Solid or hydrolic lifters? 327ci
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
Solid or hydrolic lifters? 327ci
I am a new member and a new owner of a 72 corvette. I have been in the process of getting the car in tune and I think I have now found out why it has been so difficult. I think I have solid lifters, I was wondering how I can tell for sure? The motor is a 327 CE stamped motor that i am slowly but sure figuring out. I think the previous owner set the lifters as if it was a hydrolic motor and i think this is why I have not been able to get to the state of tune I am happy with.
Thanks
Thanks
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 6,930
Likes: 845
From: melbourne florida
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
the easiest way is to look at the lifter, on top on a hydraulic lifter there will be a clip holding the plunger in like a u shaped wire. loosen a couple rockers and see if it rattles louder. I'm inclined to think it has solid lifters, they were very popular years ago.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
The motor is together and so I can not see the lifters. When I went to set the valve lash, I was under the impression is was a hydrolic lifter motor. I took up the lash on the number one cylinder and started to turn it down a half turn and the valve started to go down right away?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 8,351
Likes: 75
From: Tampa Bay FL
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 5,948
Likes: 72
From: Oxford MA-----You just lost the game!!!!
I have never dealt with a solid lifter engine, so I don't have those figures right off the top of my head. But, since you are posting on this forum, you obviously have internet access, so my suggestion is to do a google search, you will have an answer in about ten seconds, as opposed to waiting, and waiting for an answer on this forum.
Scott
Scott
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
Setting a hydrolic motor is not the issue i have done that cold several times over the years on rebuilds. I tryied it once with this motor hot. Issue is if the motor is a solid lifter motor. Thanks for all the replys.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
Ok i just varified I do have hydrolic lifters. I removed a rocker and push rod and looked down the whole. I have the telltell wire retainers at the top of the lifter. The lifter seam to not be bleeding down or compressing like i am use to in the past?
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
Ok still confused the lifter look just like these http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg and these say they are solid?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,691
Likes: 12
From: columbus oh
Ok still confused the lifter look just like these http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg and these say they are solid?
start the motor with the cover off and with the wooden handle of a hammer, push down on the pushrod side of any rocker firmly, if after a few revolutions you hear clatter or lash, you have hydraulics
you can use the heel of your hand also....good luck....
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
Well with the rocker off and pushing down as hard as i can on the top of the pushrod it will not go down at all. If i remeber correctly the last chevy I rebuitl with hydrolic lifters even new ones had some compresion. Also this is all on a stone cold engine right now. I have not started it yet this time around.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 5,691
Likes: 12
From: columbus oh
Well with the rocker off and pushing down as hard as i can on the top of the pushrod it will not go down at all. If i remeber correctly the last chevy I rebuitl with hydrolic lifters even new ones had some compresion. Also this is all on a stone cold engine right now. I have not started it yet this time around.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
As the car is a 72 with a 327 it is not origanal. I was told the motor had had the valves adjusted but i was suspect. I adjusted the valves warm as if a hydrolic motor. I then removed the crap headers and installed some stock ram horn manifolds and then noticed i had a loose valve. And it did not run like it did with the headers. As a result i am suspect that the motor has solid lifters. I have set timing, dwell, adjusted the carb, gaped the plugs, and changed ignition parts. The car has always seamed to be out of tune. This is my first excperance with a 327.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 13,015
Likes: 2,260
From: Corsicana, Tx
2020 C2 of the Year - Modified Winner
2020 Corvette of the Year (performance mods)
C2 of Year Winner (performance mods) 2019
2017 C2 of Year Finalist
Crank it up and try to slowly adjust one valve. Back off till it clicks and then slowly tighten it. Once you eliminate the clicking as you tighten it down..go the other 1/2 turn or so and it will start to miss and run rough. Let it keep running and if it's a hyd the lifter will bleed down and it will start to idle better. If it coninues to run a few minutes and misses..and only improves when you back it off again..then I would suspect a solid cam.
Many solid and hyd lifters look identical on the outside. The less expensive solids use the little wire clips also instead of c-clips. The better hyd lifters use c-clips instead of the wires too.
You may just have a pretty big hyd cam in there that isn't going to idle too smooth. Does it lope any or does it sound stock?
JIM
Many solid and hyd lifters look identical on the outside. The less expensive solids use the little wire clips also instead of c-clips. The better hyd lifters use c-clips instead of the wires too.
You may just have a pretty big hyd cam in there that isn't going to idle too smooth. Does it lope any or does it sound stock?
JIM
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 372
Likes: 59
From: Central Valley Cali
I adjusted the motor for solid lifters per one of the threads on this site. It started right up and ran better then it has ever. I will not know for sure tell tomorrow when i can take it out. I did notice when i adjusted it last time running as per a hydrolic motor the idle increase as the lash increased a small amount