Ticking, Clicking Noise Coming From Your Engine? Diagnosing Collapsed Lifters! 

the mechanic in this video deserves a grammy award for always coming through with the best mechanics instructional videos - not only his efficient-minded tips with the technicals of it but from a cinematography standpoint; I think he really understands how important seeing it being done is to the viewer

This was by far the best video showing you the complete breakdown and how to complete the job. No gimmicky fast forwarding like others have. No stupid short cuts . Everything is shown from the first to the last bolt . Made the job so much easier to do knowing what I needed to do it. Thx for all the great videos

*READ IF THINKING OF CHANGING LIFTERS* So I did this job* 08 Chevy Silverado 5.3 (#4 lifter went out) 200k miles I am not a mechanic. I got a quote of $3500 to replace all lifters. Felt confident I could do this, so I figured since I got the intake off I might as well do all lifters (big, but possible job). I utilized this video and some others, which were pretty much the same and all very helpful. I did it a garage I can use on base and by myself (minimum help). Took me a total of 27 hours (again not a mechanic, and that was with cleaning heads and small struggles of trying to dissable/assemble, and some store visits for parts). Parts where I struggled: exhaust manifold dissamble/reassemble (especially gasket install). Couldn't find "angle" torque wrench. Bought one at Harbor Frieght for $140, and it so happened to be same one as the video lol. Everything worked. Don't freak out if your truck don't start at first, the fuel line was disabled so fuel is kicking back in. On the 2nd turn it started. Recommendation: do your research on vids, get the parts ahead, and good luck!

Not only are you an excellent mechanic, but I didn't hear you cuss once! It is refreshing to see someone who loves what they do! Great job and video!

Your camera work is outstanding. First time I've ever complimented a RU-vidr on their camera work, but it truly makes all the difference with repair videos. It's what separates a good vid from an exceptional one. Thank you.

Oh. My . God . I had that problem 2 years ago and could never find a good video. I know some parts of mechanic, but never touched a lifter. First I instruct myself, over instructions, books, or tutorials. I could never find a good tutorial for this explanation. You just did it. I am a huge fan of your others videos, just checked a suspension arm replacement yesterday on your channel. It's just absolutely AMAZING ! Thank you so much. Please continue like this ! I'm living overseas but I have a huge US cars collection, and your channel helped me a lot for years! But this video truly deserves an award, or, at least, my first comment on your channel ! Thanks again. It contains a lot of comments. No skippings of disassembly steps. A great video quality. A clear voice. I take my hat off to you.

First time I actually sat and watched an engine repair from start to finish! Outstanding work to you and Charlie.. I mean Steve! Blessings.

I've said many times. I wish 1A Auto would develop their own branded bi-directional scanner and sell it at a crazy low price so everyone could afford it and have one.

This is the best video on RU-vid for this job. The mechanic, narriation and camera work is second to none.

Wow. What a job. This is the video on you tube that I’ve been looking for all my life. Now I finally will be able to replace the lifters on my Chevy Tahoe thanks 1A Auto for making this video.

√ *Watch the Video* √ *Buy The Part at 1A Auto* 1aau.to/m/Visit-1AAuto √ *Do it Yourself* √ *Save Money*

I have never met a mechanic as thorough and detailed minded with the patience and ability to explain in (an almost poetic way 😉) so people can and will understand and want to listen..! Excellent job my friend...!!! Golf clap!👏🏁😂😉

The best repair video I've seen yet by far! Awesome job! 👍

Seriously, thank you for sharing this. I had a collapsed lifter on our 2010 Suburban 5.3L and this is exactly what the issue was, only mine was on cylinder 4. Really appreciate it! Runs better than it did before!

Big Thank you for showing every exact step Andy procedure with no cut out REAL Time on how to fix this problem,all of America has this problem .you have no idea how much we appreciate this video step by step!im loving the real problem videos like this one not just the simple alternator change/Oil change/Spark plug change ect for beginners this is a whole new skill set to me .

I do enjoy watching you execute the job Ps: one tip it might be handy to know that during tightening head bolts inbetween the passes of 90° and 70° etc you do want to wait ( or eat a couple of crackers or drink a cup of coffee) because the bolts and threads get hot during that stage and they might snap and break

As an option to outright replacing the lifter we have used Blue Chem's High Performance Cleaner (Oil System Cleaner & Hydraulic Lifter Care) with excellent results. In the two incidents we have used this process on 5.3L engines which sounded exactly as this engine did, the chemical cleared the varnish build up and released the stuck lifter. Both engines had well over 150K miles and neither had been well maintained. Its been months and neither customer has returned with a similar knocking noise. I did speak to one of them four months later and still no knocking. Both were quite relieved as you can imagine. I'm not a proponent of additives but I can't ignore the success we have had. Obviously this process will not resolve all knocks but in my view its well worth a try.

