When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I am hoping to check PTV in the coming weeks and do not want to remove my existing valvesprings. The heads came fully assembled and I do not have the valvespring compression tool I would need.
I would like to do this test using the clay/play-doh method but it looks like I need to use a solid roller lifter.
The ST2126LSR lifters I am using from Johnson are much shorter than stock from what I can tell based on seeing other people's pushrod lengths for them.
How can I replicate this lifter in a solid form? I was going to just try and buy a single LS7 lifter and tear it down and fill it with threaded rod/bolt material until I get it close enough. I do not have lifter trays - is it safe to just drop the lifters straight onto the cam or are they a pain to get back out?
I have an adjustable pushrod checker - can it handle the high spring forces required for me to run this test or should I wait until I have my real pushrods and just try and build up the fake lifter into the correct size?
Comp claims that you can rotate the engine over with their pushrod length tool, so as long as your springs aren't to crazy it should be okay. I would modify a stock lifter and set the tool up with zero lash to check for PTV clearance. If you do not use the tray with an LS7 lifter it will rotate in the bore and damage the cam lobe.
1) Any solid lifter of ANY length will work for what you are doing. You have an adjustable pushrod to account for the different lifter heights. Just make sure you're at zero lash and go to town. The valve movement doesn't care how tall/short the lifter is. An LS uses the same size filter as any OEM SBC (.842"). Any buddies have a solid lifter they will let you borrow? Better yet, a set of link bar tall solid lifters?
2) The lifter is going to align itself to the cam on the roller wheel. It's natural for the two profiles to align while it's on the ramp, it's not going to rotate and damage the cam by turning it over by hand. Besides, do you really think a PLASTIC tray is going to be rigid enough to prevent a lifter from rotating in an engine at 8000 RPM? No, because the lifters maintain their alignment themselves, for the most part. It's when the lifter is on the base circle that you have to be careful. When you're rotating the engine by hand, just make sure to watch the lifter to make sure it isn't rotating in the bore.
1) Any solid lifter of ANY length will work for what you are doing. You have an adjustable pushrod to account for the different lifter heights. Just make sure you're at zero lash and go to town. The valve movement doesn't care how tall/short the lifter is. An LS uses the same size filter as any OEM SBC (.842"). Any buddies have a solid lifter they will let you borrow? Better yet, a set of link bar tall solid lifters?
2) The lifter is going to align itself to the cam on the roller wheel. It's natural for the two profiles to align while it's on the ramp, it's not going to rotate and damage the cam by turning it over by hand. Besides, do you really think a PLASTIC tray is going to be rigid enough to prevent a lifter from rotating in an engine at 8000 RPM? No, because the lifters maintain their alignment themselves, for the most part. It's when the lifter is on the base circle that you have to be careful. When you're rotating the engine by hand, just make sure to watch the lifter to make sure it isn't rotating in the bore.
Cole
Awesome - I ordered a single solid lifter for a SBC.
Unfortunately I have more friends that drive Priuses than I do that have ever built a motor...
Awesome - I ordered a single solid lifter for a SBC.
Unfortunately I have more friends that drive Priuses than I do that have ever built a motor...
Just to confirm, you did order a solid ROLLER lifter correct?
Also, if you can cancel your order, I have a set of Isky tall SBC link bar style solid roller lifters I could send you a pair of to use for mock up/degreeing of the cam. Just send them back to me when you're done.
FWIW back when I was into big block Mopars, I bought a couple of hyd lifters and took them apart. Cleaned with brake cleaner, coated the plunger with red Loctite and reassembled. A couple of days later I used them without a problem.
Just to confirm, you did order a solid ROLLER lifter correct?
Also, if you can cancel your order, I have a set of Isky tall SBC link bar style solid roller lifters I could send you a pair of to use for mock up/degreeing of the cam. Just send them back to me when you're done.
Cole
Cole,
Thanks for the kind offer - I wish I had seen this earlier.
I actually ordered a flat tappet and realized it wouldn't work right after I posted this. I found a new LS7 single lifter on eBay for like $10 and it will be here tomorrow - so I'll just have to run the test twice for intake+exhaust.
I saw a video online showing how to flip the lower body over to make it into a temporary solid lifter.
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.
Checking PTV with Short Travel Lifters? 
