A less engine invasive method of determining which lifter is your problem is to remove your valve covers. Use a mechanics stethescope ( I bought mine for $4 at Northern tool and equipment ) and with the engine running place the end of the stethescope on the rocker arm bolt. A bad lifter will make a lot more noise than a good lifter. It is very easy to distinguish.

If you don't have the splatter shields that are made to prevent the oil from pumping over the edge of the head you will get some smoke when it hits the exhaust pipe. Do the job quickly, not rushed, and then shut the motor down again to stop the smoke issue. Wipe up any extra oil as quickly as possible.

Not sure about your 239, but the magnum motors have re-usable valve cover gaskets.

Good luck.

 

first off thanks for the replies. i bought the truck in may of 2003. MMO has probably been in the engine for 5k.

 

Your trucks have hydraulic lifters?

 

yup, most gasser v6 & v8s have hydrolic lifters...

 

I checked my fuel consumption and it looks like im getting 13.5 miles a gallon. theres gotta be something up with my engine. my buddy borrowed it to take a trip up to Pennsylvania to pickup a car once he gets back im gonna get a compression check. i want my dam 2500 silverado already!

 

Why you think it's a lifter? is you'r truck being a V-7 or something?

 

My buddy had a hyd lifter on his Camaro. Ended up being he chaged oil filter brands, and the crossover # was wrong in the book. The new filter had a lower flow rate. I guess it would not let oil get topside fast enough, besides the decrease in volume.


Just tossin it out there.


Good luck with your ride.

 

Well i found out the problem. Something screwy happend when i last changed my oil, which was about 3 weeks ago. I bought a 5 qt jug. my truck calls for 4.5 qts. you know it all worked out fine. well my friend calls me and says hes getting 13 a gallon on his road trip (borrowed my truck). he checks the oil and there is atleast 1 qt more than it needs, come to find out it was lugging down the engine hardcore. i have no clue how more oil got in the engine. anyway its back up to 17 miles a gallon. the lifter issue is virutally nonexistent.

im still gonna have my mech check it out when i take it in.