Compression Testing The 1995 Suburban!! 

I chased what I thought was lifter tick for about a month until I figured out it was leaks in the exhaust manifold gasket, caused by broken manifold bolts (a common problem when you use cheap bolts to attach iron manifolds to aluminum heads). The easy way to test for this is a variation on the old soapy water trick to find a leak in your tire. With the engine cold, switch your shop-vac from suck to blow and stick the hose into the tailpipe. This way you are blowing air into the exhaust system, pressurizing it. Then squirt soapy water on the exhaust manifold gasket and look for bubbles. works great.

Dear Jimmy, My name is John....I applaud your thoroughness and tenacity on diagnosing/troubleshooting your 'fleet' of vehicles..i watch all your videos and enjoy just how you want to keep on top of those vehicles....I was in dealerships wrenching and managing for 27 years...now i am a licensed plumber/electrician. Your concerns on maintaining and repair procedures are excellent for a diy'er!!are,i am still,as you, likewise....On this video you've done yourself well just trying find out the root cause of this ticking sound.... Basic 'old school' compression procedures: (a) reasonably clean/fresh engine oil (b)good strong battery (c)warm engine-remove ALL spark plugs (d)fully open throttle-(engine needs full amount of air to compress) (e)of course a known good compression gauge-a good secured gauge won't cause you to rush-as they really don't bleed down all that much (f)and as you have done so far-document all readings (g)should you like to-pour a couple of tablespoons of engine oil down through spark plug holes-recheck compression at least on the cylinder in question-please note: i never really trusted this part of compression diagnosing procedure,but i have done it...the supposed theory is if compression on a suspect cylinder improves-the initial culprit is possible piston ring/cylinder wall integrity??? (h)obviously get reliable compression specs-from say a Haynes service manual,Google etc.. (i)the general 'old school' rule of thumb is you don't want more than a 25% between your documented test figures.... Now,here is what i (in my opinion) would suggest should you consider: (a)-i like what some of the other commenters have suggested here such as: (1) get a stethoscope-available at your local Harbor Freight ...Spend your time looking for possible minor exhaust l such as suggested by commenters here (2) listen to fuel injectors with stethoscope,and other rotating at engine components-but be very careful whilst p probing (3)yes,there is a place for Marvel Mystery oil-but a bit further down through your diagnosis tests (4)consider using a simple inexpensive vacuum gauge,and/or a nice small in dash unit later on.....what you are looking for- on a simply attached to engine vacuum gauge- is approx a steady 15 hg to 20-21 hg-warm engine-in neutral (5)should you really want to get an overall physical look?consider getting a borescope-also available out of Harbor Freight-the higher priced one-under $200.00 (6)another tool you might want to consider is a high quality leak down tester-kinda' pricey-but is a valuable tool for diagnosing internal suspected oil consumption,head gaskets and many internal engine systems....that tool does have a learning curve to use and interpret-and does require 'shop' air pressure....(which i am sure you could/would research and learn easily... all these tools i have suggested here would be very very adequate for a serious do-it-yourselfer as you are,and enhance your toolbox and your ever growing skill sets!!!!! Jim,to recap some misc.thoughts: I am not aware of the total mileage/service records on this vehicle/engine...In my opinion-i don't feel you have any real cause of concern with the internals of this engine 'ticking' from what i hear/see from your video....I felt that adding some 'old' school tried and true testing procedure advice is well within your serious diy'er skill set, would be helpful!! I do realize there are younger and older 'troops' out there and commenters-who have 'forgotten' more than i even know about your 'ticking' concern,and SBC engines.. Thank you Jim for your efforts,your time,and others who have read this/my comment!!!!! JOHN B.

I may be completely wrong but it worked for me on my TBI 5.7, I replaced the valve seals and torqued the rocker arms to the correct specs. And of course a new valve cover gasket before buttoning everything back up.

The point of putting the peddle to the floor is to open the throttle body flap letting more air in creating less strain on the engine when turning, also creates less strain on your charging system because it wouldn't drain your battery as fast.

