Bad Lifter
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 15
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From: Boyds MD
Bad Lifter
My engine had been making a slight tapping noise and I brought it to a mechanic who told me that I have a bad lifter. He said that he has to take the head off to see if there is any other damage, including to the cam.
He told me that in order to fix the lifter and replace the seven others in the head it would cost $1,950 or so. I figured if he already had to take off one of the heads, maybe I should replace them both and put in a new cam. I was pretty shocked to hear him tell me that it would cost around $6,000 to $7,000 to replace the heads and the camshaft.
1. Does that sound like a resonable price to you?
2. Do you think that just doing a cam and new heads would noticably improve the vehicle's performance?
-Thanks
He told me that in order to fix the lifter and replace the seven others in the head it would cost $1,950 or so. I figured if he already had to take off one of the heads, maybe I should replace them both and put in a new cam. I was pretty shocked to hear him tell me that it would cost around $6,000 to $7,000 to replace the heads and the camshaft.
1. Does that sound like a resonable price to you?
2. Do you think that just doing a cam and new heads would noticably improve the vehicle's performance?
-Thanks
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 36,836
Likes: 244
From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by MeyerL
My engine had been making a slight tapping noise and I brought it to a mechanic who told me that I have a bad lifter. He said that he has to take the head off to see if there is any other damage, including to the cam.
He told me that in order to fix the lifter and replace the seven others in the head it would cost $1,950 or so. I figured if he already had to take off one of the heads, maybe I should replace them both and put in a new cam. I was pretty shocked to hear him tell me that it would cost around $6,000 to $7,000 to replace the heads and the camshaft.
1. Does that sound like a resonable price to you?
2. Do you think that just doing a cam and new heads would noticably improve the vehicle's performance?
-Thanks
He told me that in order to fix the lifter and replace the seven others in the head it would cost $1,950 or so. I figured if he already had to take off one of the heads, maybe I should replace them both and put in a new cam. I was pretty shocked to hear him tell me that it would cost around $6,000 to $7,000 to replace the heads and the camshaft.
1. Does that sound like a resonable price to you?
2. Do you think that just doing a cam and new heads would noticably improve the vehicle's performance?
-Thanks
meter is pegged. Run. Quickly. Away from this guy. You can get a complete heads/cam package from a number of tuners (forum vendors at that!) for this or less, plus you would be making much more power too!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Boyds MD
Originally Posted by LoneStarFRC
My meter is pegged. Run. Quickly. Away from this guy. You can get a complete heads/cam package from a number of tuners (forum vendors at that!) for this or less, plus you would be making much more power too!
meter is pegged. Run. Quickly. Away from this guy. You can get a complete heads/cam package from a number of tuners (forum vendors at that!) for this or less, plus you would be making much more power too!
RUN! Way too much!
Drifting
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,715
Likes: 1
From: cAshburn VA
First off, my condolences, had the same thing happen to me last year.
If all that has to be done is replace lifters, which does mean pulling the heads, 1950 is still too much. If he is leaving room to pull and replace the camshaft in that total, it's not that far fetched.
If you re-use the old heads, then they will more than likely get sent out to be cleaned and decked for flat so thats some $$$ there. You could go with a set of assembled stock LS6 heads for $1500, or better yet, a set of the new AFR 205 heads for $2200.
The best thing to do if it is at all possible is do this your self. Check out the link in my sig below to see my h/c swap "tear down" and "button-up" pages to see what you are getting into. And definately check out the C5 h/c swap instructions, aka the bible, at:
http://www.ls1howto.com/
You will also see a picture of a bad lifter on my site, and yes mine did damage the cam minimally. Turned sideways in the cheesy plastic lifter guides and got beat up by the cam. I still couldn't believe it when I pulled the heads and there was plastic in there!
If you cant do this yourself, give Tony a call, or if you can swing take it up to NJ or NY to one of the better known tuners.
Good Luck!
Drop me an email if I can be of more help, just across the river here...
If all that has to be done is replace lifters, which does mean pulling the heads, 1950 is still too much. If he is leaving room to pull and replace the camshaft in that total, it's not that far fetched.
If you re-use the old heads, then they will more than likely get sent out to be cleaned and decked for flat so thats some $$$ there. You could go with a set of assembled stock LS6 heads for $1500, or better yet, a set of the new AFR 205 heads for $2200.
The best thing to do if it is at all possible is do this your self. Check out the link in my sig below to see my h/c swap "tear down" and "button-up" pages to see what you are getting into. And definately check out the C5 h/c swap instructions, aka the bible, at:
http://www.ls1howto.com/
You will also see a picture of a bad lifter on my site, and yes mine did damage the cam minimally. Turned sideways in the cheesy plastic lifter guides and got beat up by the cam. I still couldn't believe it when I pulled the heads and there was plastic in there!
If you cant do this yourself, give Tony a call, or if you can swing take it up to NJ or NY to one of the better known tuners.
Good Luck!
Drop me an email if I can be of more help, just across the river here...
