discouraged

Max Power · Aug 26, 2004

Just to set the record straight, if I were to pull the intake and rockers and all that stuff, I would put in a whole set of new lifters, just to be safe, and to avoid having to do it again anytime soon. I hate doing a job twice, and on older engines, if one lifter goes bad, another may be close behind. They are only about $60 a set anyway.

one2gamble · Aug 26, 2004

PONY XPRESS said:
one2gamble

What size engine?

How many miles on your engine?

What kind of oil are you using?

302 with about 10,000, 10w30

PONY XPRESS · Aug 26, 2004

I'm surprised your getting a lifter noise after only 10K. There are so many issues that could be causing your noise. It may not be a lifter. Who rebuilt the motor, who did the machine work, was it done correctly? Did you break in the cam properly? I assume you drive the car hard. Is it warmed up before you punch it? Do you over rev, etc.? Use a synthetic oil once you get the engine sorted out.

I see your in a time crunch to have the car ready soon. Take your time & diagnose it correctly. I think its best if you can try to get someone to your home or take the car to someone you trust & at least pin point the noise. A good tech will have a stethoscope or a favorite tool for pin pointing noise. If they suspect a lifter inspect the foot closely & if it is scored or indented you lost a lobe. If it looks smooth you can try a new lifter, be sure to put assembly lube on the foot. It will be a crap shoot.

Wouldn't hurt to do a cylinder leak down test & vacuum test also.

As they say in Japan, Rots of Ruck.

Ozsum2 · Aug 26, 2004

Max Power said:
Just to set the record straight, if I were to pull the intake and rockers and all that stuff, I would put in a whole set of new lifters, just to be safe, and to avoid having to do it again anytime soon. I hate doing a job twice, and on older engines, if one lifter goes bad, another may be close behind. They are only about $60 a set anyway.

I probably would too. A new cam may be another story.

VictorII · Aug 26, 2004

one2gamble said:
I am starting to get a little shaken....it seems as though right when I finish something up something else goes wrong. I just got my exhaust done and replaced all the power stearing hoses. I crank the motor and I can hear a nice loud tick tick tick tick tick....so I pull the valve cover off and everything looks ok, Im assuming its a lifter but Im not sure. My car really needed to be running and running well within a month but I dunno now. Well if it is a lifter I guess I might as well replace the cam also just so I feel there is some benefit of the down time.

Think one thing at a time -- these are old cars. Sounds like you need to adjust the lifters as a start point. I keep a set of old valve covers with the tops cut out and and adjust them with the engine running. I had one nut back off at around 100,000 miles. I adjusted them all and have a little over 150,000 miles now (it's a 302) and it is still quiet. I just back the nuts off, one at a time, until it starts to clack and slowly tighten it until it just stops. Then take it down another 3/4 turn. Go a little slowly since the lifter has to sort of catch up. I also use neoprene gaskets which not only do not require scraping when removng the cover, but are reusable. The way I find an exhaust leak is to move my hand around each manifold -- not close enough to get burnt, but you should be able to feel the pulse.

Ozsum2 · Aug 26, 2004

Hydralic lifters do not normally need adjusting. You try that method on a collapsed lifter and the pressure you put on the cam could be a nightmare..

pabear89 · Aug 26, 2004

Ozsum2 said:
Hydralic lifters do not normally need adjusting. You try that method on a collapsed lifter and the pressure you put on the cam could be a nightmare..

Rockers need adjusting, not lifters.
when you take the covers off, run a straight edge across the rocker studs and make sure the you don't have one pulling out.
Or you may have a bad lock nut on your ticking rocker, you put 10k mile without any problems.
look for the simple things first.

PB

PONY XPRESS · Aug 26, 2004

one2gamble
That's a good trick victorII is suggesting. I have sets for chevys & fords. Just make sure the engine is hot when you do it.

Ozsum2 · Aug 27, 2004

pabear89 said:
Rockers need adjusting, not lifters.
when you take the covers off, run a straight edge across the rocker studs and make sure the you don't have one pulling out.
Or you may have a bad lock nut on your ticking rocker, you put 10k mile without any problems.
look for the simple things first.

PB

You are correct, but my way of thinking is that if the lifter is collapsed, it's more like you are trying to adjust it. You know what would happen if there wasn't any slack in the valve train, right?

Max Power · Aug 27, 2004

That's a good valve adjust procedure if your have adjustable rockers and screw in studs. Most 302's don't. If they are positive stop press-ins, that valve adjustment procedure will only get you into trouble.

I wouldn't be uncomfortable trying to adjust one a little. If the cam lobe is wiped enough to be the reason it clatters, your really not going to make the damage any worse.

On a side note, in my business I talk to a number of manufacturers of performance parts, and my guy at Edelbrock and my guy at NPD both have told me that Eaton is the only major mfg. left in the lifter business, and there focus is NOT performance. They are discontinuing many performance hydraulics, and the ones they are making are spotty in quality.

I bought a set of Comp lifters with my cam last year, and two of them I couldn't compress with a pushrod before installation. I had some ticking at the start, but managed to adjust most of it out. They are still not the same as the rest.

My guy at NPD got so frustrated with crappy performance lifters that he went solid lifters instead.

I may do the same or go roller next time.

VictorII · Aug 28, 2004

What I was getting at was that the nut might have backed off on one of them, not that a lifter collapsed. I'd bet on the nut; have had it happen more than once. By the way, hydraulics do indeed need to be adjusted depending on the mileage of the engine or how they were were set up to start with. I touch mine up once a year. Been working on these things for a long time. Never had a lifter collapse, then again I use synthethic oil and get a lot of miles out of stuff. In any case, you won't know until you pull the cover off and run the engine. My way was a suggestion to avoid getting oil all over the place when you do so. I think that as soon as you start it and methodically puch down on the valve side of the rocker, you'll find it. I use '68 heads and they have press in studs but are threaded on the top of the stud. Idon't know what your's are like. It is worth looking at before you tear it all down. Um, if you are adjusting rockers, you are adjusting the entire valve train, including the lifter. No disrespect meant, but it is all kinda the same thing.

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