1ROAD these chevy 350s had issues with lifters and lifter noise, the noise is guaranteed a lifter tick, pull the valve covers off and check the rockers and valve springs. (Cant remember the specs with a feeler gauge) Often times one will a little loose, also 1 of the MOST common issues thou with oil on the plugs and threads is the valves, the intake and exhaust valves are known for not sealing 100% when the engine is at rest (not turning) and a couple drops of oil leak past the valve into the cylinder, usually it collects the little bit of oil on the cylinder head at the spark plugs. Ill place bets on you finding a loose/out of adjustment rocker arm or loose seats on the valve on cylinder 8, thays the cyl on passenger side by fire wall. Bank 1 is driver side 1, 3, 5 & 7 from rad to fire wall. Bank 2 is passenger side 2, 4, 6 & 8 from rad to fire wall.

Nice video! A couple tips- It's better to remove all the spark plugs before doing a compression test. If the engine is fighting pressure in the other cylinders, it won't crank as fast and won't build as much pressure in the cylinder that you are testing. Also, it's good to put a charger on the battery before you start the test. If the battery is run down from testing previous cylinders, the engine won't crank as fast and you may get a lower reading. This probably won't matter much with a decent battery, but it's not a bad idea regardless. Hope this helps!!

I hope you can tell us because a lot of us hear it also in our Chevy.

For what it is worth smallblock chevys have *always* ticked... perhaps if they don't they are ready to blow. Okay, some feeble attempt at humor, but a significant percentage will tick.

My dad bought my 95 new off the lot. It developed a tick around 40k. He gave me the truck when I turn 16 at around 60k miles. Long story short it was trash in the lifter. We ran some marvel mystery oil on the next oil change and it cleaned it out and the tick went away. These trucks are also bad about exhaust leaks on the manifolds. My would actually break between cylinder 2 and 4 and cause a bad leak behind the heat shield by the dipstick. This makes a ticking sound as well. It will get quite as the manifold heats up and expands. I replaced them with headers and never had a problem again. Just some cheap suggestions to try before assuming the worse. I love your videos and you do a great job explaining things without a lot of fluff. Keep up the good work man.

Hey Jimmy great video. My 95 2dr 5.7 4wd Tahoe has similar issue on the 1st cylinder. Installed a spark plug fouler. No ticking sounds but she's at 328,000 miles. Amazing trucks. Thanks for your great videos. Very professional and entertaining as well.

An engine moves air, the reason you hold the throttle open a to make sure it can move the air as easy as possible and give you an accurate reading.

Is it oil or does it smell like gas ? As suggested I would do a leak down test also. DAMN THAT IS A NICE 95 SIR.

You open the throttle when you do a compression test, to give air to compress, if the throttle is closed your building vacuum, you cant compress vacuum, youll get a lower reading

Hi Jimmy If you have a ticking sound from your engine, have a listen to the valves, lifters and cams, you could have a loose or worn roller or lifter or cam/valve rocker arm. The oil deposits on the spark plug is a sign of a worn valve stem seals. Sometimes the little circular spring on some vehicles is not strong enough to keep a good seal around the valve stem. If it is these rubber/silicon valve stem seals, you may have to have the head's removed to have these valve stem seal replaced. Love the vids and love seeing the old girl in her best form and you keeping her well looked after. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

The cure for many issues on chevy motors with over 175k is to do the following. Drain oil and change filter. Refill motor with a 1 gallon jug of wd=40,wall Mart $14.95 and a quart of oil. Start motor and run no more than 10 seconds. Repeat three times waiting a half hour in between. Re=drain oil. Allow to drain well. Replace a new filter Refill with Quaker state 5=30 for most chevy motors. Yes Chevys prefer Quaker state. Proven. You're welcome.

I’ve got an 95 and mine does that too, I think it could be an exhaust leak, also the fuel injectors on the TBI unit make a ticking noise

Most likely a tiny exhaust manifold leak just be super careful taking the manifold bolts out they like to break

At your next oil change, add a can of STP. If your "tick" goes away it is just a semi lazy lifter. That is not a problem for gas mileage or performance. If it makes you nuts, you have two easy options: 1.) Add a can of STP with each oil change, 2.) Add the recommended amount of Marvels to each oil change until it goes away, then discontinue Marvels. As others have said, small exhaust leaks sound a lot like valve lash so snugging the exhaust manifold bolts is recommended. Injectors (others have also mentioned this) make a very similar noise, but in your case with TBI ("electric carburetor") it is unlikely. When you have direct injection (at least one injector per cylinder) the ticking of the injectors is much more prominent and I suspect that is what others are referring to. Great job and keep up all your good work!

I'm beginning to wonder if you might have a bad valve stem seal that is leaking down into that cylinder. Ticking sound might be a very small exhaust leak.

