Mechanic tells me I have a dead lifter (Cyl #1). 2008 Base LS3, no interest in modding the car.

Any reason not to just get a set of the GMPP LS lifters and the seats and just replace them all? Head already has to come off, and I presume even if I do all 16 all i need is the lifter kit, head gaskets, and intake gasket.

Not going to do a cam, don't want to have to pay for much more labor.

 

Intake gaskets are reusable, exhaust gaskets are also usually fine to re-use, FYI

 

Dead lifter? could be a piece of debris that just needs to be cleaned out of it. I would only replace the one lifter on a 8 year old car [if need be]


ARP head bolts
head gaskets
lifter/s trays if you ****

 

Check the cam on the lobe with the bad lifter to make sure you don't have to replace the cam. A whole set of ls3/7 lifters can be had for about $100 if you wanted to do them all.

 

LS lifters are cheap and good. Brand new set is $120-140ish. I would replace them all, but as others said, make sure that is the issue, and to inspect the cam. Typically bad lifter=bad cam.

 

Would you replace with link bar retrofit lifters from Morel or Johnson hydraulic vs OEM lifters with the plastic tray for a mild application with aftermarket cam?

 

For a stock or near stock setup, stay OEM IMO

If budget isn't' a concern, run the Johnson drop ins.

 

OE lifters are hard to beat. A short travel lifter is worth a couple hp if the extra time is taken to properly measure pushrod length. Best of both worlds between hyd and solid.

 

Now having shown how to pull the lifter apart to clean debris out of them, If one lift was plugged up, then chances are you have debris in the other as well.


So on that note, would start with a good oil passage flushing to get out what every may still be in the block and passages to start with, and then cut open the oil filter to make sure it not littered with metal debries as well.


With the lifters removed, make sure that there is not a cam lob face wear problem that would require the cam to be replaced as well.

As for lifters, if the rollers are still fine, would pull them apart to clean and check them, but since you are having someone else doing the project, would just have them replaced with New OEM;s, then sell the old set to someone that want to pull them apart and clean/rebuild them isntead.

Simply lifters do not just fail on there own most of the time, but get debris in them from something in the oil to plug them up instead. With luck, it just something like RTV that plugged one up, and its not a major problem like a main bearing going out that littered the oil that caused the lifter to fail instead.

So on that note, since it just the one lifter that did fail, would be wise to pull it apart (even if it going to be replaced) to figure out what caused it to fail in the first place. If it something like RTV in the channel, then it cleaned up and put back together will save it from having to be replace. On the other hand, if full of metal, or the spring collapsed, then you have bigger problems on you hands that just the one failed lifter instead.

 

Thanks for all the info. Turned out to be a broken valve spring. See https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1593592878