Best mechanic I've ever seen unbelievable great job I'm blown away

Just an excellent video. The narrator is well spoken and to the point. Much nicer than the "comedic" repair videos some people put out.

Great Video. So many ppl are dealing with the Lifer tick And are afraid to work on they Cars. Thanks for the Video!

One of the best repair videos I have ever seen... Thanks so much

I really appreciate these Videos because where i live in Wales in the UK, not many garages aka shops do this type of diagnostic, they just change parts. I think it is horrendous when you know more that a person working in a paid service to which i have had to undergo and would not have been able to unless good people like A1 Auto show the insight for the clarity of information presented - thank you so much! 💯

I watch it all from start to the end and I really enjoyed it and thank you for making it

This was very relaxing and therapeutic to watch. Thank you Andy.

I had a bad lifter on cylinder #4. I followed step by step your instructions and was able to replace it myself. You’re a bad ass. Thanks so much.

And remember we have to buy the correct tool every time an odd size tool is used and hope its correct. The time it takes a regular mechanic in a garage at home is so much worse also. Bless this guy

I was watching a Mazda video for my car and your video was next in the playlist for some reason so I watched it. I was fascinated and entertained. Thank you for being so thorough and even though I hope I never have to replace a lifter, I watched your whole video. Good job and I’m going to subscribe right now!

Great video. Thanks for posting it. That's why I like my old 1990 Ford F-150 with a 302 (5.0 liter) FI engine. The intake manifold is between the cylinder banks, and beneath the intake manifold are the lifters and push rods. To replace a collapsed lifter, all I have to do is remove the intake manifold from the top of the engine, loosen the nut on the rocker arm above the collapsed lifter, swing the rocker arm out of the way, remove the one push rod, remove the collapsed lifter, install a new lifter, put everything back together, and adjust the affected valve. I don't have to take off the exhaust manifold or remove the head, just the valve cover and intake manifold, which are easy to get to. My little Honda Accord LX, 2.3 liter 4 cylinder Single Overhead Cam (SOHC) VTEC engine, on the other hand, is a whole different system.

Drain out a little under a quart of oil, put some ATF in the crank case and let it idle until that lifter stops making noise. Change the oil and put some more ATF in, drive it. Call customer to come get it, advise customer to do regular oil changes or they’ll destroy the motor.

First video I've seen off the channel, and I like the way this guy just sort of pokes around at the car, narrating his own thoughts, and also how he seems to suddenly realize we are watching every once in a while and the dialogue sort of firms up....And then of course he trails off because he's actually thinking about the car. It's really effective, because it pulls the watcher in to the reasoning process, trying to follow along with him and figure out at each stage what he might be looking for. Most channels doing this kind of thing armoire like handing you a recipe and a set off instructions, which is fine if you have no interest in the actual process of figuring out what the problem is (and sometimes you don't care about that, because yeah, you know it's the starter, you just need to know how to be sure which kind of part to buy and how to swap them), but any time I see the word 'diagnose' in. the title, I want to see the thinking and the little comments like 'we're gonna need a valve cover gasket', or 'you want to be careful around xxx', because those are exacdtlythe things of value when a rookie learns from an expert. yet for some weird reason so many channels leave that stuff out, seeming to feel like letting me watch you wander down a false trail, or bust a plastic wiring harness clip will make me less likely to watch. No, thats where us idiots out here learn the most. Unfortunately I work on stuff that almost always way too old for a scan tool, sometimes its too old to buy a part for now that I think about it. Still, despite this being no use to me at all in the end, its still a great video. Even the camera work is shockingly effective, all things considered, although shaky-cam (tm) usually ticks me off, here they manage to keep it on the subject and angled well. Not that I have anything like the gro9unds to complain, I couldn't do it at all and know that well... good work guys.

Omg it's totally epic. You are out of this world. What I would give to be able to do That! My 09 Impala 3.9 interceptor shut down as I exited the highway. Due to c clip backing off the oil cooler line my Impala had an oil spill and has been ticking eversince. After seeing this awesome video I came to realize that my Impala most likely has a compressed lifter. Sir, Thank God for people like you! Thank You for your help, Thank You for your knowledgeable workmanship. Sincerely Teena callis-Johnsonville

Excellent job, Sir. I would take my vehicle to you in a heart beat!!