A lot of those tbi setups it's actually the injectors that go bad and start ticking

1 it puts it in clear flood mode and 2 it makes the engine draw in more air

Is the ticking your injectors? Mine I can hear in my cabin

Inspect the lifters & camshaft you’ll find your tick noise

I think your ticking is an exhaust manifold leak. I noticed my 98 Suburban was ticking when I bought it and it's slowly getting louder. I can't hear it at idle, but it's getting pretty bad when climbing hills now. Definitely coming from the drivers side, since when my wife drove and I was in the passenger seat, I couldn't hear it.

I own a 95 Suburban to runs like a champ still,leaks a bit of oil but still runs awesome up here in Toronto Canada. GOT 300KM ON IT

There are a couple of things that can cause carbon buildup and a slight ticking noise: stuck lifters (common on 5.7L V8s of that time period), bad fuel injector (or not spraying enough fuel), and exhaust leak (loss of oil). Drain the oil, replace the filter, add new oil and filter, add Seafoam (1 oz = 1 quart of oil) or Marvel Mystery Oil with the new oil to help fix the ticking lifters, drain the oil, change the filter, and add new oil and filter. If that doesn't work out too well, or if it works temporarily, you can check the exhaust and fuel injectors for any issue.

my ideas. The build up of oil on that spark plug is a valve cover leak. They usually have gaskets for the spark plug ports. 2. your leak noise is likely exhaust leak forming, air box loose, fuel injector noise, may have had that spark plug loose. That motor sounds amazing :) Great job taking care of it!

Umbrella seals for oil loss , tick might be in exhaust

Hey Jimmy, for what it's worth I have a 2001 GMC Yukon XL. I bought it in 2003 . I noticed it had a ticking sound as well but usually pretty much went away after warm up. I took it to a dealer and they told me that the tick is a lifter and was normal until the engine warmed up. The Yukon XL is now 18 years old and still ticks at warm up. I guess unless it gets worse I will just keep driving it.

You only need to hold the pedal all of the way down if the fuel pump relay is not removed. You are correct on the purpose of doing so, it just puts the system in “clear flood mode” witch just keeps the fuel injectors from injecting fuel. & hey about your ticking noise, your going to have people tell you “for sure” “it’s the lifters”, “it’s the rockers”, “it’s just the injectors”, or “it’s normal all GM truck engines do it”, etc. etc. but none of this is necessary true because every case is different. A great place to start is with the oil. What is your oil pressure at idle? It should be around 40-45 psi. If it’s less then 40 psi chances are something isn’t quite right. A common cause of low oil pressure on these engines or more commonly with the 99-06 LS series engines is the oil pickup tube O-ring, and the oil screen getting clogged up. Over time the O-rings just get stiff and worn out or they tear so they don’t seal perfectly causing some air to be sucked through resulting in low oil pressure and low lubrication in the top end of the engine witch definitely can & will cause the faint-mild ticking noise. Same result with the screens getting clogged over time, just instead of sucking air from a less then perfect seal it just can’t suck up as much oil because of debris caught in the screen. This is a great place to start if your oil pressure is low, if the screen is clogged just clean it out real good And if you find the O-ring is in iffy condition or is torn then it’s only a buck & some change for a new one. I hope this helps you out!

A ticking sound can be many things, as noted in the other comments. My 96 Silverado did the same thing. Just out of the blue. I added half a bottle of Mystery Oil and in 5 days it was gone and hasn't returned. Try that first. It is the cheapest way to go. And it's good for your engine. I believe it was the lifter.

My 03 yukon Denali ticks but the only way I can hear it is when I’m at a drive through and the engine sound is bouncing off the wall

One of the most common issues with GM trucks over the past 30 years is valve cover gaskets with a small leak that works its way down onto the spark plug threads.

Valve guide seal

It's to open the throttle and allow more air past the throttle holding the pedal down.

The TBI 350 in my 90 Silverado had an intermittent lifter tick on the passenger side that was much louder than yours. I lived with it, and after several 2-3k mile oil changes with Mobil 1 5w30 it got MUCH quieter. For the last 8 years that engine has been quiet as a mouse.

Hydraulic lifter tick is common. If you take the valve cover off you can spray a lubricant through the push rod. Briansmobile1 did this in his video.

Hmm, may want to run a leakdown test?

