i just finished my heads and cam install last week after being down almost a month on my ls1.well long story short everything was fine for the first 50 miles at least.then i got a noise that sounded similar to and bad exhaust leak.i pulled over to check it out and the noise was gone.

well how about i was headed home last night and i get about a block away from home and the noise comes back except this time it stayed.it was way to late to work on car so waited till after work today.well i i get home fire motor noise still there and pinpoint driver side valve cover.pulled cover check rockers.i have a extremely loose rocker on #7 cyl. i thought maybe the rocker was loose but when checked with torque wrench its still torqued to 22lbs.thats when i noticed the pushrod wasnt even touching rocker tip.

well hell,i was hoping i would get lucky and it'd be a bent pushrod.well my comp cam hardened pushrod is straight as an arrow. so what do u know.a collapsed lifter..brand new ls7 lifters from a ls1tech sponsor that i havent even put 100 miles on....lifters sat in oil for a week while waiting on parts and pushrod length checked with .080 preload.brand new ls2 trays,new oil pump,new chain.rockers torqued correctly...brand new heads,new cam.what gives???

now im hoping that my cam didnt get taken out with the bad lifter as when i pulled up the pushrod it had a few sharp metal shavings and the pushrod tip showed evidence of something going wrong at the lifter end.....what the hell do i do? do i call the sponsor and a discussion about the lifter failing and possibly taking parts with it? or am i assed out?

 

Take some pictures as you take it apart. That might help figure out what happened. With respect to what any particular parts supplier might do for you, you will have to ask them.

 

i guess i have to mention a 427 stroker being down to get some opinions............but anyways i call SD Parts and the guy tries to tell me that running .080 preload is the reason the lifter failed.he says i should have been running .040 to .060.if im not mistaken the specs on ls7 lifters were up to .1 or so correct? well i left my number with the guy per request and not even attempted to call back or show concern...where do i go from here?

 

Pics help to get peoples attention. Have you removed the lifter yet? Have you removed the cam?

 

starting teardown this weekend...i guess the main thing is i want to know would i be wrong to expect them to replace my lifter and headgasket?i bought brand new lifters avoid any lifter related issues...if this was going to happen anyway i cold have reused my stock ones......

 

It's hard to say. I would think that any good business would be willing to send a single lifter. I wouldn't expect them to pay for HG's though. So are you going to get some shorter push rods to lower your preload?

Edit: I would measure for preload now while the engine is still together so you could order new push rods and have them on the way while you tear the engine down. Also, are you sure that the lifter has collapsed and that is wasn't the cam going flat that created the lack of preload?

 

i already measured for pushrod length which came out to 7.27 at zero lash then i added the .080 preload that is pretty much the all around spec here on tech for ls7 lifters. and im pretty confident its the lifter as in when i stick the pushrod onto the lifter.it has a noise as in it being "busted" which also goes in hand with the slack that i now have.......

 

You have good data thus far, but can you tell us exactly how many turns of the rocker bolt from zero lash to 22 lb/ft torque w/ the cam lobe on base circle?

 

before i get her torn down ill try to you that info