6.2 intermittent valve train ticking noise at start up ??????????????

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Chris Brown

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I have a 2012 I bought last December with 93k. It now has 105k. A couple of weeks ago it started making a louder than before ticking. I took it to a shop because I decided it was an exhaust leak. They looked and couldn’t find a leak. They listened and researched and said it was valve train or likely injectors. Got it back Thursday morning, and this video was taken that night.

It drove fine and sounded like it had been for a few weeks. Pulled up to a country stop sign, and the truck died! I restarted, and it turned over longer to start. It made an awful knocking sound when it did start. I killed it and retuned it from 5 star 87 perf to 87 daily. Still knocking! Decided to drive it carefully 12 miles back home (I live in wide open west Texas.) I couldn’t hear it in the cab with the windows up. The knocking wasn’t present when we stopped. Had it towed to my mechanic as they think something is seriously wrong.

I’m disappointed, but I know random stuff happens. I’m fairly mechanical (we farm cotton, wheat, sesame, and sorghum) so we fix a LOT of stuff ourselves. I don’t have the time currently to mess with it. I think it’s a valve spring or rocker arm type problem. Thinking back, it has seemed like it had a little less power since the tick started, and my exhaust sounds a little different.
 

ogdobber

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I have a 2012 I bought last December with 93k. It now has 105k. A couple of weeks ago it started making a louder than before ticking. I took it to a shop because I decided it was an exhaust leak. They looked and couldn’t find a leak. They listened and researched and said it was valve train or likely injectors. Got it back Thursday morning, and this video was taken that night.

It drove fine and sounded like it had been for a few weeks. Pulled up to a country stop sign, and the truck died! I restarted, and it turned over longer to start. It made an awful knocking sound when it did start. I killed it and retuned it from 5 star 87 perf to 87 daily. Still knocking! Decided to drive it carefully 12 miles back home (I live in wide open west Texas.) I couldn’t hear it in the cab with the windows up. The knocking wasn’t present when we stopped. Had it towed to my mechanic as they think something is seriously wrong.

I’m disappointed, but I know random stuff happens. I’m fairly mechanical (we farm cotton, wheat, sesame, and sorghum) so we fix a LOT of stuff ourselves. I don’t have the time currently to mess with it. I think it’s a valve spring or rocker arm type problem. Thinking back, it has seemed like it had a little less power since the tick started, and my exhaust sounds a little different.

That does not sound good. I think if you pulled the valve covers it would be pretty apparent.
It only could be a couple different things...rocker arm or phaser. If its the latter it may have been caused by a failing oil pump


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Chris Brown

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I talked to my shop this morning. The owner thinks something was on a piston...could’ve been a stuck valve. They are going to remove plugs and look with a bore scope. I asked him to pull the valve covers and have a look on top as well.

I would think it would have escalated to severe in 12-15 miles of driving if something was loose on a piston.
 

Chris Brown

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My shop looked in each cylinder with a bore scope and saw nothing wrong. I had them pull the left valve cover, and they said everything looked normal. They turned it over, and it all worked normal...

I’m wondering about a partially stuck valve that worked itself back free. I may try some cleaner for the valve train as a fuel additive. I guess we will just drive it and see what happens.

Our Jeep Liberty diesel tranny quit yesterday. My wife and I are currently sharing the Silverado duramax work truck. Gotta have my raptor back.
 

Chris Brown

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Got my raptor back the other day. The shop recommended the fuel applied cleaner. They did think my carbon buildup in the cylinders was excessive. They put a can of BG 44k in my fuel tank. No knock for sure and no tick on that tank. Filled up with at a different station last night and drove 30 miles. There was the tick when I stopped! A friend was meeting me , and he loaned me another can of the BG 44k. After putting it in the tank, there was no tick last night or this morning. That may be my answer...
 

tltoronto

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Man, sounds 100%% like my truck when I gave her a little too much one day the oil wasn't completely warmed up yet. Took it in, turned out to be a collapsed hydraulic rocker for an exhaust valve. Replaced and on my way! I hope its a fuel related issue man, it wasn't cheap!
 

gtxracer

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FWIW most vehicles have a tick at startup, it's the lifters. Pre-oiling, such as an Accusump setup, helps with that problem. Nothing to worry about on most vehicles but it sounds like more severe issues with the last few posts :(
 

Toecutter

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Well, good to know I am not the only one with this. Happened to me on Saturday after a 400 mile trip. Got home, parked my truck in the driveway. Went inside for about an hour. Came outside, reached in to turn on the truck before checking the mailbox and I heard valve train rattle for about a second or two before it went away. Truck had about 1500 miles since it's last oil change. Decided to not take any chances since the oil change was done at a dealer who has given me problems before. Well, sure enough, this is at a dealer, they used the cheapest filter you can buy at O'Reilly Auto Parts. And I assume they also used the cheapest oil. Went ahead and used a new Motorcraft filter and 5-30W Motorcraft synthetic oil. No issues since. :)
 
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