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Hydraulic lifter replacement on Alloytec v6

seano87

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Hi all, I started my car up early one morning only to hear dreaded ticking noise coming from one side of the engine. I assumed oil was low and it was so I topped up but ever since the ticking noise has remained. I assume one or more of the hydraulic lifters may have been damaged from oil starvation. Has anyone had success replacing them or even had a mechanic replace them before? Trying to work out if it's worth doing or if it will be better to replace the engine
 

99notout

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The use a stationary hydraulic lash adjusters (SHLA), and if one or more run out of oil they can get an air lock in the high pressure chamber that is almost impossible to clear.

Here is the caution note from the service manual:

Ensure each lash adjuster (1) is filled with
clean engine oil and the adjuster does not
tip over, plunger down, before the
installation. The loss of oil in the adjuster
lower pressure chamber, or the dry
stroking/cycling of the adjuster plunger, will
allow air to enter the high pressure chamber
of the valve lifter. Air in the high pressure
chamber of the adjuster may not be purged
causing cavitation and extensive engine
component damage.

If one is stuffed, it is a big job.

Try emptying the oil, and filling with a 0-30 weight synthetic and hope that it gets in there.
 

diysv6

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The use a stationary hydraulic lash adjusters (SHLA), and if one or more run out of oil they can get an air lock in the high pressure chamber that is almost impossible to clear.
Here is the caution note from the service manual:
Air in the high pressure chamber of the adjuster may not be purged causing cavitation and extensive engine component damage.
If one is stuffed, it is a big job.
Try emptying the oil, and filling with a 0-30 weight synthetic and hope that it gets in there.

Thanks for the heads-up 99notout.
I thought the expenses around the timing chain cover leak/timing chain gear replacement/ECU replacement/BCM and key set replacement were the quick devaluers of the older VZs.
Now a noisy tappet seems another one of these questions asking - what do I do with the car now?

seano87,
Any idea how much oil you were down, or do you have a sludge buildup blocking the oil galleries, oil pump pickup etc.?
Were you losing oil through a blocked PCV in the odd cylinder engine cover?



Not wanting to hijack your problem, but looking at images of the cylinder head to get an idea of the hydraulic lifter problem, I located two bungs screwed into the upper head surface either side of the centre cylinder spark plug tube.
Are they water jacket bungs?
If so, are they a source of water entry into the crankcase when corrosion sets in?
Could these be the source of the "cracked head" or suspected blown cylinder head gasket type problems some of our members have reported?

Genuine Holden VZ VE V6 Alloytec Cylinder Head Right RH NEW | eBay
 
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