So i got off the hwy on my way home sat and heard a faint slapping noise almost like piston slap i used to get on cold mornings in my mustangs except it sounded more like it was coming from the driver side head.. then I pulled away from the stop sign and above 2k rpm it got louder and faster. I wasn't racing anyone, didn't downshift to slow down and miss a gear; just completely out of the blue. Anyways, I'm being told its a bent push-rod. I have never done it before, doesn't look too challenging of a task... So anyways i have a few questions, one being a favor..

1. With an unknown spec cam, can i just measure the length of the ones i take out and buy same length and they will fit or is there more to it than that?

2. what are some good options for push-rods? assuming i do have ls6 heads that have been ported. (find out once i get vc off) also what should i avoid?


3. do i need new springs or rockers as well? less than 15k on engine since built.. To me it sounds like a rocker or 4 are damaged too...

4. what all will i need to purchase to do the job myself? I was thinking all i need is the gasket for vc and push-rods..

5. I have a gravel driveway with no garage and sadly no tools since i gave most of my stuff to my dad when my wife and I moved in together years ago.. Does anyone have garage space and most of the tools i may need as well as jack and stands that i could use for a day? I can look up a guide or buy a service manual and do it myself but i wouldn't mind pointers along the way if anyone would like to help.. I haz beer and am professional chef, maybe if I could trade a catering gig or cook for all your guys at the shop in trade of labor? just an idea.. either way I would be bringing food and booze for the assistance and probably order pizza as we go.

thanks for any and all help guys. If my wife wasnt prego i would just start a ls7 build myself but I gotta start being careful where our money goes so bigger builds are out of the question unless someone has a fast they wanna let go for the right price.. otherwise im just looking for repair advise. its my dd so i need to fix asap..

 

Dave, I wish I had the knowledge and tools to help you out buddy. What I can offer you is some garage space to do the work. My reccomondations as far as the repairs go, being this build is on the unknown side, I would swap out to all new lifters, pushrods and valve springs. I would also measure for the correct length of pushrods as well. This way you'll have the peace of mind knowing everything is dialed in and done correctly. Just my .2

Todd

 

I have a shop I would be willing to let you use one of these days in Lafayette along with the tools needed. I agree with Todd though, springs, pushrods and lifters. Lifters just use LS7 lifters, as for push rods a set of chromoly push rods is another $100 or so. Also you will need head gaskets if you do the lifters. You can pm me your number if you want to talk more about it. I will be on the river today but I don't work until Monday.

 

I wouldn't use LS7 lifters on your build..they compress differnt from one to the other.. I would measure all your push rods like I did and get a custom order ones.. Ill ask James who did mine. They are located in bend and I got mine with in 2 days...wait! Can you use hydrolic lifters with a solid cam? From reading you don't want to run a hydrolic lifter with a solid cam.. Just do some research.. And contact James as well.

 

Definitely stay away from the LS7's with your build. Pushrods I'd go with Smith Brothers and springs I'd get some PSI's. Another good choice for springs/lifters/pushrods would be from Brian Tooleys website. His stuff is getting great reviews.

 

On the right track Dave. . Brandon's got a big *** shop. I can follow you down there if you need that. Gotta see my family down there anyway.

 

I just purchased a set of Brian Tooley valvesprings as part of the cam kit from tick performance and i can definitely say that they look pretty impressive, but what's the deal with the ls7 lifters? any particular reason to stay away from them in this case?

 

i spent probably 4 hours online and on the phone this morning trying to find out if its a solid cam and from what im reading, the first sign that its not is the power, next tune, next lope.. it seems like dude i bought it from lied, oh well dont care at the price i got it. why new springs and lifters? thats another grand instead of 200 fix.. piece of mind isnt good enough for me to spend that kind of money if it aint broke...

 

Plenty of horror stories. Do some searching.



Why new springs and lifters? If you are going to be in there fixing stuff, why not put all new fresh parts in to ensure peace of mind? Plus if you are running big cam, you will need to eventually change out the springs. With 15k on them, you are probably not too far off from needing to change them out. Buy a bulk package from BTR (Brian Tooleys Racing) and your set up will be dialed in for a long while and you won't have to worry about the "what if's"

Buy once, cry once.

 

The LS7 lifters compress differntly from one to the other.. Salemmetro, measure one and the other one was like .030 differance... Ask him hell tell ya..and they are Noisy as well.... If you were just replacing lifters for a stick motor then yeah go for it, but his is built so go with some lunati street link bars like I have they only cost 360$. But that's only if you have a hydrolic cam and not a solid cam.. You really need to find out " for sure " if that's what you have.

 

You guys can bash on LS7 lifters but i have never had 1 fail on me and ive ran a set for 30k miles and beat the living **** out of them and they still looked good. Go buy high price lifter and see how they fail. I belive Salemmetero has had a few sets of high price lifters go bad. Noisy lifters have been a LS thing since the day the LS came out.

