Hey guys, there's been much debate about the best way to keep the lifters up while changing a cam. The JPR cam tool seems the most failproof, but its too darn expensive! Some people have said that you can get 1/4 inch or 5/16 aluminum rod from Home Depot and use that instead. If thats the case, Why is the JPR tool sp expensive? Is this a reliable substitute? Thanks!

 

I used 1/4 aluminum rod which I modified with a piece of bailing wire tied on the end.

I had a hard time getting it in there so we cut them alittle short and then we were able to pull it out with the wire.

Worked like a charm and dont see how a lifter could fall with a bar in there as long as its 1/4 or a little bigger.

 

i just use the pen magnets

 

Any type of small pipe will do the same job as the very pricy JPR tool

 

Heck yea, just a couple bucks down at my local Home Depot for a chunk of rod.. Works perfectly

 

What length did you use? I'll stop up there tomorrow. I've got 35 dollars worth of pen magnets to return.

 

a 1/4 rod WILL NOT WORK!..i tried that method before and had a lifter slide past the rod...if you will notice on that tool its machined flat on one side..that allows you to slide it next to the flat side of the lifters and turn the rod..like in a cam type motion and holds the lifters securely in place

hey country...do you remember talking to me the other day?

 

The JPR Tool is not that great. Nice idea, but not so nice to sell it and then find out later it will not work on ALL LS1 models. Like when the damn thing gets stuck in the motor cause you find out GM changed lifter design and the JPR Tool doesnt work with the new design....hmmm what a PITA to remove using vice grips pulling it about a 1/16" at a time.
Now to get mine back to Paul @ Thunder.

 

I have used a #8 wire about 4 times now and have never had a lifter fall.

 

hehe... yep

 

yeah the tool works great but not on all years because of lifter design. i've found that out on my last cam swap. also tried to contact JPR about returning it for his new updated one like he said he would in one post and that got me nowhere. tried thunder and got no reply from them eaither. i figgure i'll just use in on the years i know it works and see if i can get the rod method to work on the others.

JR

 

I use a 5/16" steel rod, polished down a couple thousandths.. Length? Two times the length of the block, then cut in half So far I've used it on a 1998, 1999, and 2000 model years.

 

guys who have used 1/4", 5/16" or the actual tool

when you slide it in do you feel any resistance at all??

i used the 1/4" aluminum rod on two swaps, and no lifters fell, but when i slid it into the block it went right in and there was ZERO resistance. just curious if this was normal

 

no resistance with 1/4 inch

I think a little bit bigger would be better.

 

Can someone explain *exactly* how this works? I'm trying to picture the relationship between the rod/tool and the lifter and can't figure it out. Does the rod slide up against the *sides* of the lifter body where the groove in the body is? It can't possibly go in underneath the roller itself can it? Is it catching the bottom edge of the lifter body? Can you see the lifters thru the holes in the front of the block by the timing chain? Anyone have a pic or better description for me on how this actually works?

Someone that has the JPR tool.....can you measure the diameter of the rod AND the thickness of the rod where it's machined flat and post it please?

TIA,
Craig

 

Maybe you should read this tread. https://ls1tech.com/forums/generation-iii-internal-engine/140259-lifter-fell-while-swapping-cam-please-help.html

 

Yea, I would like to know too...

Kevin