I have had my 94 camaro for about 4 years. The winter after buying the car I decided to pull off all of the rocker arms since the motor was not going to be ran for a few months. The car has a CC305 cam with comp cams roller rockers. In the process I noticed some problems with the number 3-cil rocker arms. The valve covers had two big dents on the inside where at some time a rocker arm had hit them, and the rocker arms also had marks on them. One of the rocker arm studs also looked like it had been replaced at some time. I went ahead and bought new 2 new rocker arms and that next year put everything back together.
After the motor was started I had a lifter tick that I just could not seem to get rid of. I adjusted them 10+ different times with the motor warm and also running. Eventually I thought that I had gotten most of the noise to a minimum and was satisfiyed.

I drove the car with no issues for about 3 years when the noise started to get worse. At the beginning of this year after adjusting the rocker arms again I noticed that the rocker arms for the number 3-cil only were not getting hardly any oil, and the lifter itself was did not seem to be pumping up as strong as the others. I decided to yank the intake and replace the lifters for the number 3-cil lifters. This seemed to fix the problem.

I drove the car all summer then just last week a rocker arm stud snaps, and one of the number 3-cil intake lifter basically exploded shooting the inner lifter components into the lifter valley.

I pulled the intake back off and replace all the lifters with comp cam replacement lifters, and APR rocker arm studs. Put every thing backs together and fired the motor up. Runs good but there was a nasty ticking coming from the drivers side lifters. I pulled the valve cover and started the motor up. Re adjusted all the lifters with the motor warm, but the ticking sound will not go away. Then I let the motor run for a little while looking at all the rocker arms to make sure everything was ok. Low and behold the damn number 3-cil rocker arms are not getting any oil. The lifters themselves seem to be pumped up, but not betting oil up to the rocker arms. There is a lot of oil flowing to the other liters.

I am starting to think that there has been some kind of problem with the lifters well before I bought the car. Because of the dents in the valve cover, beat up rocker arms, and what appears to be the second broken rocker arm stud all coming from the same cil.

What could cause this to happen. Lifters are brand new. They seem to pump up but do not send any oil to the rocker arms.

 

That's some weird **** man. If you have all new lifters and this isn't fixing it then I'm guessing it has to be further down. Perhaps some of the more experienced guys will chime in but perhaps you have a cam lobe problem. Don't know that would have anything to do with what you've got but I don't think it's the lifters themselves. Do you have a way to measure your valve lift?

 

The new lifters that I put in are the comp r's. Im thinking that if some how there was a lack of oil getting to the lifters that the stock ones were able to make due. With the stock lifters oil would flow to the rocker arm but it would take about 2 min or so for it to reach them. The lifter may have only been half pumped up though when the car was running. Im thinking that with the comp r lifter that if it doesnt get enough oil to stay fully pumped up it will not be able to send oil up the push rod.

Does this sound possible?

 

Well my first initial thought was the oil pump but then I decided no because why only #3? If there's no oil there then it can't pump it up but why only #3? It would be a ton of trouble but you could switch around #3 with one you know is pumping up well and see what the results are. I'm still inclined to say the cam is worn.

 

I am 99% sure that swaping switching the lifters will not change anything. This is the only cil that has the problems and it has been that way for a years it apears.

Does anyone know of a way to clean out them oil passages?

 

I hAve the same lifters. And mine do not make any noise.
However my springs make alot of noise. Sounds like a sowing machine.

Are u shure its not a spring making the noise?

 

Im not too worried about the noise at this point. Im want to figure out why no oil is flowing up the push rod. Once that problem is solved I have a feeling the noise will go away.

 

oil Psi? check the oiling passages? also any flatspots on the cam? im not an expert but these would be good places to start looking.

 

Yeah that's what I was thinking, that the lobe was worn down. Would be a good time to upgrade cams.

 

Oil pressure is good. I will check the cam lift when i get the intake back off but i am 99% sure that the cam lobe is not worn down. The lifters and rocker arms all sit at the same high, and I would think that the base circle of the cam would have to be completely worn off for the lifter not to get any oil. There have never been any signs of wear on the lifters, and you would think they would show some damage if the cam was being worn down.

 

That's true. Sounds like a confusing situation. If it were me, I would just take it all apart and have the block washed, honed, etc. Put in some new bearings and rings. You'd kinda hit everything there and you could look at the cam.

 

For those who followed this topic I believe I found the problem.

I had a push rod that was just slightly bent. If you rolled it on a table or visually looked at it you couldnt even tell. The bent was causing it not to seal correctly to the lifter, and when the motor was cranked over with the manifold off we found the leak. We then swaped push rods around and there was no more leak. I ordered all new push rods today and hopefully when installed will alow oil to reach the rocker arms.

 

Cool beans man.