Crower lifter problem
Thread Starter
Race Director
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Crower lifter problem
Finishing up the 406 project and hit a snag. The cam and lifter set is a Crower retro roller conversion for the 400 block. After almost completely buttoning everything up, No compression. Valves were set at zero lash plus 1/2 turn. Upon loosening up the lifter adjustment to zero lash with no preload, the engine developed compression. Long story short, the lifters are acting like SOLID roller lifters. 1 lifter seems to be acting like it should. Strangest thing I have seen in a while. Anyone else have problems with Crower? Best case I guess is misboxed lifters which will result in a top end teardown 
. Of course, friday night with no chance of talking to crower till monday. Any thoughts?
. Of course, friday night with no chance of talking to crower till monday. Any thoughts?
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
Likes: 6
From: St Marys PA
Originally Posted by Pete K
Finishing up the 406 project and hit a snag. The cam and lifter set is a Crower retro roller conversion for the 400 block. After almost completely buttoning everything up, No compression. Valves were set at zero lash plus 1/2 turn. Upon loosening up the lifter adjustment to zero lash with no preload, the engine developed compression. Long story short, the lifters are acting like SOLID roller lifters. 1 lifter seems to be acting like it should. Strangest thing I have seen in a while. Anyone else have problems with Crower? Best case I guess is misboxed lifters which will result in a top end teardown . Of course, friday night with no chance of talking to crower till monday. Any thoughts?
. Of course, friday night with no chance of talking to crower till monday. Any thoughts?Pete, not real sure what your trying to describe. I am assuming they are hydraulic lifters....you set them to zero+1/2 turn buttoned everything up and then what? No compression.....you turning it over with the starter? And there is no compression with a "compression checker gage in the spark plug hole? Really not following what your trying to convey.
If they are hydraulic, and your spring seat pressure is enough on the springs, its possible if your motor is not primed and not at full idle RPM that the lifters may not be pumping up, therefor minimizing the lift your getting.
But I am doing a lot guessing since I did not follow exactly what you are trying to describe.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,137
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From: Howard PA
More than likely your an experienced motor builder so forgive me for stupid questions.
You did submerse these lifters in oil overnight right?
How are you adjusting the preload? I never use that silly turn the pushrod method, or wiggle it up and down. I take a flashlight and watch the lifter plunger, when I see it just start to move down in the lifter I'll usually give it another quarter to half turn.
Could it be possible you have the plungers the whole way down and that's where you thought the pushrod was seated?
You did submerse these lifters in oil overnight right?
How are you adjusting the preload? I never use that silly turn the pushrod method, or wiggle it up and down. I take a flashlight and watch the lifter plunger, when I see it just start to move down in the lifter I'll usually give it another quarter to half turn.
Could it be possible you have the plungers the whole way down and that's where you thought the pushrod was seated?
Last edited by ALLT4; Apr 9, 2005 at 12:13 AM.
Thread Starter
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Sorry for the confusing post. It is a confusing situation. Valves were adjusted to zero lash plus 1/2 turn on base circle of cam. Motor develops no compression because the 1/2 turn of preload is opening the valve instead of the lifter. With the exception of 1 lifter, the hydraulic action of the lifter is not working. They are solid like a solid roller would tend to be. The lifters were not soaked in oil as per Crowers recommendation. The seem to have some sort of cosmolene type of grease in them. I suspect that the grease is preventing them from collapsing or the lifters are mis boxed and are, in fact, solid. Either way I am about to disassemble the top 1/2 to remove and inspect( after dissassembling) them. This sux!
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
It COULD be mis-boxed lifters. It sounds more like you missed the zero lash point, and mistook the bottomed out position for the zero lash position. THEN, when you added the "preload", you pushed the valves off their seats. The valves not seating prevents any compression to develop. This is NOT an uncommon problem. How did you determine the zero lash point? Maybe we can correct this before you tear it down, and redo it. If your going to tear it down either way, leave the valve adjustment alone, and check the plunger position as ALLT4 suggested. If the plungers are depressed beyond the snap rings, you have done as I suggested and missed the zero lash point. If there is no clearance between the plunger and the snap ring, they are solid lifters.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Thread Starter
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Originally Posted by CFI-EFI
It COULD be mis-boxed lifters. It sounds more like you missed the zero lash point, and mistook the bottomed out position for the zero lash position. THEN, when you added the "preload", you pushed the valves off their seats. The valves not seating prevents any compression to develop. This is NOT an uncommon problem. How did you determine the zero lash point? Maybe we can correct this before you tear it down, and redo it. If your going to tear it down either way, leave the valve adjustment alone, and check the plunger position as ALLT4 suggested. If the plungers are depressed beyond the snap rings, you have done as I suggested and missed the zero lash point. If there is no clearance between the plunger and the snap ring, they are solid lifters.
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
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Thread Starter
Race Director
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Originally Posted by ALLT4
Wow that looks really bad for Crower, you got owned, personally I've never used their stuff. Probably never will now.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: The Top of Utah
Originally Posted by Pete K
Well, I disassembled a few. All but 2 are missing the springs that return the plunger to the top. Lifters are hydraulic roller but plunger sits below the snap ring by .350 or so.
Time to drink!
Time to drink!
RACE ON!!!
Former Vendor
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,204
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From: St Marys PA
Happens with ALL stuff more than you realize. My pro mag RRs were missing a few of the snap-rings when I got them back a few years ago.
No sense in getting excited, they will probably replace them, or like I did rather than go through the hassle of contacting them, etc, I just replaced the snaprings myself.
Same things happen this year with Dads new 1095 Demon Carb - thing was like a geiser spilling gas out everywhere. Ripped it down, dirt and debri all over inside. O-rings missing. Did the same thing there - just replace what is bad, and get it running.
In your case the fix might be harder to obtain, but that is why everything as you already know should be looked at 3 times before using.
Glad you got it straightened out.
No sense in getting excited, they will probably replace them, or like I did rather than go through the hassle of contacting them, etc, I just replaced the snaprings myself.
Same things happen this year with Dads new 1095 Demon Carb - thing was like a geiser spilling gas out everywhere. Ripped it down, dirt and debri all over inside. O-rings missing. Did the same thing there - just replace what is bad, and get it running.
In your case the fix might be harder to obtain, but that is why everything as you already know should be looked at 3 times before using.
Glad you got it straightened out.
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 12,517
Likes: 19
Originally Posted by ski_dwn_it
Happens with ALL stuff more than you realize. My pro mag RRs were missing a few of the snap-rings when I got them back a few years ago.
No sense in getting excited, they will probably replace them, or like I did rather than go through the hassle of contacting them, etc, I just replaced the snaprings myself.
Same things happen this year with Dads new 1095 Demon Carb - thing was like a geiser spilling gas out everywhere. Ripped it down, dirt and debri all over inside. O-rings missing. Did the same thing there - just replace what is bad, and get it running.
In your case the fix might be harder to obtain, but that is why everything as you already know should be looked at 3 times before using.
Glad you got it straightened out.
No sense in getting excited, they will probably replace them, or like I did rather than go through the hassle of contacting them, etc, I just replaced the snaprings myself.
Same things happen this year with Dads new 1095 Demon Carb - thing was like a geiser spilling gas out everywhere. Ripped it down, dirt and debri all over inside. O-rings missing. Did the same thing there - just replace what is bad, and get it running.
In your case the fix might be harder to obtain, but that is why everything as you already know should be looked at 3 times before using.
Glad you got it straightened out.
