VALVE NOISE GMC SIERRA

It's unlikely that it's your valves. Probably you are hearing what is referred to as "piston slap". It's normal, and you will just have to live with it.

Ian

Maybe its the new oil filter you installed, might be something stuck in the check valve and letting the oil drain out. Just my .02

Hey Ian, Define 'Piston Slap'. My mom's Mazda Navajo (Ford Explorer) does exactly what this Sierra is doing. Just curious.

Thanks John

For a while now, pistons have been designed with shorter skirts on them. This makes them more prone to "rock" inside the cylinder wall when they are cold and haven't achieved their full circular shape when they are at operating temperature. The noise a person hears is the bottom edge of the piston skirt being forced into the cylinder wall.

I'm sure that Ford's have the same problem. When I worked in a Chrysler dealership for a few years about

10 years ago, they had the identical problem with the 3.3 v-6 engines. I replaced literally dozens of sets of those pistons. All because customers didn't like the noise. There was no internet back then to the extent that we have it now....so this was not common knowledge. Now, everyone on-line figures they are a mechanic and a lawyer and they are going "make those manufacturers" pay up!

Ian

Yes, but you aren't stuck with a lemon with piston slap.

They aren't lemons. I guess technology is advancing too rapidly for some folks. Oh well, nothing you can do about that.

Ian

Besides the fact that **ALL** the manufacturers are having this same "complaint" in engines in their lines.

Fordsin 1998-2000 V-10

Dodge