lifter did not stay in tray during cam swap
 

so tonight i joined the club of HOLY SHIT THE LIFTER DIDNT STAY IN THE TRAY WHEN I PULLED THE CAM OUT. ITS FINAL RESTING PLACE IS IN THE WINDAGE TRAY. GUESS IM PULLING THE MOTOR TOMORROW. if you or someone you know has suffered this same fate feel free to post. share your heart breaking story. :violin:

Lol sorry to hear that bud!

It happened to me, I ended up dropping the kmember and supporting the motor up by some 2*4's then said fuck it while I'm here might as well upgrade to a umi k member lol best mod I've ever done.

I use the tools to prevent the lifters from falling.
Has never happened to me yet since wreching on ls motors for a while now.
Good luck
:corn:

that sucks man sorry to hear. yeah i have never felt comfortable enough to let the lifters just sit stuck in the try while i quickly swap cams. Thunder Racing makes a tool so this wont happen again. mind as well put new bearings, rods, pistons, rings while you got the motor out... budget permitting of course

Dowl rods work fine. No need to spend more on the same thing from thunder racing.

Yea dowels would have been good now I can swap out rod bolts and clutch

I was lucky. I was able to use a magnet and fish the lifter out of the oil pan and didn't have to pull the engine or drop the pan. Still had to pull the heads to put it back in.:bang:

Semi-related question: Any reason using the "dowel trick" on an LS motor with tie-bar lifters wouldn't work?

Well no matter what your going to have to pull the heads.. You should of used the pen magnets with close pins trick... Pulling the heads isn't that bad. Most your going to have to buy are head gaskets and bolts about 120$. Since you did a cam swap it would of been a really good to do anyways. While you have the heads off I would install studs so you wont have to replace them again.. While your heads are off I would get them flow checked. My old ls2 heads off of my car 22k miles one of the valves was weak and started to form a whole near the tip. I didn't know that but the guy I traded heads with found it out. Flow checks generally only costs 40$ but after it gets done you'll know your engine is good. I would make sure everything is 100% before re-install. Just my .02

With the tie bars there is no way for them to drop in the oil pan, but yes the dowel trick can be used to keep them out of the way to slide the cam in and out.

still a good idea to use the dowel rod on the tie bar lifters, once they drop down against the tie bar, you wont be able to get the cam in. with the tie bars, there is no lifter tray so you have no way to keep the lifters out of the way. IMO, more reason to use the dowel trick than with stock lifters and trays.

Thanks, I recently came across a set of T&D adjustable shaft rockers, so my next build will have no lifter restrictions. :D

ok lifter is in and i didn't have to pull the heads i did however pull the motor . not hard to do in a 79 camaro! stuck the lifter to a magnet and fished it in. to my luck it was number 2 cyl intake so close up front. now just have to clearance the chain cover for the double roller and new pump. the violin has been silenced

WOW, you fished the lifter in from the bottom with a magnet? engine must have been upside down on a stand? anyway, good to hear you got it back in without having to buy another set of head bolts

I'm impressed too...even a lifter near the front doesn't sound easy to fish into place from the bottom.