Tick, tick tick...

2K GAGT 3.4 w/88k making this ticking sound for first 3-4 minutes.... Was fine until a new intake gasket was installed. Lifter noise was my first guess but shouldn't those be self adjusting hydro units? Going to try a bit of good ol' Sea Foam in both gas and oil to see what loosens up but maybe someone else has had similar problem? It's really loud and yet seems harmless at this time. Oil pressure at start is at least 55 psi and I'm using Lucas Oil Stabilizer with synthetic oil.

:dunno:

Lifters do go bad from time to time and when they fail to hold pressure they will tick until the pressure builds up. If the noise stays you can try a heavier weight oil that will sometimes eliminate the issue. As for the oil stabilizer I wouldn't use it if you are running synthetic. Synthetic oil is very stable and does not break down like dyno oil so the stabilizer is really un-necessary.

Ok, so is this something I should worry about and replace asap or just annoying? Is this "bad" lifter still functional or is it not working when the noise is present? There doesn't appear to me any miss or loss of power but if this could create a worse condition I can have it repaired while still under dealer warranty but if it's only the noise I'd rather wait as at the moment this is my only vehicle.

Don't sweat it. Lifters can tick for thousands of miles with no adverse effects. If you find that you are down on performance or the lifter ticking gets louder than get it repaired. Also make sure that it is the lifter. Injectors will tick too!