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Lifter Failure

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Old May 10, 2007 | 02:27 PM
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Default Lifter Failure

I dont know if any of the other shop have been having this problem, but we have been seeing alot of lifter failures after cam swaps. 3 of the last 5 cam swaps we did, we ended up having to pull the heads to replace lifters.
I talked to Jerry Cantrell at Schneider Cams and he's blaming this new EPA compliant oil. He told me it doesnt have zinc, phosphorus and other chemicals that help aid in high-pressure lubrication. Does this sound right ot anybody? Is something happening when the lifters are disturbed during a cam swap?
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Old May 10, 2007 | 03:19 PM
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Pull the heads to swap lifters---leads me to believe you're talking about LS1's which have roller lifters.
I have heard a lot in the past five years about the oil problem. It's usually flat tappet lifters that have problems, I have had a few new ones go bad with a new cam but not since using diesel oil like Rotella T and GM EOS.
Since there haven't been factory produced flat tappet engines coming out in around 20 years the EPA hasn't considered it much of a problem I guess.
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Old May 11, 2007 | 12:28 PM
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Old May 11, 2007 | 12:34 PM
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How exactly are they failing are you talking about collapsing lifters or the lifters not pumping up?
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Old May 11, 2007 | 12:55 PM
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Well on high lift cams, the lifter tends to go down further into its bore, that could reduce its oiling capability.
also year and block design has a big influence on that.
Morel/Comp/cadillac did a study on that and created lifters that cater to this change.
I always recommend changing lifters on anything over 50k miles, the fact that heads need to come off is the main reason poeple shy away from it.
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Old May 11, 2007 | 01:07 PM
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The lifter collapses. We normally see it in the first 4 lifters on the driver's side for some reason. We always offer the option to go to the LS7 lifters, since they are better design and only $125
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Old May 11, 2007 | 01:18 PM
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Originally Posted by PREDATOR-Z
Well on high lift cams, the lifter tends to go down further into its bore, that could reduce its oiling capability.
also year and block design has a big influence on that.
Morel/Comp/cadillac did a study on that and created lifters that cater to this change.
I always recommend changing lifters on anything over 50k miles, the fact that heads need to come off is the main reason poeple shy away from it.

The new LS1 lifters from Crane Cams are designed to cure this. Check them out.

http://www.cranecams.com/?show=newProduct&id=13
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Old May 11, 2007 | 01:33 PM
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As are Morel's.
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