Is this a bad lifter
#22
Regardless, found the problem:
The lifter bearing appears to have become unhappy.
Fortunately, we don't think there was any damage outside of the lifters and cam.
So, this afternoon we're pulling the cam to have a good look. With the holiday, it'll probably be next week before we get to replacing parts due to shipping delays. Obviously replacing lifters and cam. Mechanic has a spare set of ported heads so we'll probably throw those on with a .045 head gasket. Current cam is 232/241 duration at .050, .6215/.6214 lift, 115 LSA. We are thinking the same lift/duration but going to a 114 or 113 LSA.
Lifter wise, mechanic says LS7 lifters are fine. I'm thinking of going to at least the Morel drop in lifters and new pushrods. Thoughts on this? Link bar lifters worth it for a 99% street car? 20,000 miles/year avg so whatever we choose has to last.
#25
Le Mans Master
Your suspicions were correct, how does that cam bearing look from the damaged lobe?
#26
Well it certainly isn't a good lifter, at least not anymore lol. I assume you mean the cam bearing.
noted. Will discuss with mechanic later today. At this point I'm leaning toward the Morel 5315 drop-ins or the 5290s with link bars. It'll set the build back quite a while because we'll have to measure for pushrods obviously, but we probably ought to do that anyway.
Worth the extra $200 to go with the linked lifters
Won't know that until I get over there this afternoon and pull the cam. I'm sure I'll post back then.
noted. Will discuss with mechanic later today. At this point I'm leaning toward the Morel 5315 drop-ins or the 5290s with link bars. It'll set the build back quite a while because we'll have to measure for pushrods obviously, but we probably ought to do that anyway.
Worth the extra $200 to go with the linked lifters
Won't know that until I get over there this afternoon and pull the cam. I'm sure I'll post back then.
#27
The dual springs and ls7 lifters don't mix at least in my case had the same thing happen when i put dual springs on my ls7 lifters. I would deffinately try a different lifter. Just my opinion.
Last edited by sabersaw30; 11-23-2016 at 07:07 PM.
#28
So, I just got back from the shop; here's where we stand:
cam is trashed (knew that going into it)
cam bearings, however, are fine, with not much wear at all
lifters are trashed, obviously
So, after a bit of discussion, here's what we've decided on:
new LS7 lifters and cups and all that
new cam (232/241, 621/621, 114 LSA)
swapping my heads for a set of freshly ported LS3 heads
dropping down a gasket size if we can get them in a timely manner
couple relevant photos (all of the same lifter):
cam is trashed (knew that going into it)
cam bearings, however, are fine, with not much wear at all
lifters are trashed, obviously
So, after a bit of discussion, here's what we've decided on:
new LS7 lifters and cups and all that
new cam (232/241, 621/621, 114 LSA)
swapping my heads for a set of freshly ported LS3 heads
dropping down a gasket size if we can get them in a timely manner
couple relevant photos (all of the same lifter):
#29
Safety Car
#30
Melting Slicks
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While you have it torn down, it might be a good idea to take a couple of rockers apart and see how the trunnions and bearings are doing. Several people on the Z06 forum have recently reported premature excessive wear on both the needle bearing and bushing style aftermarket kits.
#31
#32
Safety Car
While you have it torn down, it might be a good idea to take a couple of rockers apart and see how the trunnions and bearings are doing. Several people on the Z06 forum have recently reported premature excessive wear on both the needle bearing and bushing style aftermarket kits.
The only problems are with the comp trunions. Which are junk.
The stock trunions are the go to trunions, and few have failures.
There was a few months the 07 Z06 produced bad trunions, but most of those failures are long in the past.
#33
While you have it torn down, it might be a good idea to take a couple of rockers apart and see how the trunnions and bearings are doing. Several people on the Z06 forum have recently reported premature excessive wear on both the needle bearing and bushing style aftermarket kits.
Since the valvetrain had to come out anyway for the new heads this time, we checked them and they are in great shape.
#34
Personally I wouldn't use ls7 lifters either. Yes people run them with duals and have no issues but eventually you will, especially if you "use" the car. the ls7 stock body lifter just isn't made to withstand those pressures for long periods of time and high rpm. Ask anyone at BTR Martin Smallwood and Tony Mamo.
At a bare minimum I would do a 5313, preferably if a link bar isn't in the budget, and I agree it would be overkill here I would go with a Johnson 2110. Same lifter GM use in the coop cars
At a bare minimum I would do a 5313, preferably if a link bar isn't in the budget, and I agree it would be overkill here I would go with a Johnson 2110. Same lifter GM use in the coop cars
Last edited by redbird555; 11-27-2016 at 07:33 PM.
#35
Safety Car
They are not superior to OEM. I would consider yourself one of the lucky ones here. Its why Katech and many other top vendors here all recommend OEM
That's great there in good shape!! hopefully you can get your moneys worth. I would take them apart and look at the trunion surface to actually know what you have when you swap out springs down the road. And if you did not take them completely apart to see the surface.
A while back people were using comp as a go to for trunions and many have now lost their motors, and most have failed within less then 10,000 miles.
#36
Safety Car
That is your personal opinion only. Many of these survive hundreds of thousands of miles of abuse.
AHP a well respected vendor runs these on many of their builds without issue. As well as many others. Nothing wrong running these lifters.
depends on how bad you abuse your motor, for typical LS7 add ons they work with NO issue.
Obviously if your doing a custom high HP build or have more money then god, then ya upgraded lifters are nice in a racing application.
For street use, these do more then a good job.
#37
Melting Slicks
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We put the BTR trunnion upgrade kit in when we did the cam initially, which we researched and determined is far superior to both the OEM and Comp trunnion kit.
Since the valvetrain had to come out anyway for the new heads this time, we checked them and they are in great shape.
Since the valvetrain had to come out anyway for the new heads this time, we checked them and they are in great shape.
#38
They are not superior to OEM. I would consider yourself one of the lucky ones here. Its why Katech and many other top vendors here all recommend OEM
That's great there in good shape!! hopefully you can get your moneys worth. I would take them apart and look at the trunion surface to actually know what you have when you swap out springs down the road. And if you did not take them completely apart to see the surface.
A while back people were using comp as a go to for trunions and many have now lost their motors, and most have failed within less then 10,000 miles.
That's great there in good shape!! hopefully you can get your moneys worth. I would take them apart and look at the trunion surface to actually know what you have when you swap out springs down the road. And if you did not take them completely apart to see the surface.
A while back people were using comp as a go to for trunions and many have now lost their motors, and most have failed within less then 10,000 miles.
I know that the metallurgy of the bearings is supposedly substantially better than the comp or OE bearings, and the snap rings are also superior to either.
They're needle bearings. According to the mechanic, they're in great condition still; over 10,000 miles on them (and I am the opposite of gentle on the car). I haven't personally looked at them, nor do I have the time, but I have no reason to doubt their integrity.