Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (see pic)
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (see pic)
Ok found the culprit that put me out of commission, looks like I had a lifter failure. And as I had hoped it doesnt look any worse that that. Doing a cam swap anyway just in case the cam is damaged, might as well pick up a few horses along the way.
Anyone know what might have caused this?
(story: after racing well all day at MIR World Cup, 85 out of 90 miles riding back home, start hearing a tapping)
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6ydad/
[Modified by IFLUBYU, 9:52 PM 2/13/2004]
Anyone know what might have caused this?
(story: after racing well all day at MIR World Cup, 85 out of 90 miles riding back home, start hearing a tapping)
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze6ydad/
[Modified by IFLUBYU, 9:52 PM 2/13/2004]
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 11,945
Likes: 12
From: Vancouver
2015 C5 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
Unreal!!! that looks like a piece just came off the roller. If so I would say factory defect. Others may have better ideas. I think I'll :lurk: for awhile and see what they say. :thumbs: :seeya
Racer
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 330
Likes: 0
From: Bayside NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
What I would do is, remove the front cover and retorque the cam retaining plate. If not torqued properly the bolts tend to come loose and the cam is freeplaying back and forth. But before anything remove the cam and check the lobes, by the look of that lifter you might of wiped out a cam lobe.
Did you get any codes on the PCM?
Did you get any codes on the PCM?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (Gus)
What I would do is, remove the front cover and retorque the cam retaining plate. If not torqued properly the bolts tend to come loose and the cam is freeplaying back and forth. But before anything remove the cam and check the lobes, by the look of that lifter you might of wiped out a cam lobe.
Did you get any codes on the PCM?
Did you get any codes on the PCM?
Still wondering what might have caused this. Also wondering if I should get the comp-R lifters, hmm... :confused:
Pro
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 712
Likes: 0
From: Santa Clarita Ca
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
Carefully examine the plastic, lifter locators trays. Excess "side", or rotational play could be the root cuase of your failure.
[Modified by '97 C5, 7:48 AM 2/14/2004]
[Modified by '97 C5, 7:48 AM 2/14/2004]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 7,370
Likes: 8
From: Slave to the evil empire
Cruise-In V Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter ('97 C5)
Carefully examine the plastic, lifter locators trays. Excess "side", or rotational play could be the root cuase of your failure.
That lifter looks like it rotated in the lifter bore
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
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 3,558
Likes: 2
From: Cape Coral FL
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
What also worries me is, what happened to the pieces that broke off? That is a lot of metal to be floating around inside your motor. New cam or not. :(
[Modified by ArKay99, 10:33 PM 2/14/2004]
[Modified by ArKay99, 10:33 PM 2/14/2004]
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
Yes the lifter did appear to be rotated about 45deg in the bore before I pulled it out. The plastic retainer appears perfect though. There is definately at least one piece of metal from the side of the lifter missing, hoping to find that in the oil pan. The roller on it just looks like it got stuck and got beat flat by the cam. No doubt that lobe on the cam probably took some damage too. Cam should be out in the next day or two.
To answer the one reply above about swapping lifters, yes you have to pull the head to do that(on GenIII SBC, not on earlier SBC). You might first want to just pull your valve covers and check your rockers, if good, pull the rockers and check the pushrods. Much cheaper to check this first than pulling the heads. If you are going to pull the heads, you might as well go for a full cam/lifter swap.
If the lifter guide is ok, any idea what might have caused the lifter to rotate and/or fail? Im just wondering if this is a part defect, installation defect, or just bad luck and a lead foot?
To answer the one reply above about swapping lifters, yes you have to pull the head to do that(on GenIII SBC, not on earlier SBC). You might first want to just pull your valve covers and check your rockers, if good, pull the rockers and check the pushrods. Much cheaper to check this first than pulling the heads. If you are going to pull the heads, you might as well go for a full cam/lifter swap.
If the lifter guide is ok, any idea what might have caused the lifter to rotate and/or fail? Im just wondering if this is a part defect, installation defect, or just bad luck and a lead foot?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 8,133
Likes: 144
From: Ex-SF Bay Area; now happily Denver area
Re: Found the cluprit! Failed lifter (IFLUBYU)
...just bad luck and a lead foot?
