Well, my lifters are shot....

[fly89gta]

My car is another board member's shop right now and he confirmed what I feared, for some reason my lifters just took a ****. He could push down on the rocker arms with ease. He recommended GM Powersealed lifters, would you guys agree?


Also, aside from the lifters and a new intake gasket what else do I need?

Should the cam be ok? I really don't want to get into changing the cam, too much of a pain...any help would be appreciated

 

[fly89gta]

anyone?

 

[fly89gta]

Anyone What lifters would you guys recommend?

 

[turboman38]

When my motor was rebuilt I believe the engine builder used Crane lifters.

 

[Red Regal T]

Until you remove the intake and check the lifters and cam, you won't know if the cam is trashed. I've replaced my lifters in the past because they were a little "tappy". I bought a set of hi-rev lifters from Poston a couple years ago. They've been in for about 60,000 miles now.

 

[ITSAV6]

lifters

I replaced my lifters but not the cam and it lasted 4000 miles before wiping a lobe. To be safe I'd change both. GM lifters are supposed to be the best.

 

[fly89gta]

Re: lifters

Originally posted by ITSAV6
I replaced my lifters but not the cam and it lasted 4000 miles before wiping a lobe. To be safe I'd change both. GM lifters are supposed to be the best.

I was afraid you'd say that, I really don't have the time or money to replace the cam I don't know what to do, I'd hate to have the intake off and then find out the car is worn, but on the flipside I don't have to buy a cam and not have to replace it

 

[Jon01]

Just curious, but what was the motor acting like that made you suspect something was amiss?
There is a reason that the lifters took a dump, I'd further investigate to try and find the cause if I was you.

 

[fly89gta]

Originally posted by Jon01
Just curious, but what was the motor acting like that made you suspect something was amiss?
There is a reason that the lifters took a dump, I'd further investigate to try and find the cause if I was you.

Here's the deal, I fixed a pretty big oil leak...then suddenly the pin for the cam sensor gear drive snapped and clogged the oil pump. We didn't know that happen, he tried a crank sensor and ignition module first, a lot of cranking with no oil moving. I think that's what did it, it totally drained the lifters and they just wouldn't pump back up once the car was running, damn thing sounds like a sewing machine

 

[ITSAV6]

lifters

You might could take the rockers off and run oil down the pushrods as you push the pushrod up and down and try to pump them back up. I replaced mine with a Comp Cam 206-206 with matching lifters that was less than $150.

 

[boostedLC2]

Hydraulic lifters with air in the high pressure chamber (which is what happens if you turn the engine over with no oil pressure) can take several minutes to completely purge the air and become solid again. Make sure the engine has been run 5+ minutes if it's cold to insure that the lifters won't pump up. Otherwise you may be changing parts that aren't bad.

HTH,

Jim

 

[fly89gta]

Originally posted by boostedLC2
Hydraulic lifters with air in the high pressure chamber (which is what happens if you turn the engine over with no oil pressure) can take several minutes to completely purge the air and become solid again. Make sure the engine has been run 5+ minutes if it's cold to insure that the lifters won't pump up. Otherwise you may be changing parts that aren't bad.

HTH,

Jim

Jim, the car was run for well over an hour, run for 10 minutes, shut off then started and so on. Hell it was even driven to help pump them up and no change

If its not the lifters I have a REAL bad feeling something is blocking the oil passage, which I don't have the time or $ to deal with at this point, i REALLY REALLY hope its just the lifters...

 

[Nick Micale]

Re: lifters

Originally posted by ITSAV6
I replaced my lifters but not the cam and it lasted 4000 miles before wiping a lobe. To be safe I'd change both. GM lifters are supposed to be the best.

Have heard before that "GM lifters are the best", but never any data to back up this statement?

In my experience, they perform and last the same as any other.

How many companies now make hydraulic lifters that manufacturers and suppliers use? Last I heard was one.

When replacing a cam, it has always made sense to me to get the kit, cam and lifters, from the same company. Install them and do the run-in according to their recommendations. Then if there is a problem, at least you have a chance of some sort of recovery.

 

[JDSfastGN]

I'm going to run sealed power lifters in my new motor for the 87. I had my cam sensor pin break as well about 10,000 miles ago, but the gear fell off cleanly and no damage was done, becasue i turned it off and towed it the second the oil choke light came on. I know being you swapped it in the GTA you probably didn't have a light to tell you oil pressure was not there. I recently wiped 3 cam lobes due to 3 broken spring dampers, and while having the motor rebuilt I had my engine builder double pin my cam sensor. Are you running a high volume oil pump? That is what I thought the cause of my cam sensor pin breaking was. Definately check the cam. I bet it is wiped with no oil pressure for that long. I'm going to try a sealed power 204/214 camshaft, a lot of board members love them, do a search and you will see. Good luck.

 

[fly89gta]

I only lost oil pressure for 2 seconds when the cam gear went, and as far as i know the lifters ARE getting oil till otherwise noted, i think the cam should be fine, i'm PRAYING the cam is fine and its just the lifters

 

[Nick Micale]

Guess I missed in the original post that he could "push down with ease".

If it were me, I would run oil pressure with a drill motor before I condemned the lifters. When oil pressure dropped, they lost their oil supply whick keeps them "pumped".

 

[JDSfastGN]

Sorry about that fly89GTA, for some reason i thought you had lost oil pressure for longer than that. My lifters sounded awful until they pumped up again, after i had lost all my pressure, maybe try to prime the oil with a dril like what was recomended by Nick. Good luck

 

[fly89gta]

Already did the whole drill thing too, circulated all the oil, did nothing

I drove the car bout 10 miles too hoping they'd pump up...nothing