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Just dropped a lifter...

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Old 03-23-2011, 06:37 PM
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Default Just dropped a lifter...

Installing my new cam... what are my options? Turns out the dowels I used to hold the lifters was too small...sweet. So what are my options fellow f-body lovers? can i get the lifter out without pulling the motor and drop the pan down far enough? thanks for the help in advance.
Old 03-23-2011, 06:51 PM
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Man that sucks. Sorry to hear it. What size dowels were you using?

I'm not positive but I think you can lower the pan enough to maybe fish out the lifter with a magnet, without yanking the whole motor out.
Old 03-23-2011, 07:13 PM
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If the oil pump is removed you should be able to get it out from the front. Too bad you have to pull a head now.
Old 03-23-2011, 11:57 PM
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Just had same problem with 2004 GTO. I doubt you will have any luck fishing for it with a magnet. I tried for almost an hour and a friend of mine tried for almost an hour. And that was also using a flexible magnet to try to work around stuff.

On my car, the crossmember is non removable. Either drop the subframe or pull the engine. I pulled the engine.

On you guys' cars, you should be able to drop the crossmember, then oil pan. Put you a new gasket (you'll have to drill out the factory 2 rivets, 1/8th bit) and a timing chain while you're there.

Btw, its probably not in the oil pan, mine wasn't. There isn't very much room in there and mine was sitting on the windage tray. In my opinion, quit putting it off, do what needs to be done and take the pan off. Atleast you won't have to pull the engine like I did.
Old 03-24-2011, 12:00 AM
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If it was a lifter near the front or back, take the valley cover off and you should be able to get to it by those casting holes in the block.
Old 03-24-2011, 08:19 AM
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Your gonna have to pull the pan, itll be on top of the windage tray probably, I have heard of them sitting on top of the crank also. You may be lucky and find it in the front of the pan,,if it was a front one,,,IF you are really Lucky. Doubt it though, I never have that kind of luck. Do every newbie a favor when reading a post where they are doing a cam swap ,tell them about this experience, You wouldnt believe how may people think the rocker boxes will hold the lifters.
Old 03-24-2011, 12:34 PM
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^^^ what he said, my buddy missed one of the lifters in my motor and it held in there till i was putting in the new cam and it fell, landed on the windage tray. Take the back 4 k member nuts/bolts out and take the front 2 till only like 4 threads are holding it in, pry down on the k member some and pull the oil pan out, then take off the windage tray. I look at it like it was supposed to happen so i could spend more money and put in Katech rod bolts so i could spin my motor into the rpm range i needed to with no problems. Really is not that hard of a job to do
Old 03-24-2011, 12:42 PM
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I must be one of the lucky ones then. I was able to fish my buddy's out with a magnet. Took every bit of about 15 minutes.
Old 03-25-2011, 07:29 PM
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thanks for the help guys
Old 03-27-2011, 11:19 AM
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Ok, need some more help....

We're trying to get the oil pan off, I have the back 4 K-member bolts all the way out and the front 2 only threaded in 3-4 threads. There is one oil pan bolt on the driver side that is directly inline with the bolt that holds the steering rack on. The bolt in the oil pan can only back out so far, then it hits the head of the steering rack bolt. Anyone know how to get this bolt out?

Also, so far the K-member has only dropped about 1/2"... I thought it was supposed to drop around 2" after taking all the bolts out? Do we have to take the motor mounts off (looks like a PITA)

Opinions on reusing the oil pan gasket? I read there are 2 rivets that hold the gasket in place...

Thanks,
Old 03-27-2011, 11:23 AM
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I dont have an Fbody so cant really help with that, buy a friend of mine dropped 3 lifters and I was able to get 2 out by fishing through the valley cover with a magnet...which lifters fell?
Old 03-27-2011, 11:31 AM
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Originally Posted by Atomic
I dont have an Fbody so cant really help with that, buy a friend of mine dropped 3 lifters and I was able to get 2 out by fishing through the valley cover with a magnet...which lifters fell?
Driver side, front to back... #1,3,6

Passenger side, front to back... #8

We can hear at least one in the oil pan, but the fear is the others may be in the rotating assembly or on the windage tray...
Old 03-27-2011, 02:39 PM
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Man, I really, really feel for you.
Old 03-27-2011, 05:51 PM
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It happened to me, but it was just one. Magnets didnt work so I ended up putting in a UMI k-member after all that heart ache getting the oil pan off, mine was on the windage tray too. LOL Upgrade since your in that deep I always say. LOL

Good luck
Old 03-27-2011, 10:24 PM
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Got all four out.

1 was in the front of the oil pan (easy with a magnet)
1 was on the windage tray
2 were on the crank and we had to turn it over, then back, then over once again and they fell onto the tray... one was in a peculiar spot so we had to drop the windage tray.

To drop the pan far enough, we unbolted the k-member and motor mounts. Dropped the k-member about an inch and lifted the motor/trans up about 3". We elected to take the 4 bolts out of the motor mounts on each side, rather than the one large bolt because of clearance issues with the AC compressor.

Anyone with Pacesetter ceramic coated longtubes in here? How did you install them? The passenger side was easy to remove... the driver side we can't get out... It's hitting the floor pan if we try to pull it out the top, or hitting the kmember/firewall if we try to take it out the bottom.... Maybe it'll be easy to get out with the motor lifted 3"... haven't tried yet.
Old 03-28-2011, 12:46 AM
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Atleast your k-member unbolts lol. Should've tried it on my GTO. Glad to hear you got them out. Yes replace the gasket. Aftermarket doesn't need rivets, buy you a fel-pro. Drill the old rivets out with 1/8th drill bit.



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