Lifter Failure

[Doc]

Don't know if anybody is keeping track, but on may way back from Shreveport, LA to Dallas last Friday got bad vibration and valve train noise. Finally set code P304 and car would shake bad. Car is a 2009 G8 GT with 60000 miles.

Car now at Classic Chevy Grapevine and they are installing new Cam and Lifters on GM. Car had been shaking for about a month or two.

Just a side note, tried to take Car to Young Chevrolet, Dallas this past Monday morning, but they would not give me a Loaner Car untill they had two days to diagnose problem. Called Classic that morning and got new Malibu LT for Loner. Suggest avoid Young Chevrolet.

[johnbell2]

Ouch, sorry to hear that. Hope they get you back in your G8 soon!

[texn884]

Make sure they take the oil pan off becasue there is going to be tons on metal in the oil, like mine had and the engine was replaced a few weeks later becasue all the new lifters and cam were scored.

MAKE sure you check the oil before you pick the car up since there are 3 versions on engines oil capacities: 2009 takes 8.8 quarts, 2009.5 takes 8 quarts and you could get a V6 engine that takes 5 quarts.

Look for my multi page post and read my horror story.

any questions send me a note.

Curtis

[Chooch]

Did you get any other noise before this happened. I know I get a slight vibration when in 4 cylinder mode, and a cold start tick, but if this type is similar to what you had before this failure, I might try and be proactive on this with the dealer where I bought the car

[texn884]

None it just started making a loud ticking noise but ran good.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/texn884/IMG-20110901-00030.jpg

[Doc]

On my car, got lifter noise on start-up one time last winter. But vibration, which I call passenger seat shaking since I bought in Oct, 2009. It was just more noticeable when I left last Friday morning and got worse as the day progressed. The car just did not feel right. Then lifter noise started about half way back to Dallas.
Hope virbration is gone when I get G8 back. Also asked Classic to look at rear main, let's see if they pull the pan. Might have to force the issue.

[texn884]

If they dont all the work will be done for nothing. Best case the engine needs to be flushed after the repair. The GM store in Ennis did my first repair and it did not make it 400 miles becasue they never filled it full of oil, 4 quarts low plus they said the oil pan does not need to be dropped, extra work in their mind. All the metal in the engine casue lifters and cam to be scored and plus there was a upper engine noise from being almost half full of oil.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/texn884/eae4610e.jpg
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/texn884/43542c53.jpg

Result I got a new Engine at 98,400 miles

[Doc]

Ok, picked up by G8 Friday afternoon from Classic Chevy, Grapevine. First when I arrived at about 3:30, they could not find paper work. Service Writer said he took car back to service to install new new engine cover that had just come in. Last time I had car there for Air Conditioning check, they left off and when I went to get it was all scracthed up. Made Service Writer show me cam and lifters. Number 4 lifter and lobe on cam scored and pitted like in texn884 picture. Asked if they removed oil pan and he said no, but they did find my oil filter ruppered and he could not find it to show me? Supposely my rear main leak?

Got paper work and started reading and showed they had only charged out 6qts Mobil 1. They took back to service and added oil. On the drive home, car ran very good with very little vibration and gas mileage did increase.

When I got home, checked oil again and noticed new Engine Cover loose. Took off and found Tech had run one of the EVP lines on top of injectors. Also found bottom radiator hose not on all the way, one of the top radiator mounts not pushed all the way down. He had also broke three of my push pins on Roto Fab Radiator Cover. Spent today correcting some, will spend tomorrow fixing EVP line.

Sure would like to find a local dealer who cares about their qualitly of work.

[texn884]

Well come to San Antonio to Freedom Chevy talk to Al.
See was I right on them not filling the engine with oil!

Did they change all the lifters?

I would drive it and then dump the oil and filter to get the remaining metal out of the engine.

Amazing how dealers dont give a fuck about their work and their techs. I am lucky to have a great Chevy store here in town.

[edfiero]

I wonder how much of these lifter failures we can blame on the the fact that they have cut way back on the zinc and other wear inhibitors in today's Oil???

[neuralfraud]

Figured I would add to this rather than start yet another new thread on the topic:

A couple of months back I took my car into the dealer for some trans work + oil change. a week or so later i noticed short duration lifter ticking on start up.. but only 1-2 seconds tops.... it would come and go. I finally decided to check the oil on a hunch that maybe the GM dealer didn't know how much oil a l76 motor requires... i mean.. who would ever even imagine that?

So I checked it and it was 2.5 qts down. That doesnt even make sense. they would have had to knowingly put 6+ quarts in - what other GM LS series motors take 6.x quarts of oil that they could have possibily confused this with?

