM's have reduced piston ring tension over the years to try to eek out the last little bit of fuel economy by reducing friction, which of course increases oil consumption. The irony of it all is that they do it to meet EPA fuel economy standards meant to reduce pollution, while blowing oil residue into the atmosphere that is 20 times more polluting than the combustion byproducts would produce.

BNaylor · 05-26-2006, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troy1

Yes I agree 1qt every 2500 miles on a newer engine what’s going to happen when it get 100K on it? I think its just plain bad machining/tolerances. Put it together cheap and fast. We had a 5.3L with about 75K in the shop man did it smoke on start up after a day poor craftsmanship

There are quite a few GM TSBs out on piston slap and lifter ticking especially on the V8s like the 5.3L, LS1/LS2 and the 3.1L V6. I believe a lot of it has to do with the use of metal like aluminum which requires special consideration for tolerances due to thermal heat expansion. On a lot of these new engines the block and cylinder heads are aluminum alloy. On the 3.1L it was an issue of defective pistons which have a polymer coating to help reduce friction and wear.

Here is a TSB on the 5.3L engine.

http://www.pistonslap.com/tsb/010601028.pdf

GM's position is the noise does not have any effect on the longevity of the engine. Sure, we believe you GM...NOT!

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