so i'm replacing some lifters and i was wounding what would be the best grease to put on them for the instal? do you think White lithium would be fine?

 

you are supposed to use assembly lube

 

Assy lube or just oil they will be fine.

 

The thick moly assembly lube that typically comes with new cams is the best stuff to use. http://www.jegs.com/i/Crane+Cams/271/99002-1/10002/-1

 

For hydraulic lifters, I usually put them in a container and soak them in oil overnight to "pre-prime" them. Not necessary, but I like it. Use assembly or cam break-in lube. Save the white lithium for your door hinges, I would rather use EP wheel bearing grease before that stuff.

 

White Lithium? In an engine?

Worst case, I'd use 20W-50 engine oil. Thick.

Personally, I assemble with a liberal dose of Lucas Oil Treatment. Very thick and sticky.

 

IMO, you do need to pre-prime new lifters by submerging them is some motor oil and using a pushrod to 'pump' its piston a couple of times. That will fill the lifters with oil so that they won't be dry to start. It also will allow you to adjust the valves on an un-run engine and have reasonable confidence that they will be set correctly.

When you install the lifters into the block, you should use some thick assembly lube or Vaseline, so that the metal-to-metal surfaces for a "new" engine will be properly protected until the engine oil reaches the valve train.

 

New lifters on a used cam? Good luck. it'll be about a 50-50 if the cam lives. Regardless of what you coat them with. GM makes a cam/lifter prelube that's pretty good, or any of the cam pre-lubes. I've used that Lubriplate white grease many times for engine builds and never had any problems with it.

 

Why did the lifters fail? Odds are the cam is weak in that area too. New cams aren't all that expensive...

 

Any good assembly lube is fine - I use Lubriplate 105. Cam lube on the lifter heel, I use CompCams' stuff. In both cases, any quality product will work...except Vaseline

Agree with Tim AT that your chances aren't good for new lifters on a used cam. I have in the past used an old mechanic's trick that honestly I don't know is a good thing or not: chucking them up in my lathe and touching the heel lightly with a solvent-soaked piece of crocus cloth. Not recommending this - just something I was taught early on that I've used with good success.

There's no need to soak overnight, but dousing them in new oil is a good idea. Hydraulic lifters don't "pump up", but in this case since we're not pre-oiling the engine ensuring a little internal lube at first startup is a good idea. Has absolutely nothing to do with the ability to adjust the valves, since the piston is held at the top of it's travel by a spring.

 

the only reason i'm putting lifters in is because one lifter is starting to fail. so i'll get up to about 60 and it start to tap. while the cam is used, it only has 20k on it, and the rest of the motor is very clean and fresh. so i'm going to try this first

 

If hydraulic lifters don't "pump up", how would you think oil gets into them? The oil gets sucked in as the piston/spring move up when the valve train is in operation.

I just happen to think it's a good idea to get the oil in the lifters first, before I set the valves and try to start the engine. But, that's just me, I guess....

 

Sorry, I don't get it, maybe it's me. The cam has 20K on it but the engine is fresh? Does the engine have 20K on it as well? Doesn't that mean the lifters should also have 20K? Or was a used cam put in a fresh rebuild? When were the lifters installed? Sounds like a lifter is failing at 20K. That's a problem I think I'd look into. Oh, and speed has nothing to do with the lifters, RPM might though...

 

Did you check whether you can hear the noise when the engine is running and the car isnt moving and you hold the RPM to the same value your car does at 60mph? Did you attempt to readjust the valves?

 

No. Hydraulic lifters recieve oil the same way solid lifters do: pressurized oil from the two outer oil galleries of the three above the camshaft that run directly through the lifter bores. You can see evidence of these three galleries looking at the front/back of the block, or just sticking your finger in a lifter bore...it's a 1/4" hole on either side...can't miss 'em. Pressurized oil enters the lifter body through the edge orifice and flows up through the center hole to the pushrod...the same way it does in a solid lifter.

The sole reason for the piston and spring in a hydraulic lifter is for preload. They actually move very little in operation. Solid lifters don't have them, and they certainly provide oil to the rockers effectively.

I noted that it's not a bad idea in this case to get a little lubrication in the lifter since we're not pre-oiling as we do with a new build. But this has nothing - absolutely nothing - to do with the ability to set preload as this is typically done cold (except for the few folks that still insist on doing it running) and the piston is set at the top of it's travel with a spring (see below) - it can't pump "up" any higher. There is no pressurized oil held in the lifter when the engine is not running. There's a guy on here that was told to replace his lifters because he hadn't soaked them overnight and so they couldn't be adjusted - based on the same type of misunderstanding of how hydraulic lifters (or lifters in general) work.

 

Many "tappet noises" are exhaust leak noises.

If it is a lifter and it won't adjust, it's also worth squirting a little carb cleaner down the pushrod to see if there's varnish preventing the piston from reaching the top of it's travel. I would certainly tear down the lifter and see if the issue is varnish or gunk and can be cleaned before replacing it; not difficult to do.

 

I don't even know if GM makes the stuff any longer but in the day I used EOS...Engine Oil Supplement. Coated the lifters, rockers/rocker *****, pushrod tips, even the engine bearings. I bought lots of Chevy parts over the counter and EOS too. Other folks used STP...although I think at that time there was only one STP product, and it was thick and gooey like EOS.

If you've got a cam lobe that wore out a lifter and you're going to put a bandaid on it for a quick fix, it won't be long until it lets go for good.

 

EOS is still around - it's what I still use for a break-in additive for the first 2 oil changes. I don't see it as a replacement in this application for cam lube.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NAL-88862586/

 

That is what I use. The Crane stuff is best. It is really thick so be careful in the lifter bores and body. It stays put on the contact areas. Nice coating on the lobes, lifter bottoms.