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Lifter tick

Wayne001

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Hi all i have a 2013 vf calais with the l77 in it , i change the oil every 5000klm with penrite 5w-30 full synthetic it has done 82000km. I have noticed that i am starting to get a lifter tick and the oil change was done only 1000klm ago , is this a common thing to happen could i have a gunked up lifter already ? It is a AFM motor aswell .
 

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I have read that there is a little mesh filter that helps to further filter the oil going to the lifters. Such mesh filters are limited to AFM/DOD V8 engines of which L77 is just one that has such. I've not seen this mesh filter myself but supposedly it's under the oil sender. There is nothing about the mesh filter being cleaned or replaced within the service schedule that i am aware of.

Anyway, over time, this mesh filter may get clogged leading to reduced oil presure to the lifters and thus causing ticking noise and/or other issues. Read about this mesh filter here.

As well, there are a number of issues that result in lifter tick and service bulletin addres them. Such have impacted L77's in VE and to a less extent in VF's . Read about the VE issues and VF issues as there are may be enlightening ;)

Oh, edited to add that many also recomend lifter replaceemnt at 100,000kms which is a big cost Holden doesn't list as an item under their service scehdule. I'm not sure is such is or is not needed on standard engines?
 
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blackve76

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Sounds like you have looked after her, is tick when cold? It'd it's constant when revs rise it'd be a dead lifter, our L76 Ve ss 09 was ticky at idle but fine when running.
 

Wayne001

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When warm as far as i see it is at idle . Also i do get a chatter from the lifter on first start of the car in the morning not all the time though , it takes a second or 2 then quiter .
 
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Smashfist

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How prominent is it? With LS engines I've always worked on a "sewing machine" principle. If it sounds like a sewing machine or quieter, leave it alone. If it chirps, clacks or clunks then you have a problem.

Another thing I remember seeing on a bulletin a while back was a second pressure regulating valve in the sump that can stick open if it's got debris in it causing a low oil pressure warning/dtc but that's unlikely. Do you have any type of scan tool that would let you monitor oil pressure?
 

Banjo79

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Hi all i have a 2013 vf calais with the l77 in it , i change the oil every 5000klm with penrite 5w-30 full synthetic it has done 82000km. I have noticed that i am starting to get a lifter tick and the oil change was done only 1000klm ago , is this a common thing to happen could i have a gunked up lifter already ? It is a AFM motor aswell .
My L77 very gradually became a bit noisier somewhere around the same km's as yours +/- 15k. Now has done 155k and never got worse.
 

Wayne001

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I am not going to rip it apart for a little tick that i can live with , was just wondering what it could be at such early kilometers . Might try some lifter free and see how it goes . Thanks for all you input much appreciated.
 

Pablito

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I am not going to rip it apart for a little tick that i can live with , was just wondering what it could be at such early kilometers . Might try some lifter free and see how it goes . Thanks for all you input much appreciated.

That's the right attitude. In my experience of owning a number of them, a few seconds of ticking on a cold start is common. A bit of a tick at idle is ok too.

Ticking for a few seconds on a warm start and also while accelerating/driving = bad.
 

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... Another thing I remember seeing on a bulletin a while back was a second pressure regulating valve in the sump that can stick open if it's got debris in it causing a low oil pressure warning/dtc but that's unlikely. Do you have any type of scan tool that would let you monitor oil pressure?
Yes, there was an issue with L77 in VE according to the link I posted above where some valve would stick within the oil pump and cause low oil pressure issues; supposedly fixed in VF.

Hopefully the OP read the article I linked to. If so he may consider that the secondary mesh filter in any AFM engined vehicle can cause lifter noise on startup if is dirty and such doesn’t always flag a DTC unless the dirt causes a big drop in pressure. So worth OP monitoring oil pressure and checking DTC as suggested.

Problem with AFM vehicle’s, if it is a problem at all, is that the lifters need very clean oil and supposedly dirt as small as 3 microns is enough to cause issues. So any servicing that opens up the oil galleries (for example changing secondary mesh filter) needs to be done with complete cleanliness at heart and only one should only use high quality spin on oil filters.

I am not going to rip it apart for a little tick that i can live with , was just wondering what it could be at such early kilometers . Might try some lifter free and see how it goes . Thanks for all you input much appreciated.
+1 for what Pablito said with the added emphasis on getting someone skilled to have a listen and give the all clear ;)

After all, a forum simply can’t replace a skilled ear and what you describe verbally and how we interpret it on a forum could be poles apart. Luckily the VE/VF issues I linked too above has a video of problem lifter noise in LS2/LS7.

Maybe you’ve listened to that video though you make no reference whether your noise sounds like that or not. And as smashfists stated, if you have chirps, clacks or clunks you have a problem that you should address and ignoring such could in the worst case result in something breaking which can then cost a awful lot to repair.

Hope all goes well.
 

Smashfist

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according to the link I posted above where some valve would stick within the oil pump and cause low oil pressure issues; supposedly fixed in VF

No I know about the oil pump relief valve issues as well. There's a secondary valve threaded into the sump that limits pressure to the valvetrain as the AFM lifter pack has differing oil requirements to the non-AFM motors (notably more flow and controlled pressure). The valve in the sump can get debris in it and cause low pressure to the valvetrain.
 
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