How hard is a lifter swap?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
How hard is a lifter swap? Two days ago I picked up an 98' Formula M6 with a hair over 100k on it for an absolute steal that I couldnt turn down. I plan on rebuilding the motor sometime early next year, but for now I can only afford a few basic things. I have a ticking from the drivers side rear of the engine, I've diagnosed it to be the lifter. I've never cracked open an ls1 before but I figure with a haynes this will be a good learning experience since I have a fair amount of mechanical knowledge. Who here has replaced their lifters and do you have any advice or warnings I should head before I start this? Approximate time of work? Anything helpfull whatsoever would be fantastic, thanks in advance.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio
After reading all that is involved, im thinking about just swaping the heads with a ported set. Any good links to websites selling mildly ported heads? Also a z06 cam as I'd like the car to seem as stock as possible while driving around. I dont plan on ragging on it or driving it hard, but It would be nice to have a little more oomph.
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TECH Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: BFE
Originally Posted by King James
The biggest pain in the *** will be torquing down the head bolts. Other then that it isn't too bad of a job.
IMO do a compression check to see if it is worth it. But have you pulled the covers and checked the rockers?
not to hijack the thread or anything, but this seems like the place for my questions
99 z28 m6 106008 miles
i made a thread about the valvetrain ticking noise, so i got some stock 5.3 heads and put the stock springs and retainers with 14K miles on them, new hardened steel 7.4 pushrods and slapped those bad boys in there. install went well. started her up, no problemo. but today as i was heading to a friends house, the noise came back. it was really the worst feeling ever and it sounds worse, like earlier and louder in the RPM range. could there be anything else that i am passing up? i had my rocker arms checked and the guy said that they were good. i will prob buy some roller rockers if i have to replace the lifters, what would you guys recommend? i hear the quick lifts, jesels, and harlan sharps are good.
would you guys recommend some comp r lifters or replace with new stock ones with new lifter cups, cuz i want the least amount of valvetrain noise as possible.
also are the ARPs worth it, i will be putting those 5.3 heads on at the same time, and i doubt they will be coming off again.
i just put in some castrol synth blend 10w40 oil and ac delco filter, could the synth blend eat up seals or anything down there, cuz i heard going to synth on a high mileage motor like mine could really screw some stuff up.
i put in some stp oil treatment as well and nothing seemed to change, should i try something different?
also, i shouldnt drive it at all right, cuz bad things happens when the lifter completely dies right?
99 z28 m6 106008 miles
i made a thread about the valvetrain ticking noise, so i got some stock 5.3 heads and put the stock springs and retainers with 14K miles on them, new hardened steel 7.4 pushrods and slapped those bad boys in there. install went well. started her up, no problemo. but today as i was heading to a friends house, the noise came back. it was really the worst feeling ever and it sounds worse, like earlier and louder in the RPM range. could there be anything else that i am passing up? i had my rocker arms checked and the guy said that they were good. i will prob buy some roller rockers if i have to replace the lifters, what would you guys recommend? i hear the quick lifts, jesels, and harlan sharps are good.
would you guys recommend some comp r lifters or replace with new stock ones with new lifter cups, cuz i want the least amount of valvetrain noise as possible.
also are the ARPs worth it, i will be putting those 5.3 heads on at the same time, and i doubt they will be coming off again.
i just put in some castrol synth blend 10w40 oil and ac delco filter, could the synth blend eat up seals or anything down there, cuz i heard going to synth on a high mileage motor like mine could really screw some stuff up.
i put in some stp oil treatment as well and nothing seemed to change, should i try something different?
also, i shouldnt drive it at all right, cuz bad things happens when the lifter completely dies right?
