lifter failing?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 667
Likes: 302
From: Nova Scotia Canada
lifter failing?
I just got the car back out after installing a rebuilt diff. I noticed once the engine is warmed up (190F) and at idle (40lbs oil pressure at idle) I'll get an occasional ticking. I'm using a Melling high volume pump with a DRM oil cooler. I'm confident that it's only one cylinder on the drivers side. They're LS7 lifters and I've got the bronze trunnion upgrade. The cam is intake .614 and 276. Exhaust .624 and 292. Nothing crazy. I'm guessing 10k miles on the build.
The motor is a 383 with an A&A kit making about 10lbs of boost. The most I'll spin it to is 7K but normal enthusiastic driving I'll keep it at 6.5k or lower. Extremely rare I'll hit the rev limiter. It's got new plug wires too. I checked last night for any arching to be 100% sure.
A few of us did a 160 mile drive yesterday with a number of good pulls. The car might have used a pinch of oil but i checked it not long after the drive so perhaps it used next to none. It will use a bit anyway due to ring gap for BOOST.
My plan is to pull the rocker assembly and take a look at the push rods, see what the plungers feel like and check the trunnions. I'll be draining the oil and cutting the oil filter just for fun as well.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Throw out the LS7 lifters and get some Johnsons?
Thanks!
The motor is a 383 with an A&A kit making about 10lbs of boost. The most I'll spin it to is 7K but normal enthusiastic driving I'll keep it at 6.5k or lower. Extremely rare I'll hit the rev limiter. It's got new plug wires too. I checked last night for any arching to be 100% sure.
A few of us did a 160 mile drive yesterday with a number of good pulls. The car might have used a pinch of oil but i checked it not long after the drive so perhaps it used next to none. It will use a bit anyway due to ring gap for BOOST.
My plan is to pull the rocker assembly and take a look at the push rods, see what the plungers feel like and check the trunnions. I'll be draining the oil and cutting the oil filter just for fun as well.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Throw out the LS7 lifters and get some Johnsons?
Thanks!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 12,864
Likes: 4,667
I just got the car back out after installing a rebuilt diff. I noticed once the engine is warmed up (190F) and at idle (40lbs oil pressure at idle) I'll get an occasional ticking. I'm using a Melling high volume pump with a DRM oil cooler. I'm confident that it's only one cylinder on the drivers side. They're LS7 lifters and I've got the bronze trunnion upgrade. The cam is intake .614 and 276. Exhaust .624 and 292. Nothing crazy. I'm guessing 10k miles on the build.
The motor is a 383 with an A&A kit making about 10lbs of boost. The most I'll spin it to is 7K but normal enthusiastic driving I'll keep it at 6.5k or lower. Extremely rare I'll hit the rev limiter. It's got new plug wires too. I checked last night for any arching to be 100% sure.
A few of us did a 160 mile drive yesterday with a number of good pulls. The car might have used a pinch of oil but i checked it not long after the drive so perhaps it used next to none. It will use a bit anyway due to ring gap for BOOST.
My plan is to pull the rocker assembly and take a look at the push rods, see what the plungers feel like and check the trunnions. I'll be draining the oil and cutting the oil filter just for fun as well.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Throw out the LS7 lifters and get some Johnsons?
Thanks!
The motor is a 383 with an A&A kit making about 10lbs of boost. The most I'll spin it to is 7K but normal enthusiastic driving I'll keep it at 6.5k or lower. Extremely rare I'll hit the rev limiter. It's got new plug wires too. I checked last night for any arching to be 100% sure.
A few of us did a 160 mile drive yesterday with a number of good pulls. The car might have used a pinch of oil but i checked it not long after the drive so perhaps it used next to none. It will use a bit anyway due to ring gap for BOOST.
My plan is to pull the rocker assembly and take a look at the push rods, see what the plungers feel like and check the trunnions. I'll be draining the oil and cutting the oil filter just for fun as well.
Any other thoughts or suggestions? Throw out the LS7 lifters and get some Johnsons?
Thanks!
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 667
Likes: 302
From: Nova Scotia Canada
I don’t think it’s normal because it’s only on the one side and it’s intermittent.
Yes the (ID1000) injectors are noisy but this is a more metallic sound.
Also the noise is only after the car is fully warmed up.
I certainly appreciate your response.
Thank you!
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 12,864
Likes: 4,667
Youre welcome! We're here to try to help. I would definitely check the rocker arms to see if they're tightened, or maybe PRs for any bent ones. I've noticed that a couple of times thru the years that when I've bolted my rockers down they can sometimes be just a bit cocked, or not fully seated/nested in their mounts. For that reason, when I do this now, I make sure that as it nears being fully seated, I wiggle the rocker back and forth between my thumb and index finger just a little bit as I'm tightening it. It will usually be fully seated when the tip is directly over the valve stem. Then you can torque them to spec confident they're positioned and seated correctly. Works for me. IIRC, the torque spec is 22lbs/ft, or 264lbs/inch......
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 409
From: Portland OR
Common failure on those bronze bushings. It’s well documented over on LS1 Tech.
Some companies developed different oiling solutions. Other companies said it was an oiling issue with the engine. Yeah, right.
Do some research.
Myself, I didn’t like the bronze approach, so went with the Tooley series II needle bearing approach with no issues.
Some companies developed different oiling solutions. Other companies said it was an oiling issue with the engine. Yeah, right.
Do some research.
Myself, I didn’t like the bronze approach, so went with the Tooley series II needle bearing approach with no issues.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
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
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 2,654
Likes: 1,386
From: Orange County, CA
That BTR kit would be my go-to if/when I ever get into it.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 4,449
Likes: 409
From: Portland OR
Not sure how much research there was to do when those came out.
Customers always end up doing the reliability testing. :-)
Many engines used bronze bushed rockers back in the day. But they were pressure lubed.
The modern Hemi uses them now. Again, pressure fed.
Instructor
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 114
Likes: 19
From: Ontario
Like Ron I decided to go with a premium needle bearing to replace my "upgraded" bronze bushings. These noticeably quieted down the valve train and so far seem stable.
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...oducts_id=9356
http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...oducts_id=9356
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 12,864
Likes: 4,667
Common failure on those bronze bushings. It’s well documented over on LS1 Tech.
Some companies developed different oiling solutions. Other companies said it was an oiling issue with the engine. Yeah, right.
Do some research.
Myself, I didn’t like the bronze approach, so went with the Tooley series II needle bearing approach with no issues.
Some companies developed different oiling solutions. Other companies said it was an oiling issue with the engine. Yeah, right.
Do some research.
Myself, I didn’t like the bronze approach, so went with the Tooley series II needle bearing approach with no issues.