Bad lifter?? Need help!
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,540
Likes: 1
From: Pineville Kentucky
CI 6-8-9 Veteran
Bad lifter?? Need help! UPDATE
Coming home today my 73 454 started chugging and rattling then some horrible metal on metal pinging. I was about 5 miles from home so I limped home pulled the valve cover pans and found an exhaust pushrod would go down into the lifter. I assume the lifter is "bad"? tried to remove it with a magnet but no such luck. Next is to pull the intake correct?? Does this make sense to you?
Last edited by 2th farmer; Jan 13, 2006 at 03:49 PM.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,540
Likes: 1
From: Pineville Kentucky
CI 6-8-9 Veteran
Originally Posted by vetteaddic
Is the pushrod bent,is that what you cant pull out or is it the lifter you cant pull,is it still together or did it come off the rocker? Compare with the other rockers to see any difference.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Lifters can fail, unfortunately
What cam/lifters did you install ? If it's only one of the 16 lifters that failed then a "normal" failure is likely... The fact that you can't pull it out after only a few thousand miles after the rebuild worries me a little...
What cam/lifters did you install ? If it's only one of the 16 lifters that failed then a "normal" failure is likely... The fact that you can't pull it out after only a few thousand miles after the rebuild worries me a little...
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
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From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
lifter tool
there is a lifter tool you can use aslo before you pull the head. I had mine for a while, but i imagine you can still get on e. it is a t-hendle rod with a ball end that seats in the lifter and lock in when you squeze the handle.
tim
Update
snap makes two versions of this tool new style fromthe one i nabbed from my dad's tool box way back when
S8690 - Hydraulic Tappet Tool
S8692 - Hydraulic Valve Lifter Removal Tool: Includes handle and shaft assembly, slide hammer, and a collet for removing stubborn valve lifters "gummed" up with varnish.
Hope this helps
tim
tim
Update
snap makes two versions of this tool new style fromthe one i nabbed from my dad's tool box way back when
S8690 - Hydraulic Tappet Tool
S8692 - Hydraulic Valve Lifter Removal Tool: Includes handle and shaft assembly, slide hammer, and a collet for removing stubborn valve lifters "gummed" up with varnish.
Hope this helps
tim
Last edited by sweethence; Jan 13, 2006 at 08:48 AM.
Pro
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 684
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From: Winnipeg Manitoba
Just wanted some more info on the lifter problem, Is it possible to remove the lifter while the head and the intake are still on. Actually today I will be installing my crane kool nuts that I will be using in place of my stock rocker nuts, during the process I am going to check the rocker arms and pushrods. I have some concerns about one of my lifters, is it possible to pull the lifter out with a maganet ? And if so, once out is it a matter of just pushing it back in.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
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From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by RATT7
Just wanted some more info on the lifter problem, Is it possible to remove the lifter while the head and the intake are still on. Actually today I will be installing my crane kool nuts that I will be using in place of my stock rocker nuts, during the process I am going to check the rocker arms and pushrods. I have some concerns about one of my lifters, is it possible to pull the lifter out with a maganet ? And if so, once out is it a matter of just pushing it back in.
Yes, can be done (I did it once)
You can then inspect the cam lobe and the bottom side of the lifter.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
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From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
Originally Posted by RATT7
Just wanted some more info on the lifter problem, Is it possible to remove the lifter while the head and the intake are still on.
.
.
sometimes you even need to use a degreaser to clean off the varnish that seems to stop the lifters from coming out....
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 8,319
Likes: 7
From: Wilmington DE, Drive it like you stole it, 68 327 4 speed coupe
Originally Posted by bobs77vet
unless i'm having a brain fart...which can happen .... i don't see how you could do this with the heads and intake on.....in my head i'm seeing that the pushrod holes are smaller then the lifter diameter....
sometimes you even need to use a degreaser to clean off the varnish that seems to stop the lifters from coming out....
sometimes you even need to use a degreaser to clean off the varnish that seems to stop the lifters from coming out....
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,540
Likes: 1
From: Pineville Kentucky
CI 6-8-9 Veteran
Thanks to everybody, I bought a lifter puller tool for $10.00 at a local parts house. I removed the lifter with no problems.The bottom of it was worn out. The bottom had worn thru to allow oil to come thru a small hole. I pulled another lifter and found it to be perfect. The cam is my concern now. I plan on putting it back together and checking the amount of "rise" in the rocker arm. This car is not a 1/4 mile car but I want it to be dependable. Was this a freak event or should I pull every lifter to check?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,540
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From: Pineville Kentucky
CI 6-8-9 Veteran
Originally Posted by vetteaddic
If the bottom of the lifter is worn so is your cam lobe,change out cam.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Sierra Foothills CA
Originally Posted by vetteaddic
If the bottom of the lifter is worn so is your cam lobe,change out cam.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,540
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From: Pineville Kentucky
CI 6-8-9 Veteran
Originally Posted by Les
He's probably right. Sometimes the ramp on the cam wears enough that it won't rotate the lifter properly in the bore. If that's the case the cam will do the same thing to the next lifter, not to mention that the wear can continue on the cam itself. If you can't confirm that the lifter was originally flawed and the cam is fine you'd be better off replacing the cam too. Don't ask me how I know! I suggest you also check the lifter bore to make sure a new lifter will rotate freely. Good luck with it.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 11,094
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From: Sierra Foothills CA
If the wear line is straight it indicates that the lifter wasn't rotating. If you can post a pic we can probably tell if that's the case. I went through this about 1 1/2 years ago on my smallblock- I didn't want to replace my cam either but the experts in my area all agreed that it'd be foolish not to. In my case the lifter rotated freely in the bore, which meant that the problem had to be with the cam.