Certainly cheaper than changing lifters.

I may try a quart of MMO on my next change...... Looking in the oil fill cap, it did look pretty grimey in there......

 

Are you sure that it's valve train noise? The lifters aren't so affected by throttle position as, say, injectors are.

 

Yup. It isn't so much throttle position, as engine RPM. If I step on the gas a bit harder, the trans actually shifts out of first sooner... Yeah, I don't understand that one either..... around 2600 RPM or so, it starts getting pretty noisy. I have never heard injectors that loud.

 

If you do change the lifters don't go with the cheapest(Sealed Power HT2269) like I did or you will not solve your issue. Mine rattle on startup and then quiet down after a few minutes. I've adjusted them several times but they are just loud. I rebuilt a top end on a Vortec V6 using the same brand of lifters and those are very noisy too.

I would try everything suggested in this thread and go through a couple oil changes before tearing in to it, or just live with it. Put a stethoscope on the valve cover and try to figure out which ones are loudest and make a note of them. Then you can check them when you inspect the rockers. Remove all rockers noting where each and every pushrod came from. Put a borescope in each pushrod hole and visually inspect them. You can use a magnetic retriever tool to lift the rockers while you inspect them using the camera.

 

The 8.0 uses the same lifters as the 5.9 and 5.2, so, LOTS of possibilities out there for replacements.... if I get to that point. Gonna pick up some MMO again next time I am in town, and run that again..... See what happens I guess.

 

Not sure why we have to convince a former mechanic of this.... but it's OKAY to run thicker oil! In old engines, and ours are over 40 years old guys (yes, even the V10 since its just a longer 360 with coil packs), they can run very thick oil when old and worn out. I had an old school guy fix something once down south and he suggested run straight 30w with a quart of Lucas. Now that's thick!

My truck has always drank 10w30. It's so thin it must just run right through all the pores or something. For several years I ran diesel oil - Delo 15w40 and that made the valvetrain noisier. But the 10w40 seems to be the ticket as its a little thicker so it doesn't drink as much, but thinner than diesel oil. And with Maxlife it has good additives, but does leak.

Also, before an oil change, dump a half a bottle of SEAFOAM in the crankcase and drive another week. Then drain and fill with new oil. It should help with noises. There's several videos of this proof on youtube. Stuff is very old school and will work great on old school engines.

I could go back to find my old post I referred to when I said my lifters were sticking as I was on here in 2011 but I'd rather you take my word for it. It was suggested I needed new lifters at 110k. Well, obviously, I didn't take that advice and now at 216,6xx its running fine.

Oh, and every time I change oil, the valvetrain is noisier for a while then gets quieter as the oil ages. By the time its black, engine is quiet. Just something I notice and am used to.

 

My gas mileage is already horrid, wonder how much of a dent thicker oil would put in it.

The engine does take a bit to build pressure at initial startup. (two dings for the check gauges alarm.... only one when warmed.) Pressure is strange too. Sometimes 60 at idle, sometimes 40, other times maybe 30 or so. Doesn't matter what temp the engine is. Doesn't bottom out at idle, so, may, or may not be a sensor issue.... I think the sensor is at least easier to get to on the 8.0. You can actually see it laying on your back under the truck. The truck doesn't appear to use ANY oil, that I have noticed.

One of the problems I have though is, I just don't drive much. I fill my tank once a month, at most...... So under normal circumstances, I change my oil at most three times a year...... So, cleaning additives/oil changes take a WHILE to have any effect at all.

This isn't really a 'major' problem..... It only gets really noisy on the 1-2 shift when I am starting out slow, with a cold engine. Once I get to the main roads, it doesn't hold first gear as hard, and shifts before things get really noisy. At cruising speeds, I don't hear much at all. (my hearing isn't the best though, there *might* be some light tapping, or, it might be me being paranoid. ) I am most certainly not in a hurry to tear into the engine, it runs GREAT. Plenty of power. No issues at all. Even when it is rattling to beat the band. Still smooth as silk. I have other issues I want to address before I go that deep into the motor. Heck, even pulling the passenger side valve cover is going to require me to pull the upper intake half...... Ah, such fun.

 

You're describing an engine that needs thicker oil!

The only time my pressure danced on me was when I tried going back to 10w30 sometime around 2012 and immediately switched back to 10w40. The pressure went back to perfect.

The thin oil takes much longer to build pressure when an engine is old. If you want to try draining a couple quarts and just adding like 15w40, that will give you a thicker batch for the time being. Or even straight 30 or 40.

Does it sound like pfft pfft pfft ? That's how mine sounded on start-up with a sticky lifter. Valves and clicking occurs with thicker oil or low oil and makes a clickety clickety clickety sound. I have never heard anything during driving, only at initial cold startup. If you're hearing noise while driving, could it be pinging? Ever had ping in your old 360?

Mine has pinged since day one so I'm well aware of the different noises. Or could it be a knocking?

Again, if you have no major scary sounds, just annoying ones, there are lots of snake oils you can try. Some may help.

 

No, it's definitely valve train noise. Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with the various rude noises an engine can make. When it comes, it sounds a LOT like an old chevy V-8, with the valve train WAY out of adjustment. It may just be dirty lifters..... (which is why I was considering replacing them...) or, it may be a more interesting problem.... I am going to try some more MMO, a bit higher concentration this time around, and see if it doesn't help. Last round, I really don't know if it made a difference or not.... It *seems* to be better... but, I wouldn't swear to it.

 

Might see what shape the oil pump is in. I didn't read up on it much, but apparently there are some bolts that are internal (I guess you can see them once it's removed from engine) on it, that can work their way loose.


You said it looked a little dirty inside the oil fill. Wonder what the pickup tube and screen look like.