LS2 lifter and piston slap????

[IEVLV8]

i have done a search and fond that some LS2 problems are the rear main seal, power steering and welsh plugs

now i have had my 2005 VZ Clubby for a year and a half now

mates have picked up lifter noise and possible piston slap and they reckon i should take it back to holden for a look

this friday it's going in to be looked at hopefully that can fix

i have heard from a mate down here that one of his other mates has had 3 engines in his HSV due to piston slap and lifter issues

anyone else had these issues??
what else could the cause?
would the piston slap be due to worn piston rings?
if so as long as no major damage is done can it be fix by new rings?

[Brockfan05]

Yep, had an '05 Clubby (the lemon referred to in my details - top right), they can definitely suffer piston slap - but to be fair, the alloy chev engine is a noisy bugger at the best of times - you will hear taps and rattles etc which are normal operating noises. Piston slap is most detectable at cold start when the tolerances in the cylinder are at their greatest. By all means get it checked out, but if there is a prob, be sure to stamp your feet and yell at 'em to get it fixed..........

[IEVLV8]

ok that good to know that the motor does have the same issue what do you reckomend if they try tell me that they are normal noise i can hear the lifters but i personally can't hear the piston slap but my mates can hear it and have told me its there

[Brockfan05]

I recommend you take it in and be reasonable with them first, (I was joking about yelling and stamping your feet in my first post :D ) If you still arent happy, take it to at least 2 other mechanics with recognised accreditation eg MTA, NRMA, RACV or whatever, and have them assess it. If you are right, get them to put it in writing and go back to the dealer. If you still get nowhere, the Dept of Fair Trading/ Consumer Affairs with your evidence is your next stop. Hope that helps :)

[Dacious]

Some degree of piston slap is to be expected due to short piston skirts. If the engine does not use much oil it is not likely to be a problem. A big-bore V8 will always use some oil, but if your oil level needs regular topping up whenever you refuel then that is a potential problem.

The noise is always worse when cold, because the alloy piston and block expand at different rates and amounts, so to avoid seizing as they warm up they are designed with extra clearance when cold. Plus on a dead cold start the oil is not yet flung around the engine, and oil splashed around has a noise-masking effect.

OHV with hydraulic tappets can be noisy when cold and you have 16 of them in the valley of the V. Many people appear to mistake lifter rustle for something more sinister. Sometimes a lifter 'bleeds down' which means the oil inside which maintains the clearance escapes, and takes a short while to 'pump' up again - can cause a thumping or thudding sort of sound. It's fed from the oil gallery through a pinhole in the lifter body which limits how fast it will fill up against pressure from the valve spring. I would bet many people who had 'piston slap' actually had a bad or sticking lifter - just needs a bit of grit as the tolerances are very fine.

Many people not used to big OHV motors (which is a lot as many more people today have only ever owned OHC or DOHC fours or sixes) are just not used to the clatter these engines can make from the valvegear. Have the dealer check it by all means because it gets your concern on record, and see if you can compare yours to another.

[swingtan]

Although it's not an LS2, if you do a search for lifter noise in the L76 you will find a fair bit of info. Most usefull will be a couple of posts with sound / movie files of the lifter noise.