Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Had a lifter fail at my last race weekend. Finally tore into it and confirmed it today. I can't get the #7 cylinder lifters out the top. They'll move up and down freely, but the rollers are destroyed and I'm sure the area around them has expanded some. I have to pull the cam anyway to replace it so I was wondering if it was possible to let the lifters come out the bottom then get them up through the rear hole in the valley. I really don't want to pull the engine and take the pan off as I'm trying to get the car ready for the next VIR event the 2nd weekend in October.

Hey roller pin... you're not supposed to be there...


RIP #7 cylinder lifters... good work for 123,xxx miles...



Also... it appears the rear lifter tray and tray mounting boss got boogered up. I have new LS2 trays for it anyway, but is this of any concern?

Messed up tray mount boss


Normal


Messed up tray


Normal


Thanks,

Brian

mark21742

Since your pulling the cam I'd try making a half round piece to catch the lifters in the cam bore....maybe cut and roll a piece of Posterboard to get the shape you need, push the lifters/lifters down out of their bore and onto the Posterboard and catch/slide them out with a pen magnet.

JaYZeig

iTrader: (11)

byebye camshaft..i wouldnt run that..itll only get worse
than youve got REAL probs to deal with and will need alot
more parts.

mark21742

Exactly.....once you get the lobes hot which im sure you did the temper gets taken out of the lobes, they get soft and start eating themselves really quick...defineatly time for a new camshaft.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

I'm not running the cam... it's destroyed. Replacing it and the lifters.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I would also be concerned about all the metal that went into the pan and probably the pump, bearings etc.

N2O-ARMD

iTrader: (1)

^^^^^ This^^^^^^^

You should really tear the motor down completely your going to have a lot of debris in the oil galleys. And you will be able to get the lifter out w/o tearing anything else up. You may have also tore up your cam bearings. I have scene this many times and it does more damage than you think. If the bearings look good keep them organized and numbered and just put them back in to save a few bucks. And look at your cam bearings closely for any smearing as this can block oil galley holes.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Any debris will have dropped down into the pan. Anything small enough to get past the pick-up goes through the pump and then right to the filter. I agree that it's not ideal, but I'm not going to do a full-rebuild for a failed lifter.

If it ***** the bed later this year then I'll buy a fresh LS1 crate motor and swap my heads over.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

Well yes and no. Not all the oil is filtered. Only a portion goes through the filter. A portion goes through the bypass unfiltered. The higher the RPM and pressure, the more goes through the bypass. The system is designed this way because the filter cannot handle the full volume of oil that the pump puts out.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

True... but the filter should only go into bypass when the pressure drop across the filter is sufficient. I've been beating on this 'ol girl for 2 years now. My next race weekend is in exactly one month. I don't have the time to do a rebuild right now. If the engine ***** the bed then I'll work on replacing for the 2013 season and work on finishing my father's Panoz rebuild.

Many of the guys we race with have well over 100k on these engines and have trashed lifters, broken springs, and bent pushrods many times and kept fixing them. One guys pistons have self clearanced over time He's got over 150k miles now on that LS1 and 4 seasons of racing.

I appreciate the advice and you're right... the 100% right thing to do is a full tear-down as that metal has to go somewhere, but it's not in the cards right now. Maybe I'll get lucky and get another two seasons out over, maybe she'll blow up at VIR next month.

I can say this... the oil pressure was fine when I started the car to get it on the trailer and then getting it off to get into my driveway. I didn't start it yesterday to get it in the garage... pushed it in. In retrospect I shouldn't have started it at all after I came off track with it tapping, but I was trying to diagnose the noise. I think I ran 2 laps all out with the stupid thing ticking. I have to run OEM mufflers in my class and they're failing (internal baffles have come loose and rattling) so I thought it was that.

Back to the garage to pull this cam.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Well I'm nit going to pull an rebuild, but I think I'll support the engine with the hoist, drop the front cradle, and pull the pan.

Jontall

If you're doing all that, I'd just take out the motor and rebuild it. You're just asking for trouble if you don't. There has to be metal particles in all the oil passages/oil pump and imbedded into all the bearings.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Time.... I'd like to make the October race weekend. Not 100% convinced it needs to be rebuilt yet. Will get a better idea how much metal is in it when I pull the pan.

rons 00z

iTrader: (10)

im with you dude. just run it. and if you find out an easier way post it up.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

I was able to get one of the lifters out of the hole in the rear of the valley, but I dropped the other one in the pan.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Anyone what to make some glitter posters? I can provide the silver glitter. Guess not rebuilding was wishful thinking. I'm lucky the engine didn't fail completely.


Is the bottom of the lower pan supposed to be 100% smooth? Mine isn't... bits of metal are fused to it making it feel like 60 grit sand paper in places.

N2O-ARMD

iTrader: (1)

Idk your schedule but if your race is a month out you should have plenty of time to get it back together. Your engine shop should be able to get your block through w/in a week and parts should be no problem. Realistically you should be able to have it back together and in the car in 3 weeks.

Cobra4B

iTrader: (9)

Yeah I know... but I'm going to VIR this weekend for the ALMS race and have a bachelor part the weekend before the race where I'm the best man. So realistically I have 2.5 working weekends to do it all. I'm going to give it a go.

beach cruiser

iTrader: (1)

Ouch, that's pretty bad! I told you that you were missing a lot of metal that had to go somewhere! Guess you found it.