If your engine has a faulty or failing lifter, it can cause serious problems. These problems can range from a check engine light to a rough-running engine or even an entire shutdown of the engine. If you don’t take action, then you’ll have a junk car on your hands.
A faulty lifter in can also prevent your engine from mixing fuel and air properly, which can lead to an inoperable cylinder or misfire. Other symptoms may include a ticking or knocking noise, engine hesitation, and an increase in engine emissions.
How to tell if you need to replace your lifters
If you notice that one of your engine’s lifters isn’t moving up and down properly, it’s likely time to replace them. You’ll want to get this done before it causes any major damage.
How to identify if your truck has solid or hydraulic lifters
A common way to tell if you need to replace your engine’s lifters is by checking the valve lash between the rocker arms. You can do this by accessing the valve-train assembly, using a socket wrench to remove one of the valve covers.
You’ll then need to measure the gap with a feeler gauge, and you can do this by putting your hand inside your truck at the closest end of the rocker arm. The valve lash is the gap between the top of the rocker arm and the valve stem.
Once you’ve determined if your lifters are solid or hydraulic, you can start shopping for new ones. GM sells complete lifter replacement kits for the engine in your car, and you can also find used lifters for less money.