Hi Guys;

I have to replace the hydraulic lifters on my 1977-and the Goodwrench engine that is in vehicle has no numbers.
I know there is more than 1 type lifter......How do I determine which type I need?
Any input would be of great help.
Thanks in advance

 

First off, why do you have to replace the lifters? Second, do you know if it's a roller engine? Stock '77 Vettes had standard flat tappet hydraulic small block lifters. If the engine is not a newer GM crate roller engine then you just need stock replacements.

 

so you have a crate engine in your car? If you know throughly the year of the engine you can go to the part store and buy a set....flat tappet hydrollic correct?

Just curious but are you replacing all lifters and if so why?

 

I know there at least 2 lifters (2&8) that are not pumping up....
went through adding tranny fluid to help clean and free stuck lifters, adjusted many times,and the engine is still running rough.
I have checked carb,wires,plugs,vacuum,timing,etc and all check out fine.

The engine is NOT a roller however I do not know when it was replaced.
I have had the car the last eight years and It was replaced before I owned the car.

 

If ignition and carb are fresh it sounds more like a flat cam than lifters. Have you run a compression and or leak down test?

 

Compression difference is less than 3% overall in all 8 cylinders with no leak down........I guess that would eliminate valves.....but not lifters...

 

I have to agree with the above. A cam lobe will wipe a lot easier than a lifter will fail. I have never seen a failed lifter in my own hands but I have seen several wiped cam lobes...all flat tappet hydraulic cam and lifter.

PS - I have a used but good shape L82 cam I was going to list for sale in parts.

 

DB,
I'll keep the cam in mind if I have to go that far......Hopefully, I won't

 

It could be a wiped lobe, check your oil and cut open your oil filter to look for the glitter If you see some then go ahead and pull your intake and pull out the two suspect liftersto see if they are dished.

This just happend to me in my Grand National a few months ago, I had some slight lifter noise and I new what it was but I was in denial. I pulled my rocker covers to see which rockers moved the least. As soon as I spotted it I new it was a wiped lobe rather than a failed lifter.

I would not run the car too much if it is the cam, that metal running through can ruin all the bearings and cause a complete rebuild.

Pull your intake and look at the lifters.

Good luck

 

A few notes and comments on your problem:

First, hydraulic lifters really only have 2 failure modes:

1. Dished lifter/worn out/trashed cam lobe. This is a very common issue, and is a catastrophic failure due to the metal that gets pumped through the engine oil galleys. If the cam has failed and dished out the bottom of the lifter, you have to completely disassemble the engine to get the metal out of it, and all bearings have to be replaced. If this has happened, you will usually get popping up through the intake or out the exhaust due to the valve that is not opening. You can spot the problem by removing the valve covers, disconnecting the ignition, and cranking the engine over on the starter: Look at the rocker arms and see if any arm is not moving or moving less that the others. If any rocker is not moving, just pull the engine out - no point in trying to repair it in-vehicle.

2. A lifter which is simply "ticking" yet is still moving the rocker arm can be fixed. The cause of a lifter that is ticking is a small piece of crap that is jamming the lifter plunger - no amount of ATF or lifter additives will fix it or remove the crap. Identify the offending lifter and pull it out. You can then disassemble the lifter and give it a good cleanup: You will likely have a hard time getting the plunger out due to the little piece of crap that's jamming it. But I've always been able to get them apart after a little work. Get the crap out, clean it, lube it, and slap it back together. If there is no garbage in the lifter and all parts are undamaged, the lifter will work fine. I've fixed dozens of them this way with 100% success.

Another note: There is only one hydraulic lifter manufacturer in the US, and they make all the lifters for everybody else. There is no such thing as a "Crane Lifter" or a "Lunati Lifter." Everyone buys their lifters from the same place and re-labels them. For this reason, you can go to Checker Auto and get a cheap-O hydraulic lifter for a small block Chevy and it will work exactly like a standard hydraulic lifter from CompCams. Just say you need a lifter for a "1971 350 Chevy Truck." You will get the same lifter that you will get from any other supplier, and it will work perfectly. If you have a non-roller Gen 1 small block, there is only one lifter. Don't let the brand names and super-duper titles fool you.

 

Thanks Lars and all other responses,
I know what my project for tomorrow will be.
I'll keep everyone posted.......