General Discussion

First, mucho thanks to Charles for the help getting my truck back up and running. His youtube videos were nothing short of brilliant. It made what would have been a long and probably a frustrating job into a very doable one. If only mother nature had decided not to roast me while I worked. I must have gone through a few gallons of ice water.

My truck's issue started with the usual-tapping lifter, engine misfire-cylinder 1, service stabilitrak warning during a recent trip, running like hot garbage. I ordered the handy-dandy lifter freeing tool and VLOM block, and followed along with the intake manifold removal video. The front four bolts on the VLOM were barely finger tight. A few on the back were synched down, but the front ones really shocked me. I pulled the valve cover and found that the intake lifter was not moving the rocker. I tried tapping on it with the tool, but I couldn't seem to free it. After a few hours and some choice curse words, I gave up and decided to pull the head. I pulled out the lifter guide and found that the tiny hole in the lifter where I believe oil goes into the lifter was completely blocked with a small piece of something that resembled soft pencil graphite. I went ahead and replaced both lifters for cylinder one, reinstalled the head on new gaskets, thoroughly cleaned the inside of the valve pan, reinstalled it with new gaskets and then I modified the VLOM by knocking out the gasket material for the towers. I installed the plug in the oil sensor port-removed that pesky plastic shroud from the back of the intake, put everything back together, plugged in the OBD2 DOD Disabler and fired it up. The engine shuddered for a few seconds and then, the oil pressure gauge settled down, the idle smoothed right out and everything seemed hunky dory. I took it for a nice drive and wow-the shifts were smoother and I had a lot more get up and go from a stopped position. I will monitor my MPG, but honestly, I'll give up a few MPG if it means the truck will run like this.

My only issue was completely my fault, I missed a vacuum line connection and the engine sounded like it was making popcorn when it reached temp.. Easily located and fixed.

It took me a few days work, but saved me thousands. Thanks Charles, you really did me a solid.

Folks, if you are having this same issue as my truck did and you can tell one end of a wrench from the other, you can do this. Just take your time, LISTEN to Charles and WATCH his youtube videos. You won't regret it. Charles-YOU 'DA MAN!