 

Gee, thats funny, every LS engine made unless its a AFM engine gets LS7 lifters. In the last few months I have installed 5 Z06 HC packages, and all of them have come in within 10hp of each other. All used LS7 lifters, I have several track customers out there that flog the **** out of their cars during 30 minute HPDE sessions and only one had a lifter failure, and that was a STOCK LS6 lifter, where the wheel broke after 60k + mileage on the car. And out of that mileage 70% of it was on the track.

Forgot to mention, Salvage is likely harder on his car than most of you boys out there. And he has yet to break a lifter in his engine.

 

so its looking like im gonna need to take the heads off?? also, im gonna need to pull the cam out to find out what it is so that i can replace lifters and springs? This is starting to sound pretty expensive... I doubt i will be able to fix it for a few months at the $1500 its looking like i will have to spend according to you guys. its my dd, honestly i dont have the money to just throw at the car to replace parts that are working fine. as far as im concerned, i dont drive it hard, havent sprayed it yet, and besides the bent pushrods the engine seems to run fine. Im really starting to doubt that the car even has a built motor. i mean, who would port ls6 heads and pay for a custom solid cam and then put the stock fuel rails and coils back on? I think dude was full of ****. I got got, he prob only did cam, nitrous, tb, exhaust and googled a local corvette shop and said they did all the work.

so either way its not a fix i can do in one day if i do springs and lifters and need to measure everything and take the heads off and blah blah blah so im gonna take up actual shop space at that point.. smokinponcho, you ok with my car being there for a couple days once i get the funds together to fix it or will i need to be done and out in a day?

realistically guys, if the springs and lifters are in good shape, whats the downfall to just replacing the pushrods? what would make them fail faster than before i bent the pushrod or does having the bent pushrod mean they are more than likely damaged too?

Im going to go ahead and assume that its just a small cam and not a solid. i will risk it based on other parts used on build. honestly, i have seen salvages car run and i will take his word for it and go for the ls7's especially if they are good quality and cheaper.. I will not buy top of the line anything, just throwing that out there. I dont plan on keeping this motor past 100k miles regardless so im just looking to get another 20k out of it and 2 years, then im gonna go with a sc383 build or ls7 build.. right now, i need it to run like it was, i dont plan on racing every weekend or even every month. its my dd, I will upgrade a little but im not into name brand but I wont buy junk either.. i dont need to be the fastest.

thanks for all the advise and help so far. sorry if im being difficult but i have to be very careful how i spend money right now with my wife being prego and me wanting to keep the vette.. probably cheaper to buy a pos dd and store the vette till i can afford afr's.. might have to do that if I do end up having to replace everything..

 

http://www.briantooleyracing.com/che...-12499225.html

http://www.briantooleyracing.com/660...retainers.html

?????

 

Good to see some of you are having good luck with them. I know a couple local guys that have had them fail more than once running mild cams. It's hit or miss from what I have heard from local friends and guys online. Nobody is saying you have to spend top dollar on lifters. We are just simply passing along information and feedback.

 

I have a set of LS7 lifters ill sell you man.. Just wanted to make sure you wanted to replace or go better.. And salvage bashes on his car but I'm sure I bash mine just as hard... I never had any issues with my car except the pushrods.. You can buy harden pushrods and just be fine if your lifters are good.. Let me know if you find out if you have a solid or hydrolic cam and ill make you a deal on the LS7 lifters.. They are brand new too..

 

Oh you just gotta love the internet!!! Hahaha...

Tyler, I will buy your LS7 lifters if he doesnt take them.

Todd, who locally has had them fail? I have some questions for them. Shoot me a pm when ya get a chance.

Mike

 

Well do mike!.... I'm just saying if your going to build/already have a built motor then go with a good brand... Yeah James had some high dollar lifters fail and that really sucks!..

 

sorry guys, didnt mean to come across like thaf. i dont doubt anything you guys are saying, im just skeptical that i have anything but stock in there now besides the cam. if thats the case then im gonna consider ls7s and lunaits, as far as springs, im looking at the one i posted, looks legit but i dont know.. i think i will be ok replacing whatever if i can keep it under a grand and have piece of mind that i can still mash on it if i want. if there are some goodies hidden under the vc then i wont put anything less than is already in there and replace whats needed if its gonna be over a grand to match grade on everything.. tyler, im interested, let me see what i can find out on the cam but from what is looking like, its probably an off the shelf roller cam. i will call dude tomorrow and see if he will give me more info.

what pushrods should i go for though? i know i still need to measure them but point me in the direction of brand and type?

 

those lunatis look nice, just looked them up, 360 aint bad, 300 for tit springs and 200 for rods and gaskets.. starting to sound doable... even more so if i snag those ls7s..