When looking at the gauge during your compression test, it appeared that the oily cylinder lost pressure a bit quicker than the other. IF you still have the test gauge, time it, compare with a few others. But to be honest, it looked and ran pretty healthy for as old as it is. The tick you’re hearing might not even be related.

I think its blow bye. Maybe the oil rings are worn out. Do you have any air blowing out of the oil filler gab

That noise sometimes is because the oil is not good enough to get to the valves and that can cause to the valves to make that noise.

Great,now what? Side note just wondering if you could do a video on winter prepping, from engine to body and salt prevention? Living in the near Canadian line

When you do a compression test you need a properly warmed up engine, you have to pull all plugs, disconnect the fuel injectors, open the throttle all the way and then crank. At least 5 rotations per cylinder. Open throttle all the way so the cylinder gets full gulps of air. What you did obviously worked. 10-15% difference cylinder to cylinder is the limit. The way you did it was abusive to your starter windings. My 95 has the same oily #8 plug. I attribute it to the back cylinder running the hottest.

Rocker arm may need adjustment as far as the ticking goes, and is a simple procedure and the valve cover can come off easily for a better view. On my 95 I had the same noise and sure enough one rocker needed tightening. As far as the spark plug tighten up a little more and apply some anti zizz and see how it goes..appears to be fine.

Tick could be a lifter that’s sticking or valve adjustment. Try running half a quart of trans fluid in the oil or maybe marvel mystery oil for a few hundred miles or a whole oil change

Since your compression is ok, my theory of that oil leak might be coming from Valve Guide Seal.

Hey Jimmy, looks like you may have a plugged return in the back of that head. Very common on small block Chevy, pull the valve covers and inspect the returns. A plugged return can cause oil to puddle and get sucked into the intake valve.

I just replaced heads on my 1989 350 TBI engine and all my exhaust valve seals/umbrellas were completely gone. It was sucking in small amounts of oil and creating extra crank case pressure. Engine has 71K original miles and was strong... until a head gasket blew

Hey Jimmy! What ended up being the Fix for the Oil all over the plug? did valve seal, and issue appeared to get worse.

i got the click click sound when I cold start engine it only last for 3 seconds tho. LS2 engine

Putting the pedal to the floor is called, Clear flood mode

Remove the drive belt to eliminate the drive accessories. Maybe lifters?

Check exhaust gasket leak. :)

AC Delco stock copper plugs resist oil fouling well on these engines. Quite common on rear plugs. Copper Autolites good to. Stay away from fancy or platinum spark plugs.

Could be a weak oil ring on the piston or a weak valve that is causing the spark plug fouling. Might I also suggest backing your truck out far enough so you don't need to run all the way around the back. Great video

Valve covers leaking oil will cause this, it can be running down the side of the motor. I had that problem, kept eating through plugs

3:25 Did you sing "O...O...O...O'Rileys" as you walked into the store?

Pull negative terminal before touching the spark system. These coils fry super easily.

you had the tool you should have done all eight cylinders. small block chevys are known for having sticking lifters try an oil flush. if you have oil on the threads and not on the electrode it is probably a leaking valve cover gasket. if the electrode has oil on it, it is an internal problem. bad valve seals or a leaking oil ring. you can also check the pcv valve they can make a rattling sound.

Pressing gas pedal down doesn't matter. I always take all the plugs out before I start testing to make it easier on the starter and battery since you're doing all that cranking.

If it was crank case blow by it will be on all cylinders. U must have a valve stem seal worn out. Compression needs to be done will all plugs out and full throttle for full air to cylinders. The ticking noise is probably a loose rocker arm. U can easily adjust them but have to take the valve cover out. I mean rocker covers.

Oh and my chevy is a 95 as well, and it has an aftermarket cam in it.

ticking might be tbi injectors

I think that the oil on your spark plug is from a bad valve seat seal. The valve is seating correctly because you have great compression but on intake you might be drawing in drops off oil from the intake side.

Great video! Question: I have a 1991 Chevy, 350 5.7 had the same problem. I have coolant coming out of cylinder 5 with plug removed. Pressure test showing 185 on all cylinders except for cylinders 3 and 5 which are 150 (185 seems high?) and white smoke out of the exhaust. no milky oil. starts and runs fine though a little rough but not bad at all. Could it just be a head gasket? It pegged out the temp gauge and shut itself down. What are the chances that the heads and or block are now warped or cracked? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Backup the truck about 3 feet and you'll have some front walk around room!

