Ok guys i just bought the wife a 99 v-6 automatic camero. It ran good and drove fine.. we took it for a sunday drive last weekend with the t-tops out. We drove about 100 miles and went to a junk yard to find a pass side door mirror. when we came out and started the car we hear a tick.. it went away pretty quick... we drove another 25 miles to lunch same thing after that. we drove the 100 miles back we had good oil pressure temp was fine all was well and we parked the car sun night.. the ticking was buggin me at work so tuesday i had the wife start the car while i had my head under the hood and it was louder. It sounds like bad lift noise.. It sounds like it is coming from both valve covers.. we let the car run for about 4 min and it did not go away.. we have good oil pressure it resets with the key runs about 60psi and goes up if you rev it a little. i am no sloutch under the hood but i have never had a car run fine and then have a noise like this..
idea's? i tried the search
thanks
Wolfy

 

Are you sure its not exhaust noise? IE, Does it get louder with engine load?

 

Use a short piece of hose, put one end to your ear and put the other end on top of valve covers to see if you can pin point where the noise is coming from. A lifter can collapse and make a ticking noise even with good oil pressure. How loud is the ticking? Could be several things making the noise depending on where it is coming from within the engine compartment.

 

it was fine before.. the ticking sunday was not very loud and was only at start up.. now it will not quit.. it is very loud.. it is not exhaust it is coming from the valve covers.. both sides.. i am wondering if i am not getting oil to the top end?
thanks for the responces..
Wolfy

 

Definitely sounds like a lifter. Do you know what weight oil is being run in it? Hard to imagine oil not getting to the top end with that kind of pressure. I would think if that was the case, then there would be signs of other issues.

 

Check out:
http://www.pistonslap.com/

 

More than likely on a 3.8 its the lifters, they arent too expensive and arent too bad to replace either. I had a tick just like your saying, audible while driving even with the hood closed and all that, I replaced all 12 lifters and no noise at all. I had 10 out of 12 lifters were very obviously collapsed.

 

I would agree with ^. You should also change out the filter and fresh oil when you change the lifters.

 

wow i would not think it would be the lifters themselevs but hey thats why i asked for help because i didnt know.. It just seems weired to me that they all started ticking at the same time.. is all.. i plan on pulling one rocker box today and seeing if i have oil... if i do not have oil i guess the only reason would be bad lifters? could a spun rod bearing or cam bearing cause this? i am not sure how these 6 cyl. oil systems work.. i am use to the older v-8's
thanks
Wolfy

 

i think its the lifters. it is weird that they all started going at the same time. could possibly be that your cam is wearing down. just remember if you decide to adjust the valves yourself i believe you need the engine to be hot.