Thread: Hi I'm new... got some valvetrain issues

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Ok, so ive got a A Body with a Mild 454... I first thought I had a collapsed lifter. The noise started out being really intermittent... and with a couple rides, its become more constant. ive checked the rockers, and marked the pushrods... all of them turn, tho some were turning real fast (I bought the car running) so I tightened those up just a tad so they turned like the rest. None of the roller rockers have loosened up afterwords, so I don't believe it's eaten the cam yet. I tried pushing down on the lifter side of the rockers, but oddly none of the lifters give that "spongy" feel which would indicate the bad lifter. When the noise does occur, there is definite power loss (Skipping) telling me an intake lifter isnt opening very well. heres a clip of exactly how it sounds....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVA4eedOYTQ

so now my plan is to remove the manifold and see if any of the lifters are ground on the bottom, at which point ide be able to install new lifters and be on my way should their be no abnormal wear on the contact surface oflifters..... now if the cam ends up being shot I have a Comp Hi Energy 268 Kickin around Ill put in (I think its a 260 now, quits at 5K)

So aside from any helpful info anyone has heres my question... this 268 cam has been grooved for a 66 Block. Will I have any problem with running this in a Later Block that doesnt require this groove?

Any info Greatly appreciatted!

EDIT: Also, my oil pressure hasnt changed at all. it hovers below 60 cold, around 45 warm.

you can not just replace the lifters... the lifters and cam "wear" into each other. Replacing just the lifters would cause them, and the camshaft to fail.

On a Rat you can run a grooved cam in a later block, but not the other way around, later blocks had the groove cut into the rear cam bore.

well the new blocks are grooved under the cam bearing so the oil gets to the lifters .the older blocks never were grooved so the cam bearing need to be grooved or cam so you could get oil to the lifters . so the added groove in the cam will not hurt .you did not ask BUT ROLLER CAM is the only way to go on bbc and i build alot of them

@JeepMan1320 - I've heard otherwise many times in the past, but your words make sense and Ide rather not risk the rest of the motor, which still runs smoothly and solidly. Plus It can definitely afford more cam to match the th400, 2000 stall, 3.90 gear setup n 29" Hoosier Pro Streets...

@Gasser Fan & pat mccarthy - Thanks, I've been looking for that concrete answer.

@pat mccarthy - Im sure a roller setup can't be beat but it entails plunking down prolly 800 smackers or so in springs,cam, and lifters alone...


heres the latest ... Ive got a fresh motor in a project truck that wont be finished for a longgg loonggg time due to how busy I am... Its got a already broken in 280 Magnum Comp Cam with good matched lifters, matched springs. 1010 pushrods, the whole 9... I think Im just going to swap in that setup and it will mate with what I have very well. The motor in the truck is all forged 408 ci. bore out of a 396 with 10.5:1 compression, so Ide like to go solid or roller with that. the motor in the car is around 9.5:1 if I figure flat tops and the small chamber 1966(year) head castings. I doubt itd be more comp. than that. Also, I have a special board with drilled holes to keep my lifters and pushrods all in proper order from one engine to the other.

Thanks for all the answers!

I responded just before but for some reason that post had to be approved... ??

Originally Posted by YodaRoddin

I responded just before but for some reason that post had to be approved... ??

When you're new on the forum, for the first 10 or so post the moderator has to check them before they show... Nothing personal against you, just keeps the spammers and slammers garbage from showing up.

I'm with Pat, roller cam is the only way to go in these days of no zinc and other stuff in the oil!!!!

ahhh I see said the blind man... not a problem. yeah i wana put a roller in that all forged 408 I spoke of in my response... so i think a little swaparoo isin order... The 454 in the car, I really dont know whats in the bottom end, so I really shouldnt push it past 6000 RPM... the car is also a 15-20 year old restoration... I guess lifter failure was inevitable despite my liberal usage of Lucas Oil Stabilizer.

over the 30 years playing with bbc i seen many eat lifters no bbc i build come out of my shop with out a hyd roller or a solid roller . not every one is going to eat a cam and just maybe you can break in the engine with out eating a cam . but i like my odds with a roller .its not $800 .but if you what to think of it like this how many 200. cam lifter kits do you want to run thru this ?your time gasket oil etc$$$?? no one seem s to think about that ? all that hard iron going some where the oil fillter is not the first stop the piston bores get all screwed up .i seen the same engine eat more then one cam . a used cam thats broke in right out of another engine may help or not so yes you can use a used cam if you use the same lifters in order

Yes, You're absolutely right Pat. I had a 396 i my old 1 ton, all of a sudden 1 day a lifter just starts ticking (while its sitting idling no less!!!), leading to too much metal shaving going throuigh the engine after the lobe ko'ed pretty quickly. Never had good luck with flat tappets... after that experience ive run lucas in everything. with good luck up until now....