Floating Lifters??
 

My engine, LS1 V8, has been making this horrible noise lately. It's almost like a pinging noise that you could get from putting bad gas in your car. When I took my car to get an oil change and the rear pinion seal replaced at a Pontiac Dealership, I asked them to take a look at it. They told me that the "lifters in the engine are floating". The guy seemed not concerned with it and didn't even suggest getting it fixed. But I asked him, of course, how much it would cost because I hate the sound. He told me $600-700. But insisted that I really didn't need to get it fixed because its no harm to the engine or the car in anyway. Does anyone know anything about this?? Should I be concerned? Thanks!

Alicia

Never heard of "lifter float", just valve float....

I don't suppose he explained this any further, did he?

- Justin

ps - nice to see you back here, it's been awhile.

does it do it all the time or at a higher RPM?

I think its a LS1 thing mine does it all the time.... Look up "piston slap" on the internet there is alot about LS1s and GM getting sued lol.

the vette does the same thing at idle every once and a while consider it an ls1 thing.

I don't think a dealership could fix piston slap in an LS1 for $600-700. Can't be that.

- Justin

It makes the noise all of the time. It's worse when the engine is cold, and is heard less once it warms up. And I tried to get more information of them, but they wouldn't tell me more! Sometimes being a girl does have its disadvantages, I really think thats why he wouldn't tell me anything else! He just kept saying "It's nothing to worry about". What's this piston slap thing? I'll have to look that up.

Alicia

P.S. Thanks Justin, It has been a while. I guess you can say I have been hibernating with the car for the winter!

Its probably just a lifter that sticks a bit. Mine makes a lil noise on start up, then goes away after a few minutes. I tried to get it warrantied but they wouldnt do it. It's noise but I doubt its going to hurt anything.

Piston slap is when the piston doesn't fit tightly into the bore and when the engine is cold and the rings aren't expanded yet it "bounces" around off the bore walls. As it heats up and the rings expand it quiets down as the rings usually move towards the walls. This is very common with engines that have forged pistons as I believe they have a greater thermal expansion which means the cold clearances are greater. I heard that there was a problem similar to this on one of the GM truck engines in the NBS trucks...might have been the 5.3

FEMALE!? PICS!

I think its piston slap. Dennis' LS1 TA with only like 1200 miles does it.

Haha, my myspace link is on the pictures thread in the lounge section. I think you were around when I was first on here like....a year and a half ago maybe??? It's been a while, but I always stop in for a look see. Put comments here and there, but not often.


I don't like this piston slap thing. Is it almost like saying my engine was built on a friday and they rushed???? Of course my engine sounded great today with the warmer weather and the long drive to New Hope and back. Is there anything I can do to help a little, oil treatment....anything? It's just making me cranky knowing that my engine officially sucks!

Alicia

Has nothing to do with the engine's performance. It's just the overall characteristic of that design. Nothing you do will help it that much....treatments and such can do more harm than good. Just get a louder exhaust or turn the radio up.

i had piston slap and oil consumption...now i have a ventilated block and oil pan, lol thanks to the #1 rod..but that was a different cause.

:funny:

sound ss like mr goodwrench dosnt know what hes talking about to me, or thinks because your a girl you wouldnt understand! lifter float is when the lifter jumps off the cam due to a steep ramp speed on the cam, pro stock guys use it to there advantage if they are only alowed .500 lift on there cam. they make the lifter catch air gettting more lift at high rpm. But that isnt something that would happen with your car, and it is making the nois at all rpm wich dosnt indicate lifter float. a lifter could be colapsed but that dosnt happen to often. if the noise gets loud id get it fixed but hopefully its nothing that will cost lots of money!