Do you have a noisy valve train? Ticking that increases with RPM's under load that's less noticable on revs without any load? Enough to have you worried that you might actually have a sticky valve? I can't stress enough just how prudent it is you check you exhaust manifold & manifold to pipe bolts. I'd been waiting for the weather to get decent and finally went chasing after my exhaust leak this morning. Much to my surprise, each of the manifold to head bolts was about 1/3rd of a turn loose & each of the 3 manifold to pipe bolts was a full TWO turns loose on each side. The 1/3rd turn didn't seem all that out of place since it looks as if these heads haven't been touched and any point during the trucks 150,000 miles on the road. But the TWO full turns I was able to put on the manifold to pipe bolts really surprised me.

Final result? started her up expecting a minor difference, and the difference ended up being night and day. Gone is what i thought was a valve tick across the entire rpm range. Having never heard just how quiet this motor was supposed to be, I never knew just how loud was really "too loud". This darn thing is as quiet as a Cadillac now. Who knew?

So after the experience, i have to say - Check your exhaust bolts first if you think you have valvetrain noise. It'll take ya 10 minutes with a ratchet 6" extension/ & 13mm socket. All 6 of the manifold to pipe bolts are easily accessible from beneath the truck. The manifold to head bolts are easily accessible as long as the little bolt protectors have not been bent over the bolt. I understand the general idea of having those metal tabs preventing the bolts from unseating themselves, but truth be told - they are nothing but a pain in the ****. I did not rebend them. I'd rather have easy access to the bolt heads so i can check for torque on a routine basis every 6 months and those tabs are a real pain to deal with (especially if rusted!)

 

Good info, thanks.