Lifter Failure? Report it here!

[95Ctd]

I have not heard or seen how common it is.
When it first started popping up on YouTube and other videos, I remember a few of them stated they were running 15w40.

 

[mbarber84]

Any idea how common this lifter failure really is? It's hard to tell if it just seems more common because of social media. I have a 22 with almost 30k miles and engine idle sounds the same as when I purchased it new. Truck has been good so far (knock on wood) aside from my dpf plugging up but I solved that issue for good.

That’s what I’m trying to find out by collecting some actual data to mill over. Right now I have 12 trucks on the spreadsheet. I am 100% certain there are so many more, but it’s hard to “reach” people with that particular failure and drum up interest / motivate people to answer some questions.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Do you guys think a friction modifier additive would make any difference?

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Do you guys think a friction modifier additive would make any difference?

Yea it would make a big difference the life of the engine would decrease significantly…. Friction modifiers are for clutches and large clearance areas not inside of an engine

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Yea it would make a big difference the life of the engine would decrease significantly…. Friction modifiers are for clutches and large clearance areas not inside of an engine

Lol
I was thinking about some of Hot Shots oil additive products.

 

[Cseybert]

Lol
I was thinking about some of Hot Shots oil additive products.

Me personally I would just stick with a good synthetic oil. Change it after one year or 5 to 8000 miles on my 97 I used to go 8000 miles but I would change the filter and add a quart at 4000 miles.

 

[301cummins]

I haven’t had any failures, but I do have the ticking. I have a theory it’s a pushrod issue. Ive been down the dealership route with no luck. So I bought some heavy duty push rods and valve spring bridges. I found some wear on the old pushrods where they met the rocker arm cups. Only 3 of them were scuffed. It looks like a good amount of material is missing. I got the truck used at like 60k. Only use synthetic. Ran 10w-30 had a tick. 5w-40 made it much better. Ive always run stiction eliminator in all my diesel trucks. I found out these new trucks dont like that stuff. Tick got super loud. Talked to the guys at hotshot who are super cool by the way. Found out the stiction eliminator can thin the oil ever so slightly.

 

[Enve46]

Lots of you clearly have more knowledge than I but as a member of a big block Chevy page there was a slew of failed lifters from 2020 or so through 2022 and some still pop up every now and then. While there may be one reason or another to the failures here I don’t think it can be ignored of possible supplier issue.

Would be interesting to see the data as it compiles to see if this bleeds into the HO motors as well.

 

[301cummins]

That’s a good point. I forgot all about chevy lifter issues. Being a cummins guy for years, now I’m considering 17-19 gmc duramax’s With the 6 speed.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Didn't GM go through a class action law suit about some lifter issues?

 

[301cummins]

Haha. I think you’re right. You can honestly find something wrong with all of them. Maybe I’ll just keep her and work through the problems as they come. I’ve been keeping track of as many cases of the valve train issues as I can. It seems like there is never an obvious issue. People claim failed lifter but take them out (YouTube) and everything looks good. I do think the pushrods bend especially with a tune. Cummins pushrods have always been weak. If I had to point to something it would be pushrods and lack of lube at idle. I was very surprised how long it took for oil to cover valvetrain with the valve cover off on first startup.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Saw one guy on utube comparing the oil passage diameter of the lifter hyd unit to a power stroke. It was about half the diameter. He seemed to be thinking it's a feed issue and that's also the reason they may have moved to the 5w 40. This would seem to support your theory though.

 

[301cummins]

I know exactly the guy you’re talking about. Was it a 6.0 lifter he was comparing it too? The holes are smaller, whether that is good or bad. I got into a pretty good discussion online with the guy. Didnt agree with some of his accusations. I claimed the the bearing in the lifter was burnt. Im pretty sure it has a DLC coating thats why it was black, not to mention the metal that housed the bearing was perfect. I can one metal touching another be burnt and not burn the other. He tried to really make it a lifter issue. Not saying they are perfect, just dont think they are the culprit.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

I know exactly the guy you’re talking about. Was it a 6.0 lifter he was comparing it too? The holes are smaller, whether that is good or bad. I got into a pretty good discussion online with the guy. Didnt agree with some of his accusations. I claimed the the bearing in the lifter was burnt. Im pretty sure it has a DLC coating thats why it was black, not to mention the metal that housed the bearing was perfect. I can one metal touching another be burnt and not burn the other. He tried to really make it a lifter issue. Not saying they are perfect, just dont think they are the culprit.

Yep that was him.
So much information to filter. Thanks

 

[mbarber84]

I know exactly the guy you’re talking about. Was it a 6.0 lifter he was comparing it too? The holes are smaller, whether that is good or bad. I got into a pretty good discussion online with the guy. Didnt agree with some of his accusations. I claimed the the bearing in the lifter was burnt. Im pretty sure it has a DLC coating thats why it was black, not to mention the metal that housed the bearing was perfect. I can one metal touching another be burnt and not burn the other. He tried to really make it a lifter issue. Not saying they are perfect, just dont think they are the culprit.

He also didn’t understand what the little notches were on the side of the lifter body and basically asserted that they were a useless piece. They’re actually the keys that are used to keep the lifter body from rotating axially in their bores. He made some valid points, like the size of the oil passage, but there were also some “reaching” and inaccuracies. His claim that the bushing was a cheap option isn’t necessarily correct. A lot of the racing engines use bushings instead of roller bearings in the lifter in order to reduce complexity and make the lifter more durable. As long as there is oil in there, the bushing shouldn’t be a problem. The issue with the roller locking up from side loading is an issue, as is the notches allowing the lifter bodies to rotate, causing the roller to meet the cam lobes at odd angles.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Thank you guys for sharing all that knowledge you have.
Has Ram commented on what appears to be a manufacturing defect.

 

[301cummins]

I did hear that. Don’t know where

 

[elephantrider]

in the ls world, the upgrade is to move to bushes. needle bearings bad.

 

[301cummins]

Honestly I would rather bushings. Less things to go wrong. Not to mention the trunions have been bushings since like 89. I really think this situation is like the 68. It’s getting exaggerated. I hate the tick but someone will figure it out. I’m just waiting on my rockers. Hopefully that solves the tick. Have heavy duty pushrods in already. There was definitely some material missing from the pushrod. IMO I think the problems are starting with the push rods wearing down to the point were the lifter can’t compensate.

 

[mitchblankenship42]

Honestly I would rather bushings. Less things to go wrong. Not to mention the trunions have been bushings since like 89. I really think this situation is like the 68. It’s getting exaggerated. I hate the tick but someone will figure it out. I’m just waiting on my rockers. Hopefully that solves the tick. Have heavy duty pushrods in already. There was definitely some material missing from the pushrod. IMO I think the problems are starting with the push rods wearing down to the point were the lifter can’t compensate.

Please keep us posted.
Thanks