Well my C4 has pretty much kicked the bucket, get me back and forth to work like a GEO...tick tick tick has gotten really bad.. Shops talkin about 400-500 to fix...Collapsed lifter...Im going nuts here....my exhaust sounds like its poppin pop corn or something...Lets see here, Headlight out, taillight out, one headlight up because gears broke through plastic housing, Interior lights stay on, uhmm so i took all bulbs out, guage cluster is mostly out, bulbs expensive, car is puttin me under...Someone help me b4 i give up and sell...
C4Dreams *of having his car run right*

 

lifters are $100 for a full set, at that price you might as well change them all, $400-500 isn't bad really as the entire TPI has to come off and you'll more than likely need new pushrods as well. comp cams has a nice set for $35 that will fit your engine. i'd get that done very soon if i were you, you definatly don't want a lifter going to pieces.

 

You could buy some lifters, gaskets, a basic set of tools, and a shop manual for that price and do it yourself. However, there is the problem of having the time and a place to do it. Should only take a day or so and you'd learn a little bit in the process.

Best thing to do with the lights is to fix them while they are little problems and not let them become bigger problems. Sounds like you just need to sit down and make the decision, is it worth it to you to fix the car? Nothing that you mentioned is really a "major" repair. Sure it can be expensive but it's nothing to just write the car off because of.

Having small problems such as this is all part of the Corvette owning experience, it's what brings us together. Didn't you get the memo?

 

400 to $500 isn't that bad for a Vette. I've had to put more than that in mine for an opti fix plus plugs and wires.
My advice is "don't skimp, do it right the first time".

 

400-500 I would jump all over that, provided its a shop that is reputable.

I honestly would suggest you doing it yourself. Its really not that bad... :cheers:

 

Let me tell you of a horror story. When my 85 hit approx. 105K the valve seals started leaking very bad. Ah, I'll pull the heads, send them to the machine shop and I'll be back in buisness. Well during the next week work picked up and I found myself working between 12 and 14 hrs a day. No time for the Vette. When my heads came back and my wife suggests that since I'm so busy at work why don't I let her mechanic for her auction buisness put the engine back together. So I say what the hell he seems competent. While he is putting it back together he decides that the lifters seem a little too weak and orders a new set. The next time I'm at my wife's business the car is finished and running and I'm informed about the lifters. 4 months later I have a pronounced miss and idle flucuation, can smell gas out the exhaust. So I start the diagnosses. I check compression and all seems ok, good spark, check injectors for leaking, no vacuum leaks. So as a last ditch effort I pull the drivers side valve cover and find that #'s 1,3& 5 intakes are only opening about the amount they are supposed to. Guess what, never put new flat lifters on an old cam, the new lifters will eat the old cam. My grandfather had told me this eons ago but since my car was back together and running I figured the new mechanic must know what he is talking about, wrong. The only upside is I now have a new ZZ4 crate motor and all is well. My wife's mechanic was the first to work to ever work on my Vette and the last. Don't change lifters without changing the cam.

 

Can you try and do it yourself???
If so buy all new lifters, check the pushrods...and since your in there, go for some 1.6 ratio rockers.
Just my thoughts, might as well do everything at one time.
tony
:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

 

I agree with Trupp. Never put new lifters on an old cam. Best way to lobe (flatten) a camshaft there is. Sorry.

Bob White

 

C4dreams, either your biorhythms are screwed up or your not a vette 'guy'.
Seriously think about it, your situation ain't that bad.
Trupp and REW89, What's the physics behind that new lifters/ new cam.
Different metal? higher spring pressure in the lifter? Sounded like a good idea but unless there's some mechanical/physical reasoning behind it, then its :bs .
Any feedback, good or bad would be appreciated.

C4 dreams, hang in there,there's prolly some vetter in your neck of the woods the can give a hand.

 

Putting new roller lifters on a old roller cam is no problem.

Vic

 

as far as your interior lights go, pull the door switches and rebuild them, or pull the black plastic plugs that connect to the door jamb, and but a rubber bushing behind them to lift them, so the pin switch will make better contact with them. I did this on my car, and you really cant tell, and no more lights staying on. Also, check your lock solinoid, mine will sometimes stick, when I use the key to unlock, causing the lights to always stay on....
I think you can replace the headlight gear, for somewhere around 20 for parts, and you can do it yourself and be back in business.
Good luck with the other parts, I know its frustrating, but it sounds like a bunch of little things have started to add up. Youll get it worked out... :cheers:

 

Ok, here is my situration, thanks for the imput...1) Ive wanted a C4 since i was 7 years old and 2) this is my only car wich i have to goto work in...So that said..I have to get this done and done quick...Im having a really good friend of mine who is awesome at building motors build me somethin something....But untill its done im SOL...Now the thing about the lifters on the old cam...I bet if i drove 500 miles nicly without gettin on it to harsh kinda like a mini break in period that i wont have a problem...I whiped 4 cams out of My Grand National because my valve springs were to tough and that the grand national is known to kick some camshafts butt....once the 3rd went i got the meanest camshaft i coujld put in that thing...Held up quite nicley...damn i cant spell...But thats the situation im in im gunna bring it to a shop today wich is alot more reputable...See what they think on the whole deal...Unfortuatly i dont have the place to fix it myself nor the time, if i did O ya id be in it like it was free money...as for the headlight...The actual gears broke out of the CASE-ING the little plastic casing...interior lights ill work on those once i get the car back....Thanks for all ur help...Ill look forward to more opinions also.
C4Dreams

 

the year of your car is important here, the above stated about never putting new lifters on a old flat tappet cam is true. roller cams you can do this all day long with. if you have a post 87 car your fine. if you don't it's much deeper. the $100 for new roller lifters is a ebay price as they are always being sold there. retail is never that cheap, if you own a flat tappet car your most likely going to be pulling the engine & buying a new cam, lifter and pushrod package. i'd do a leak down test as well, might as well find out if you have any fractured top rings. if you do now would be the time to change them. if the rest of your engine is in good shape a nice set of file fits will freshen up the whole thing.