Anyhow, lifter tick comes and goes but yesterday (the 25th/nov/11) I heard lifter tick for a good minute. it got quiter after about 5-10 seconds, but persisted ever so faintly. Now I'm afraid i've waited too long to blame them but im gonna have to go in and complain. problem is they'll probably not hear anything and that'll be a waste of time+money..

Are there any magic words to force them to do a proper investigation of a known issue such as the lifters or even the 2-3 shift flare?

sorry if that's OT.

[todds87ss]

I wonder how much of these lifter failures we can blame on the the fact that they have cut way back on the zinc and other wear inhibitors in today's Oil???

Look the limited number of failures in 4th gen camaros and GTOs and NON-dod vetts. I'd say it's all due to DoD (unless someone can offer evidence to suggest otherwise).

[G8-4-Speed]

None it just started making a loud ticking noise but ran good.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/texn884/IMG-20110901-00030.jpg

I have change 2 non-dod LS motors with the exact same lifter damage.

[MR_JIZZ_G8]

figured i would add to this rather than start yet another new thread on the topic:

A couple of months back i took my car into the dealer for some trans work + oil change. A week or so later i noticed short duration lifter ticking on start up.. But only 1-2 seconds tops.... It would come and go. I finally decided to check the oil on a hunch that maybe the gm dealer didn't know how much oil a l76 motor requires... I mean.. Who would ever even imagine that?

So i checked it and it was 2.5 qts down. That doesnt even make sense. They would have had to knowingly put 6+ quarts in - what other gm ls series motors take 6.x quarts of oil that they could have possibily confused this with?

Anyhow, lifter tick comes and goes but yesterday (the 25th/nov/11) i heard lifter tick for a good minute. It got quiter after about 5-10 seconds, but persisted ever so faintly. Now i'm afraid i've waited too long to blame them but im gonna have to go in and complain. Problem is they'll probably not hear anything and that'll be a waste of time+money..

Are there any magic words to force them to do a proper investigation of a known issue such as the lifters or even the 2-3 shift flare?

Sorry if that's ot.

as long as your g8 is under 100k your powertrain warranty will cover the cam and lifter repair

[AVIDMOTION]

I been complaining about my lifter tap since I had it, dealer said he would change them out, come on in, but when really questioned did not really seem to be aware of the lifter problem and no one else has complained to them. So far my dealer has been very fair, I dont ask the impossible just whats fair, and they have been very good so far, but them not aware of this issue concerns me. So I wait.

[MIEngineer]

Result I got a new Engine at 98,400 miles

You must really drive the thing to have 98k plus already...impressive.

My GXP already had new lifters done. Tech did a nice job...talked to him personally. Wish the service writer would've listened to me though for the other stuff.

[ULTRA Z]

My friends is tapping a little he is at 85,000 ish miles mine went out At 62000 miles i had one lifter that turned sidways several damaged the cam was damaged they even replace all the cam bearings :)

[09G8DC]

None it just started making a loud ticking noise but ran good.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab271/texn884/IMG-20110901-00030.jpg

Was that the #2 Cylinder?

[texn884]

It was #6. I saw that picture and thought shit that looked just like my lifter.
I enjoyed every mile I put on her and glad she gets to rest now and it is a nice weather car now.:thumbsup:

[soup070]

Sorry Old Thread, but going to pic mine up tomorrow from a lifter/cam fail after a week of work under warranty (42k). Since new this car has had RP oil, but it seams that DOD lifters suck. Basically I never had any tapping then on day last week it started and sounded like a VW 70s Bug. I tried to get GM to install a New Era DOD cam if I supply the parts but no go. I hope it runs like a champ when I get her back.

[neuralfraud]

Hah funny thing, these lifters.

Now as I sit here, almost 140k on the ODO, it sounds like it wants to give up the ghost. I figure I'm living on borrowed time here, but the thing that really gets me is that I've taken it into the dealer and complained about the noise at least 3 times (pretty much every time ive been there) and it was the same answer each time "They all do that" or "You should hear the 5.3!!"

As far as I'm concerned, this issue predates my warranty expiring and I don't exactly have coin to drop on a valvetrain R&R.

Here's some videos with noise for everyone's entertainment.

1: At autozone after checking the oil (always run synthetic, especially since I don't always get frequent oil changes, but my driving consists of driving 54 miles on the interstate twice a day..)
http://youtu.be/ws849cDo3vE

2: At home a few days later (today) - throttle set to 1800 RPM, trying to discern the source
http://youtu.be/79aYQ7q2jqE

3: Same session - 2100 RPM. I noticed the sound seems most prominent on drivers side, but also sounds like it is coming from inside the motor (of course thats where the lifters are) - but enough so to make me think timing chain... but that's rare with these cars it seems
http://youtu.be/QNf_KvsQ-qA

So now I am dealing with the reality of having to dig into this motor and fix it before something really goes titsup...



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