I wanted to thank you for this video I have two suburbans both a 2014 and a 2012. The 2012 was making a loud knocking noise like you had in your video. I used a scanner and it showed me that cylinder number six was misfiring. Although I’m capable and confident in doing things like brakes, rotors, hubs, shocks, struts, and things of that sort. I was very hesitant to attempt this myself until I saw your video. I was able to successfully get everything apart without any problems, and I found a loose rocker arm on cylinder number six intake . I’m at the point now where I just loosen the exhaust manifold on the top side and I have to get underneath and take the bolts out to completely remove it then I will remove the head . I hope everything else goes as easily as it has so far but again, I would’ve never attempted this without your video because it showed every necessary step without any fast forwards. The only tool I had to buy was the fuel line disconnect, flange kit with having used speed perks. It only cost me five dollars at advanced auto.! I will update more as my progress continues. Thankfully this is not my daily driver, so I can kind of do it at my leisure. I did have one question if anyone can comment should I replace the valve cover gaskets they seem to be in good condition but my neighbor said that they should absolutely be replaced if doing a job like this . Also, I’m a bit undecided on if I should replace all the lifters, and push rods while I have it torn down this deep? Any input is appreciated.

One of the absolute best mechanics videos l’ve ever seen on RU-vid…. Very detailed

Awesome video of a thorough step by step diagnosis please keep em coming!

These guys have saved the day many of days

Great video "tutorial". Love the, "...uh, well I didn't break it..." I used to say that to my supervisor lol.

A man full of knowledge and skills that was great how you showed the whole job from start to finish,and may I add that steve done a fantastic job on the video yous are both very professional .

Best 1 1/2 hrs I've spent in along time, great job and camera work. Thanks for sharing

Wow, thank you for such an in-depth video. A pro sure makes it look easy.

Can't believe I sat and watched the entire video! You're very pleasant to hear and watch,, master mechanic at its finest,, I wish I just had half the skills u have..

Best mechanic in the history….👍👍

Nice job. Straight to the job at hand. No stories no one wants to hear. Thank you.

I love work. I could sit and watch it for hours.

Great job! very impressed with your ability to perform the task and explain so well for the DIY mechanics.

Love this kind of videos, I have to admit it better couldn’t be

You're awesome man, you're doing a great service sharing your knowledge/skills especially during these tough times . Thanks for the inspiring videos you guys put out and for your products. Wish you guys many many years of success

Props to the cameraman for holding it down for almost 2 hours👍🏼😅😭

amazing workmanship

This chap is very good. Simple diagnostics and repair.

At my house, we named every stink bunk we see "charlie". Charlie is a multifaceted individual who has lots of talents and does lots of chores. You often see Charlie admiring the view through the window, inspecting cracks in the wall, cleaning the toilet, trying to change the lightbulb before it dies, doing car repairs, landscaping, construction, you name it. Charlie is the best

Need to fire all current engineers and bring back retired ones. No reason the cylinder heads should have to come off to change the lifters. For years with this style of engine once you took off the intake you had access to lifters. No reason this had to change so don't try to justify it

This video was straight to the source no long boring intro, rite to it, again thank you, you made my work just that easier- 👍 keep up the videos-

Well done!!! Reminds me of my old days as a tech.💯🤙

Great video about to tackle this job on my own and this video is going to help me tons!

Absolutely awesome job the only thing I would have done differently is I would have replaced the opposite valve cover gasket and the plug wires on the opposite cylinders. And this customer needs to start changing their oil and probably using a better oil to prolong the life of this engine as there was a lot of oil coking in those valve covers a obvious sign of neglected oil changes and maybe cheaper oil.

Am I a mechanic? No. Do I plan to touch anything under the hood of any car? No. Did I watch the entire 1hr 45 mins? Yes. Great video!!

Watching a master at work. Thank you.

MAN , thats a lot of work . great job .

This is one of my favorite videos in my case 03 murano low oil same noise I am going to check lifters today great video

A lot of Chrysler 3.5 V6 engines seem to have this issue. When I had a car with this engine I always made sure to change the oil on time. That seems to be the biggest preventative measure.

