When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Hey guys I just took the lifters out of my car. How can I test if they are bad? One of them was ticking so I’m gonna do an oil flush and some sea foam first. But I had to do the valve cover gaskets anyways so thought I’d take a look. How can I tell if a lifter is bad? What are the signs? And how can I test them?
Well I hope you are pulling one at a time or marking its location somewhere.
The lobe & lifter are mated for life.
As far as the ticking. 80% of the time the noise is from excessive valve-lash. Is that from a bad lifter? Maybe.
Could be a cam lobe gone south.
Could be dirt in the lifter.
Peek at lobe for unusual wear marks. Have you been using oil w/ Zinc?
There’s a simple test where you place a straight edge across the bottom of the lifter on it and make sure the lifter is still convex.
other than that, inspect the lifter for abnormal scoring on the bottom or sides.
No really good absolute bench-test method as the dynamics of the actual working environment is quite complex and not easily simulated outside of the engine (unless you happen to have some very expensive specific test equipment!). Therefore one generally diagnoses first that there IS a tapping lifter (well, pretty darn sure) and then upon disassembly establishes that the lifter has the proper "lifter-plunger-preload" (hydraulic) value, sufficient oil supply, no obvious damage, and if an external reason cannot be established for why the lifter(s) might not be functioning properly, you just replace them.
Yes, you can place them in a bucket of oil and pump the plunger some, see if it stops hard, and perhaps if you can't get it to "pump-up" then maybe you'll conclude the it/they're bad, but if it does go solid against the force of say your hand pressure, at the oscillating rate you might present is that going to be conclusive?
Well I hope you are pulling one at a time or marking its location somewhere.
The lobe & lifter are mated for life.
As far as the ticking. 80% of the time the noise is from excessive valve-lash. Is that from a bad lifter? Maybe.
Could be a cam lobe gone south.
Could be dirt in the lifter.
Peek at lobe for unusual wear marks. Have you been using oil w/ Zinc?
I am indeed pulling one at a time to be sure to put em back the right way. Don’t wanna have to buy a new cam hopefully it’s not one of the lobes would be a good excuse to get an agro one but I’d rather just a lifter lol. Thank you guys so much I’ll do the straight edge test and I’ll look for odd scoring on the bottom of the lifter and I’ll compare it to one on the side with no knocking be on the lookout for a picture since I might not be able to tell. My other question is you mentioned valve lash. How could I go about checking that? And if it’s my issue how can I repair it? Also saw something about if I try and lift the end of the rocker arm on the spring side up and it moves or has play it’s bad is this true? And I sure hope not just bought the car.
Last edited by Air_drewdy; Feb 5, 2024 at 08:32 PM.
No really good absolute bench-test method as the dynamics of the actual working environment is quite complex and not easily simulated outside of the engine (unless you happen to have some very expensive specific test equipment!). Therefore one generally diagnoses first that there IS a tapping lifter (well, pretty darn sure) and then upon disassembly establishes that the lifter has the proper "lifter-plunger-preload" (hydraulic) value, sufficient oil supply, no obvious damage, and if an external reason cannot be established for why the lifter(s) might not be functioning properly, you just replace them.
Yes, you can place them in a bucket of oil and pump the plunger some, see if it stops hard, and perhaps if you can't get it to "pump-up" then maybe you'll conclude the it/they're bad, but if it does go solid against the force of say your hand pressure, at the oscillating rate you might present is that going to be conclusive?
Scott.
so you recommend that if I don’t see any immediate issues and after the flush if it still knocks just get a new one?
Hi,
What year car and is the motor original to it? A picture would help...
You removed the lifters before you checked preload or lash? Most would check one of those first, you can also check lift with a dial indicator. If the lifters and cam are OK, you will have to put it back together and adjust the rockers, let us know if and when you get there...
The best way to get instructions on setting valve-lash is not with several paragraphs on here.
You need a visual.
Go to YouTube and search:
Setting Valve-Lash Chevy
One that comes to mind is the clever Vice Grip Garage version.
Just a note here without knowing the history of your heads:
The rocker arm nuts, especially some cheap aftermarket units, can & do back-off.
That could be your tick-tick-tick.
The best way to get instructions on setting valve-lash is not with several paragraphs on here.
You need a visual.
Go to YouTube and search:
Setting Valve-Lash Chevy
One that comes to mind is the clever Vice Grip Garage version.
Just a note here without knowing the history of your heads:
The rocker arm nuts, especially some cheap aftermarket units, can & do back-off.
That could be your tick-tick-tick.
sweet thank you so much. That would definitely be ideal. I’m also gonna change the oil and hopefully that works.
How do you know if they are bad? Pull each one and look at the foot......is it still intact? If it is then that is ok as you will know immediately if a lift foot is going away.....
You can soak each lifter in oil and try to plunge it....if it will not plunge with a lifter full of oil.....then it is good.....if it plunges, replace it.....
When I have a collapsed lifter I try to find the exact same one.....and change out the guts......I do not recommend this for the novice......reason being is that lifter is aquainted to the lobe you removed it form and changing the guts/check valve is a sure fire way to know if the job is going to be successful......
How do you know if they are bad? Pull each one and look at the foot......is it still intact? If it is then that is ok as you will know immediately if a lift foot is going away.....
You can soak each lifter in oil and try to plunge it....if it will not plunge with a lifter full of oil.....then it is good.....if it plunges, replace it.....
When I have a collapsed lifter I try to find the exact same one.....and change out the guts......I do not recommend this for the novice......reason being is that lifter is aquainted to the lobe you removed it form and changing the guts/check valve is a sure fire way to know if the job is going to be successful......
Jebby
okay thank you man yeah im definitely crossing my fingers that an oil change a flush and tightening the rocker arms will stop it.
Don't tighten the rocker arms.....perform a proper lash procedure on all of them......
Jebby
Yes im sorry i meant snug em up since the bolts may have backed off. But i do have to do a proper valve lash is there a good video you recommend i watch
Again: "lifter plunger preload" and valvetrain "lash" are two different things!
So which is applicable; as the processes in establishment and resultant effects are different!
Scott.
I call either lash....because I just do.....you can call it whatever you want and you are not wrong but I am not into semantics today....
Maybe I should have spent more time in school.
The best way to get instructions on setting valve-lash is not with several paragraphs on here.
You need a visual.
Go to YouTube and search:
Setting Valve-Lash Chevy
One that comes to mind is the clever Vice Grip Garage version.
Just a note here without knowing the history of your heads:
The rocker arm nuts, especially some cheap aftermarket units, can & do back-off.
That could be your tick-tick-tick.
Can also be the stock pressed in rocker studs partially pulling out . Unusual, but not unheard of.
Lifter test
