So I did an LS9 cam install in my 2011 GS almost a little less than a year ago. Changed the lifters at the time to a Summit Racing Morel drop in lifter.

Car has been running great until the last couple of weeks. Been hearing an intermittent squealing from the engine that I thought was just a bad idler bearing.

99% sure now that it is a bad lifter. From the sound, high pitched squeal that goes up and down with RPM’s and is still there even with the drive belt off. Found several videos online with exact same sound on LS engines from failing lifter (roller).

Thinking those Summit Racing Morels were likely a garbage knock off.

Recommendations on a high quality lifter? Would like some Johnson link bars but wow those aren’t cheap. Thinking of going with a set of Chevy Performance Racing Hydraulic lifters. Other option would be a set of Morel MRL-5290 link bars for about the same price as the Chevy Performance ones.

EDIT - After further research, I am going to go with a set of Johnson 2110R's. These seem to be the go-to high quality replacement lifter.

All comments and advice is welcome. Feeling quite defeated right now. Sigh.

 

I'M running morel hi rev full travel linkbars on a stage 3 cam with pac 1208x springs and smith bros. bushed trunions.not cheap.smooth.worth the piece of mind when I step on it.slight cold startup tick that goes away after 1 minute or less.Love it.😊

 

Can you share the part number of those Morels? Is it the 5294's?

 

FWIW, I bought those same Morel lifters off Amazon for my cammed LS2 (before I sold it) and didn't have any issues with them. They were much quieter than my OEM lifters.

 

I decided to go with some Johnson 2110R's. After a lot of research, I think these are the best for my needs.

 

I think you made the right choice. I've been running the caddy lifters for 40K miles with no issues. Back 4+ years ago, they were just a hundred bucks or so more than LS7 lifters. And LS7 lifters were cheap. As expensive as they are now, spending a little more for the Johnson's would be the way I'd go.

 

Yeah, that was my thoughts as well. The caddy lifters are at $540 currently. The Johnson 2110R’s $225 more so might as well.

Thought about the Johnson link bars but from what I have read, they have a small window of pre-load that you need to hit which is not always guaranteed with the common 0.025 increment push rod lengths that are available.

 

Radiac cam lobs can do in the lifter rollers/roller bearings in quicker, but most of the time, worn roller lifter trays that allows the lifters to axis rotate in the trays to the cam lob center lines to cause the roller to not true track the lobs isntead.




I bring this up, since no mention of replacement lifter trays used (use GM brand only), and with the increased lift of the lifters in the trays, makes the trays wear out faster. Also to point out,since its the lift trays the weak llnk,either go to linked lifters to prevent from them rotating off lob center lines, or go with smaller lift cam, and increase ratio rockers to get the great vavle lift (has the roller lifters not being raised as high in the trays).



Also to point out, since LS9 is all about boost, and not motor not having to breath on it own, cam should not be a radial cam in the first place that is trashing lifter roller and lobs. So not sure what kind of power you are trying to make, but in motor in stock form with just headers on the LS9, not a problem getting 700+hp/tvs2300 out of the motor with meth kit, pulley and larger injectors.

 

Hello Dano23. More information. I am running an E-force supercharger on my car. It is a stock GM ZR-1 cam that I put in it a year ago. I am making 650 hp/tq at the crank.

I did change the lifter trays with genuine GM trays at the time of the cam and lifter install last year so I doubt the trays have failed.

I also upgraded the valve springs using Cam Motion 0.625 lift behive springs also at the time just to make sure and in case I ever decided to do a 1.8 ratio rocker or put a larger cam in later.

I just think the Summit Racing lifters I used were the weak link. Maybe they were not good enough the hold up to the increased spring pressure from the valve springs. Could also be Summit sourced these lifters from a not great supplier. Lots of counterfeit lifters out there. If the one’s I bought were counterfeit, I couldn’t tell.

I am hoping the ZR1 cam is okay so I don't have to swap it out as that is a good bit more work. We will see. I have ordered a replacement ZR1 cam just in case.

I should receive the Johnson 2110R’s today. Ordered from Gwatney performance. No chance of these being counterfeits or questionable quality.

Going to start disassembly today. Sigh.