That’s a pretty awesome find in the amount of time you spent on it. I have k series engine that makes a similar sound only when you rev it up but the engine itself runs fine. I can’t stand the sound though so imma take off the valve cover and I’m sure it will be one of my lifters. I did a head gasket a long time ago on it and I remembered inspecting them and some of them moved a bit more freely than others so that will be the first thing I look into

Absolutely awesome! Very well done! I just don't know what else I could add to all great comments I've read. Hope you enjoy doing this because. You rock it!

Great informative video. Provided great entertainment while I'm stuck in bed with Covid 🤧 Thank you!

This is very interesting. I own a 2007 Chevy Suburban LTZ which has the same type of engine on the vehicle that you are working on. and mine is just beginning to make that same noise.

Thanks a lot boss sharing this video..A perfect mechanic..appreciated.

This guy is good. Good narrative skills.

Good Job Andy, miss the daily videos you guys were doing esp with 2000-2004 chevy trucks/ SUVs

So much fun 2 watch. 1A Auto taught Me how to buy parts on line(a long time ago). Still teaching. Thanx so much.

Very good instructional!

great video thanks for your help and efforts

Top notch video , excellent workmanship , many thanks.

you made it look easy Thank you for showing your video it help me out big time

Great Job... I completely understand why you had to remove the intake and gaskets... I definitely wouldn't want my Mechanic to just replace the 1 Lifter and leave all the disgusting crap underneath... I'm sure the old ways means Laziness... not for me... Thankyou for sharing your Expertise and Awesome Knowledge... I hope to find a Mechanic that's near me just like you...💯💯💯🤜🤛👊

Another great video by a great mechanic!

Excellent mechanic!

'' I kinda just wanna call you charlie'' that's great i love watching these!!!

Excellent mechanic 😄

44:17 Good video. Just a couple minor mistakes, the most important being that when a vehicle goes into AFM mode, it applies oil pressure to the lifters, which allows them to collapse, not the other way around. But overall a nicely made and informative video. Thank you,

Love the video nice to see how a pro tackles this type of job Phil In in the UK

Always use the angle grinder with a guest cleaner on it and to clean out all that I used my shop back and it cleaned it out really good

I recently had quite a bit of work done to my w gibe 29@7 Chevy express 3509 6 L engine after they replaced the brake booster I now get a flute noise on right side of engine ant ideas? Oh they also replaced my dexcool with regular coolant did not flush only drained and put transmission fluid in my power steering without my knowledge

Like a surgeon.. You are a sharpshooter of your profession!

Man! Your AWESOME BROTHER. WISH YOUR HERE FOR MY MECHANIC! AWESOME JOB 👌 👍

Amazing job. Thanks for sharing.

My Toyota Camry 2011 model is having the same problem. And my mechanics aren’t able to solve it. And this is what brought me here. Thanks man. Got to show them the video to see if they r able to figure it out

Best mechanic video I have ever seen

Great demonstration!👍🏾

This video is very informative and helpful the presenter did an awesome job and the video is one of the best detailed repair videos I seen in RU-vid... however, I didn't like the idea of just replacing one lifter only. That really seems like poorly made repair. When replacing lifters on these vehicles, it is a good idea to replace all lifters and lifter tray guides in the affected bank. Also the VLOM should be replaced. A faulty VLOM can cause the AFM lifter to collapse. I work for a GM dealership and I am a master/ GM world class technician

I Loved watching every sec.. i wish u had some vid cuts but other then that.. educational .. I enjoy learning and fixing cars.

Andy, that was a very tough job. Excellent explanation. Probably confirms what you said about regular oil changes not being done and also crankcase overfilled. If you factor in the way the truck may have been driven this is the result. Would it be worth it to remove engine for better access but most DIY mechanics wouldn’t have that equipment? Can you estimate what the job would cost? Thank you and Steve for the video!

This is the best video I have seen for this project. I do have a question on what impacts are you using they seem to hold up on working this problem?

The comment "We'll have to fix that down the road" is second only to "While I'm in here, I might as well fix/replace [x]". That seems to be the guaranteed way to add extra time to any project, lol. Awesome video!

Great work. Learned alot from you. You're a great teacher

I need to do this, you remind me of the men that taught me! But I haven’t done it in years

Man I love 1A auto. I'm a big fan for real,

Good video. Thanks for sharing.

Bruh! Great work I really enjoyed watching this from start to finish.

I came for the ticking, but the trans fluid tube being broke was a nice little bonus..way to cover multiple TSBs unintentionally. A+

Excellent mechanic