Try adding marvel mystery oil, let it soak , run the car for about 500 miles, then change the oil. Put 1 quart of MMO and the rest of your oil. You ticking should go awAy.

Does not bleed off until you hit that brass button on the side of the gauge...

Jimmy ,sometimes they just tick....if it’s running strong don’t worry about it..

Ha love your videos I'm thinking you may want to check valve stem seals there could be some oil seeping in and the tick could be compression blowing in to the rocker cover (I'm just guessing hope it helps)

That ticking is your tbi pulsing fuel into the intake.

Just curious, i know this was over a year ago but would the ticking noise get better or worse if you used 87 octane fuel or 93 octane fuel? Just food for thought. I know 93 runs hotter and supposedly more efficient but also look at the manual, what type of fuel is manufacturing spec? What type do you typically run? Maybe try different? Anyways, have you solved the ticking since this video?

I don't think you need to press gas pedal all the way down if you have the fuel pump relay out. My '94 Suburban also has the ticking sound and has since I have owned it starting 2009.

Most likely just one of those grommet seals in the spark plug hole needs to be replaced. Oil on spark plug fixed

Nice alternator

Great video man!

The ticking might be a pin hole in the exhaust manifold or a rocker that needs to be adjusted.

maybe fuel injector. old fuel injectors tends to leak small amount of oil over time, my dads old nissan bluebird had same problem but he lived with it and it took years before the injectors finally broke.

Just retorqed valve cover replaced hose now rpms are high. For 91 engine.

Your hood light is bent down to avoid the mercury switch from letting it turn on. Classic used car dealer trick to show engine off with out draining the battery.

I had the same issue in my truck with the built up crap on the spark plug

Dis you ever find the cause of the oil leaking on to the spark plug im having the same issue same engine but on the 95 chevy c1500 thanks in advance

Try adding seafoam to the oil to try and free up the lifter

That tick could be a couple of things. Rod loose, valve or valve seat, rocker arm, just to name a couple lol. Either way usually won't hurt anything. The only way to know for sure is to take valve covers off an go from there.

I say lifter tick...my 04 has a slight lifter tick.has had it since i bought it 70,000 miles ago.i change oil every 5000...my 97 had same symptoms. Put 193,000 on it over 18 years..very common.

I had a similar situation. And I used royal purple motor oil in in a couple weeks it went away the tickling. I really think you were over worrying about something so small there’s nothing wrong with your vehicle leave it

I have the same year Chevy and it’s not as clean as that engine and I have 213k on it and runs flawlessly only issue I have is the brakes

Chevy small blocks are notorious for oil leaking past the valve seals. Most likely the problem. Always happens on #8 cylinder for some reason. I have 4 of them and they have all done that. Engine will run forever may just foul out the plugs unless you change the valve seals.

Use a thicker oil

I could hear it at idle and when you had the camera going from side to side, sounds like the rocking arm is clacking on the right side. I would check the rocking arm play tolerances on the right side on each cylinder especially the far back cylinder. You also might have a bad valve guide seal on that cylinder and that's where the oil is coming from in that cylinder. It just sounds like to me that there is a lot of play on the back right side I believe it is the #8 cylinder. Good luck 👍

Get a valve seal set very easy to replace on an ohv engine probably have the tools you need to rent at O'Reilly

Is that a carborator under the hood of that truck ?? Looks pretty new for that

I have a 99 Yukon 5.7 it has a weird sound knock...tick. When 🥶 cold but goes away when warm? @ 2000 rpm no knock/Tick at all above 700 rpm. Anywhere in the rpm From 700 Rpm up?

Run some seafoam in the oil 100 miles before you change the engine oil see if that makes a difference in motor tick

Somebody probably put grease or some other lubricant on the plug whenever they had it out and reinstalled it at one point in its life. No big deal, good compression, I can't even hear a tick and every 350 I've ever had ticked a little at 1500-2500 rpm.

Almost all chevy v8 motors tick usually it isn't anything to worry about

Exhaust leak in manifold. Either gasket or the bolts. I had to replace my rear driver side bolt.

YOU GOT A BAD VALVE GUIDE I THINK BRO

Leaky valve c9ver gasket dosnt leak oil on sparks in V8 engins . Because they are seporated . On V8 its the valvs pin orings that leak to the sparks and most common .

Hey Brother it could be numerous of things like your valve springs your rocker arms or something in the piston check the valve covers ask me how I know this is what they taught me in Auto School