skywalker

installing redone heads and figured I would check the lifter wheels and cam lobes while I was in there. one of the lifters on cyl # 7 was sticky coming out. once out I found some very small horizontal scatches/abrasions on the lower side of the lifter bore near the top of the bore which can be felt with the tip of my finger.
Suggestions???? there are no marks on the lifter body.

thinking maybe just a little 400 or emery cloth and dress it out enough to get the lifter moving smoothly.

any help would be greatly appreciated
rob

Michael_D

Picture please. Catching a fingernail is not good. Run a bore gauge through it too....

skywalker

I don't have a bore guage but will take some pics and see if I can figure out how to post it.

LT1Pat

You should be fine running a 7/8 ball hone. You mainly just want to knock down any high spots. Do your best to avoid letting any contaminant make it into the galley holes.

Michael_D

Responded to your PM. Will respond here as well, for general awareness.

Lifter body to bore clearance is critical. If it is excessive, oil pressure on the lifter will not be adequate to keep the lifter pumped up. You can hone a bore, but not unless you know clearance. Normally, if you have lifter bore damage, the bore will require bushing, or sometimes, you can bore it out and run a Ford lifter. GM clearance spec is not much. .0013 - .0018.

skywalker

Thanks again Michael. You are certainly an asset to this forum. I am planning to borrow a bore guage from the machine shop tomorrow and will report the results.

Blackonblacksls

Had this happen on one block of mine. Lifter was rough coming out through top.

When machine shop looked at it, they said it needed repair via a bronze sleeve honed to size..

Hope yours isn't as bad.

skywalker

update. checked with the machine shop and they did not have a bore guage that small. best I could do was use a telescoping T guage and measure that way. as it was just a couple of marks in the portion of the bore above the oil gallery I used a small piece of 400 on the end of a round dowl to dress them out. result was approx .001 increase(as best as I could measure) in the bore dia only in the small area I smoothed out. The engine is back together and running, and quietly. havent driven the car yet do to weather but with the oil temp up to 160* oil press was 33psi at idle and jumped quickly with any increase in rpm.
thanks for the replies and interest.
Rob

LT1Pat

You'll be fine. Usually the rule of thumb is .001 to .0015" for every 1" of bore clearance for just about every bearing and bore in the motor but loose isn't a big deal. The saying goes "clearances too tight and everyone knows but clearances too loose and only you know"

Michael_D

OMG - Stop, please.


........why do I even bother.

LT1Pat

I'm not sure... Please do stop.

Vito.A

Rob,
Did you replace all the lifters?

skywalker

No I did not. These lifters only have 5 k miles on them . I did find a slight burr on this lifter body which I am sure caused the issue. Cleaned it up and put it back in. Should have checked them closer before installing them the first time. Don,t assume just because they are new.
Rob

chuck hartley

use a brake cylinder hone about 5 bucks to clean it up. Then use a digital caliper to check bore size. About 50 bucks. If its to much over specs parts stores sell many dif oversize lifters from 5 to 50 bucks each depending on which fancy name is on the box it comes in.

meanjoe

Hey Chuck

You just bumped a thread that's over two years old. I'm going to guess by now that he's got it fixed.

chuck hartley

maybe but it was the first thing popped up under google search for how to remove stuck lifter. My prob atm 2 roller lifters bottom mushroomed out after went to valvoline quick lube and they didnt prefill oil filter. Soon as started car it collapsed 2 lifters. 2 pushrods fell off rockers an lifters started banging against cam. One came out easy the other i broke k&d lifter extracter trying to pull it out. Not even wedging wrench under visegrips worked. And pulling engine out of car to remove cam not an option. But i have an idea to try in the morning. Anchor bolt from home depot wedged in lifter barrel an connected to a 5lb slide hammer should either get it out more make a big mess. I dont have 2 days to wait for similar tool to be delivered.

Unreal

First of all, never remove a damaged lifter from the top. Remove the cam and push it out.

And not prefilling an oil filter causing lifter damage? That is a new one. I've never prefilled an oil filter in my life.

chuck hartley

well got mine fixxed found a 5/8 x 8inch sleeve anchor from home depot was just right to wedge in lifter an my 5lb slide hammer screwed right in to a coupler between the 2. Took 3 good hits to get it out an scratched up the bore pretty deep. If i remember ill take pic of how bad they were. An yes if u dont prefil oil filter on hydralic lifter engine u send a burst of air thru system an often damage something. Anyways cleaned up some 4.3 v6 lifters an pushrods got it all done runs great an oil pressure 80lbs cold 60lbs hot. It was 30lbs cold 10 lbs hot before fixxed. Now im back where was before wejt to that idiot oil change place. So happy went an did donuts on the rev limiter 😁

Michael_D