Valve lifters fail

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 09:13 AM

I just finished installing new stem seals, got all the valves and springs back in place, but when I looked at the lifters I realized most of them are seized. I feel dumb I didn't check this when I pulled the head apart.

The question is now do I have a better choice than OEM for about the same price? If not I'll just buy new OEM lifters. I found them for $190 + $20 shipping at gap.com

**FraggyA4** · 05-13-2014 09:37 AM

They really shouldn't need to lift, they just sit there and shoot oil onto the camshafts. The only part that needs to move is the top part where it swivels kind of.

*If they are then I should probably go back and check mine.
*After further investigation, the lash adjusters have a spring built in that allows the piston to rise back to the top when the valve closes. I suggest going with OEM they are pretty simple and I don't seem any real upgrade to it.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by FraggyA4

They really shouldn't need to lift, they just sit there and shoot oil onto the camshafts. The only part that needs to move is the top part where it swivels kind of.

*If they are then I should probably go back and check mine.

I'm thinking that little move helps spray oil on the camshaft but I'm not sure? Then of course the arm rocker moves up and down, but if they're not suppose to move I guess the ones that are moving are bad.

Anybody knows how exactly they're suppose to work?

**aluthman** · 05-13-2014 12:31 PM

Buy a new one and compare. They are only a couple bucks each.

**mec** · 05-13-2014 01:00 PM

We have hydraulic lifters, each one is expanded by oil pressure, a relief valve is located at the top of the lifter and it is what lubricates the roller.

Here is a picture similar to our rockers -

You want to make sure none of these rocker rollers are seized up.

This is our lifter:

Oil flows in from the block through the rear part of the head, and into two parallel tunels that feed each of the 16 bores where the lifters go, oil pressure fills up the bore and flows into the lifter,pushing up and out on the piston in the top side of the lifter, this puts the rocker arm into the correct position, and excess oil pressure escapes out of the head of the lifter into the cap of the rocker arm which shoots it onto the roller.

It looks like you have a seized lifter, go through all of them and press on them seeing if they are springy or if they are solid. If they are solid they might have contaminants inside and you cna try to force them out, but it might just be easier to replace them for $16 a piece.

**mec** · 05-13-2014 01:01 PM

Here's a good pictures of the assembly put together.

as you can see there is a small hole in the top of the rocker arm where oil pressure is forced through to spray the roller.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 01:09 PM

I'll just buy a new set, screen it.
almost all of them are solid, I think only 2 or 3 move.

**FraggyA4** · 05-13-2014 01:10 PM

I really hope mine are good I don't really want to take my cam girdle off again.

**mec** · 05-13-2014 01:15 PM

Originally Posted by shiro1745

I'll just buy a new set, screen it.
almost all of them are solid, I think only 2 or 3 move.

Another thing to keep in mind is that if your engine has been sitting for months, then all the oil pressure is lost and they will seem toast but might not be. You have to get some oil pressure in there to see if they are still springy.

**FraggyA4** · 05-13-2014 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by mec

Another thing to keep in mind is that if your engine has been sitting for months, then all the oil pressure is lost and they will seem toast but might not be. You have to get some oil pressure in there to see if they are still springy.

Yeah this is what I was thinking.

**mec** · 05-13-2014 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by FraggyA4

Yeah this is what I was thinking.

its pretty unlikely that all of his lifters failed at the same time, I mean one or two will collapse or seize, but for the whole set to collapse is unlikely, they probably just don't have any oil left inside of them. I"m not sure how to refill them either without cranking the engine.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by mec

Another thing to keep in mind is that if your engine has been sitting for months, then all the oil pressure is lost and they will seem toast but might not be. You have to get some oil pressure in there to see if they are still springy.

the thing is they are all stuck extended so if there would be oil pressure missing they should all be compressed right? The one that moves actually dumped oil out when I first pressed it.

**mec** · 05-13-2014 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by shiro1745

the thing is they are all stuck extended so if there would be oil pressure missing they should all be compressed right? The one that moves actually dumped oil out when I first pressed it.

It could be that as the oil seeped out air was pulled in. Try this. Pull one out of the bore, press it down to empty out the air/ oil, Then cover the top oil port, dunk the side into oil and try to manually pull apart the lifter to see if it will suck in oil and to see if you can get the springyness to come back. Im not sure if it will work or if its possible, but Its very unlikely that all of your lifters failed you.

**FraggyA4** · 05-13-2014 01:30 PM

The real way to tell is to just listen for the tick tick tick when the engine is running.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by mec

It could be that as the oil seeped out air was pulled in. Try this. Pull one out of the bore, press it down to empty out the air/ oil, Then cover the top oil port, dunk the side into oil and try to manually pull apart the lifter to see if it will suck in oil and to see if you can get the springyness to come back. Im not sure if it will work or if its possible, but Its very unlikely that all of your lifters failed you.

Ok, I tried pulling all of them out, but none did. I tried as hard as i could with my bare hands, the metal clip popped off, I then tried using pointed pliers with no luck.

I tried them all again and counted 1 that moves the whole range, 5 that only move down about half way, the rest are completely stuck.

Originally Posted by FraggyA4

The real way to tell is to just listen for the tick tick tick when the engine is running.

Not the case here, my engine is spread out in boxes all over the house haha

**mec** · 05-13-2014 03:01 PM

Whoa what??? try maybe pb blasting the sides. Mine have always come right out if you pull them, sounds strange.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by mec

Whoa what??? try maybe pb blasting the sides. Mine have always come right out if you pull them, sounds strange.

videos uploading now, you won't believe it haha

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 03:18 PM

**mec** · 05-13-2014 03:35 PM

the lifter itself won't come apart. when I said mine come right out I mean the entire lifter comes right out of the bore in the head, I thought you were telling me that it was jammed in there. I would not do that to the next few bores, you don't want to scratch those surfaces or it will leak out oil pressure.

**shiro1745** · 05-13-2014 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by mec

the lifter itself won't come apart. when I said mine come right out I mean the entire lifter comes right out of the bore in the head, I thought you were telling me that it was jammed in there. I would not do that to the next few bores, you don't want to scratch those surfaces or it will leak out oil pressure.

I'm replacing them all anyway, I wouldn't have done that otherwise. But as you can see the two compared in the first video one is compressing fine, the other not at all.