In middle of CAM install, need help ASAP w/rod/lifter trick.
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In middle of CAM install, need help ASAP w/rod/lifter trick.
Ok, we bought 2 15/16" rods and ground them down on one side and slid them in the front of the motor on my car(98), held the lifters up, removed the cam.
Skip fwd to today. working on my friends car(99), used the exact same rods, slid the rods in, they went in a little easier than my car, THOUGHT we had the lifters up. but since my friend is so paranoid he put a pushrod in, pushed down on the lifter while the cam and the rod were in the motor. Lo and behold, the lifter went down and hit right on the cam, we turned the cam and the lifter went back up, does this mean the lifters are sliding right past the rod tool? What do we do now??
Skip fwd to today. working on my friends car(99), used the exact same rods, slid the rods in, they went in a little easier than my car, THOUGHT we had the lifters up. but since my friend is so paranoid he put a pushrod in, pushed down on the lifter while the cam and the rod were in the motor. Lo and behold, the lifter went down and hit right on the cam, we turned the cam and the lifter went back up, does this mean the lifters are sliding right past the rod tool? What do we do now??
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Not at all, the pressure from the push rod on top of the lifter was able to make the lifter go up and down on the lobe. I have heard of issues with pen magnets, is the problem because I ground down a whole side of the rod?
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Hmm...ttt for you. I'm about to do the 5/16" rod trick too and would like to know what this means. You think it's different tolerances for different blocks? Do all the lifters seem to slide by the rod or just a few? Some guys say one side is usually a tighter fit than the other and only need one rod ground down. But you are saying both sides are a loose fit with rods that aren't ground down??
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Do you know what the lifter looks like from a side view? It has a step in it that your tool fits in once you spin the cam to raise the lifters, but the step in the side of the lifter is longer than the width of your tool so this allows for some vertical movement of the lifter if you push and pull on it. If you put one of those magnets on a lifter that had its' cam lobe in its' back you could raise the lower the lifter with the magnet. The plastic lifter retainers do a pretty good job of holding the lifters up, but you have to feel pretty lucky to do the cam swap without using some sort of tool to hold the lifters up. Some guys get away without a tool time and again. Actually the plastic retainers are NOT there to hold your lifters up during a cam swap, but to keep the lifters from rotating while the engine is running. The fact that they can also hold the lifter up is just a side benefit. Your tool is only there to keep the lifters from dropping while the swap is made, not to act like a vise-grip. The amout the lifter can move is determined by the width of the step in the side of the lifter, approx. 1/2 inch compared to the width of your tool, approx. 1/4 inch. That means the lifter has a little bit of movement.
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#12
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Originally Posted by eallanboggs
Do you know what the lifter looks like from a side view? It has a step in it that your tool fits in once you spin the cam to raise the lifters, but the step in the side of the lifter is longer than the width of your tool so this allows for some vertical movement of the lifter if you push and pull on it. If you put one of those magnets on a lifter that had its' cam lobe in its' back you could raise the lower the lifter with the magnet. The plastic lifter retainers do a pretty good job of holding the lifters up, but you have to feel pretty lucky to do the cam swap without using some sort of tool to hold the lifters up. Some guys get away without a tool time and again. Actually the plastic retainers are NOT there to hold your lifters up during a cam swap, but to keep the lifters from rotating while the engine is running. The fact that they can also hold the lifter up is just a side benefit. Your tool is only there to keep the lifters from dropping while the swap is made, not to act like a vise-grip. The amout the lifter can move is determined by the width of the step in the side of the lifter, approx. 1/2 inch compared to the width of your tool, approx. 1/4 inch. That means the lifter has a little bit of movement.
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Our lifters have rollers and not flat bottoms like older styles. I know this isn't a stock lifter, but does the 5/16" rod grab the lifter where the red arrows are? Just trying to get an understanding of where the rods are actually touching the lifter.
Originally Posted by v8maro
I thought the lifters had a flat bottom?
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The rod isn't intended to hold the lifters up -- they simply prevent them from falling out of the bore. You can still push the lifter against the cam using the rods, but you won't be able to push it out of the bore and have it fall into the motor. I verified it on my spare motor sitting on the engine stand
#17
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Heh...wish I had an engine apart to see how the rod does this. It doesn't hold the lifters up and it doesn't grab them, the lifters can still touch the cam with the rods in place but it will stop them from falling out of their bores. So are the rods at a level lower than cam? If so and a lifter did happen to fall with the cam out and the rod stopped it from falling in the engine, how would you raise the lifter back up to get the cam in? I'm freaking confused now.
BTW, what are the holes for that the rods slide in, is it like an oil gallery or something left over from machining the block from the factory?
BTW, what are the holes for that the rods slide in, is it like an oil gallery or something left over from machining the block from the factory?
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Originally Posted by HavATampa
So are the rods at a level lower than cam? If so and a lifter did happen to fall with the cam out and the rod stopped it from falling in the engine, how would you raise the lifter back up to get the cam in? I'm freaking confused now.
BTW, what are the holes for that the rods slide in, is it like an oil gallery or something left over from machining the block from the factory?
BTW, what are the holes for that the rods slide in, is it like an oil gallery or something left over from machining the block from the factory?
#20
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LOL! That would be nice. I need pics to understand stuff. I thought I had a handle on this concept until hourang brought this thread up. BTW Jeff, how you doing on your problem? Didn't mean to rape your thread.
Originally Posted by v8maro
I think a Cross-sectional diagram would be sweet to see just how they are being held up.