 

I agree it's smart not to cheap out on lifters, given 1) lifter failure is relatively common, 2) a dragging lifter wheel is about as bad as a thrown rod in terms of time and money to fix, and 3) most lifters are often unmarked items made by who knows who. I went with Johnson axle-oiling link bars myself.

 

Nice.

I received the Johnson 2110R's yesterday. Very high quality. Going to do a thorough clean of them today using mineral spirits and then soak them in oil.

I am curious to see what pushrod length I will need. The preload recommendation is 0.035 +/- 0.010. But Johnson's are supposed to be 0.045 taller than a standard LS7 lifter. I will obviously measure for sure.

 

The heads will come off with arp studs.good luck with your repairs.

 

Thank you sir. Pretty much ready to pull the heads.

Would be further along but taking the supercharger off takes a bit more time and effort.

So far, I cannot see any issues with the rockers or valve springs. And all the push rods look pretty much perfect.

 

I 2nd that. but the fire wall might give u a problem but yes. The only thing I can't say enough is lift it up as high as u can because if u dont u will Put a gauge on the bottom of the head. And I don't thing that's good. Do not rush this

 

Indeed. So I was able to get the heads off with the studs still in place. Was really quite easy and there is plenty of room.

Having the studs in place definitely helped with keeping oil and coolant out of the block holes. Going to clean up everything today, get the new Johnson lifters installed, and the heads back on.

Couldn't see any obvious damage. Cam and lifters look fine. But a roller bearing starting to go out probably would not be obvious until it would have significant wear.

 

So I cleaned up the block and head surfaces. Clean and thread chased the block bolt holes. Glad I went with the ARP studs last year. Really makes things so much easier.

Got the new Johnson's installed and heads back on and torqued.

Measured for pushrod length using the Comp Cams pushrod length checker. Zero lash was at 10 1/2 turns which is 7.325. So going to go with a 7.375 pushrod. Johnson specifies a preload of 0.035 +/- .010. 0.050 preload is fine with these lifters.

Now to get everything else back on. Not difficult, just time consuming.

 

Got everything back together yesterday. Took my time and only worked on the car in the afternoon after work.

Started up fine. Lifters were noisy at first but revving to about 2K rpm allowed them to fully pump up and are now very quiet.

And no squealing lifter bearing noise. Summit lifters likely low quality, counterfeit, or maybe had metal in them from manufacture.

 

Great job. Probably some anxiety. first start up.

 

Always a little bit of anxiety for sure. But cranked up fine. No CEL's and is running good.

Appreciate the compliment. Thanks.

 

So 6-month update. Car was running good until yesterday. Went on a short drive and noticed a squeal/high pitched noise coming from the engine. Sounds like a belt slipping on a pulley. Was making the noise when RPM's would hit about 2000 and above. Quiet at idle.

I am hoping it is just the water pump making the noise. It is the original pump and I am at 40K miles. The surface of the pump pulley doesn't have any paint on the area where it contacts the belt so maybe it has been slipping for awhile. I ordered a new pump just in case.

When I replaced the lifters in April of this year, I went with Johson 2110R's and new trays. Oil pressure has been great. I find it very hard to believe a lifter could be failing. Cam is just a stock LS9 cam. Springs are CamMotion beehives good to 0.625 lift. So my "build" is not extreme. And there are no tapping or knocking noises.

Other possibility is maybe one of the rocker arm bearings is going out. These are still stock. I have been looking to upgrade to the BTR shaft rocker system so I am going to order that.

Hopefully, I can do some diagnosis this afternoon. Couldn't do anything yesterday as it was getting dark and about to rain.

I will probably order some head gaskets, a replacement LS9 cam, and a set of Johnson 2116LSR tie-bar lifters just in case I have to tear into the engine again. Can return these if it is just something simple.

So possibilities:

a. water pump
b. Idler pulley or pulley's
c. AC belt pulley/tensioner
d. alternator pulley
e. power steering

f. bad rocker bearing

g. lifter/cam

I will remove the belts and see if I still have the noise. Going to install the BRT shaft system regardless.

Really hope I don't have to pull the lifters and cam but will do what is necessary. Sigh.