brians91formula

iTrader: (12)

Trickflow 215 60cc heads (1200 miles)
TFS valve springs/ Push rods (1200 miles)
stock rocker arms
LS7 lifters (1200 miles)
228 ish cam (20k miles on cam)




Last summer went WOT going up an on ramp when the car just shut off and died. It started back up with a horrendous lifter tick.

I finally got time to pull the car apart and found out what happened. Looks like a pretty serious lifter failure!!! Heads, valves, springs, rockers, pushrods, etc are all fine. Started pulling out the lifters and found the culprit.





Sooo my cam is junk and there are most likely metal pieces floating around in my motor somewhere. None came out when I drained the oil though. It took A LOT of force pulling out the bad lifter and I think I scored the lifter bore. I tried putting a good lifter back in that bore and it didnt fit. Is the shortblock junk now or can the lifter bore be honed/machined out again? hrmmm.

I wonder if it was just a defective lifter from the factory or if something else caused the problem.

mark21742

You can hone out the lifters bore...I've even seen people bore and drop some type of sleeve in, but not sure of the price.

brians91formula

iTrader: (12)

I may use this as an excuse to buy a forged shortblock. Undecided at this point.

mark21742

Even better would be a forged 408 iron block...that's what I did

3rdCoastPowerSports

iTrader: (5)

how does that happen, i mean how does a new lifter get destroyed like that?

mark21742

The lifters tray might have let it turn sideways....nomatter what you do is get new lifters trays

TurboBuick6

iTrader: (2)

That, or the lifter was coming off the cam on high RPM and was destroyed that way.

chevybayboy

iTrader: (6)

Same thing happended to me I just got the bwore real smooth again and ran the new oil 10 miles and chaged the oil again to get any little shavings out.. Now its fine... Get the bar link lifters that require no trays

Sales3@Texas-Speed

iTrader: (2)

We always recommend changing the lifter trays when going with new lifters, at $8 and some change each, they are cheap enough to go ahead and replace.

therabidweasel

iTrader: (5)

I got a lifter that had some small burrs on it and ended up scoring my lifter bore trying to remove it. It took some doing but I was able to remove all (I hope) of the raised portion of the scoring in the lifter bore by repeatedly and very gently inserting a good lifter coated in assembly lube. Then I would lift out any pieces with long zip tie with lube on it. It was a tedious process and took several hours but I was eventually able to get it to what I thought was serviceable. . .the new lifters in a dry bore moved up and down smooth as silk. . .but I have yet to start it. The bad lifters were not the Johnson's in my signature. . .those are beyond gorgeous.

I'd try and run it again but would start saving for a better bottom end. . .that way you have a car now and an excuse!

Pics below of the scores in my bore and of the biggest piece of metal I removed.