Thread: Lifter Stuck / Push rod loose

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I had to replace a cylinder head this weekend and when I took off the intake I noticed that the #7 Exh. push rod was loose and the lifter appeared to be sitting lower than all of the other lifters. The lowest all of the other lifters go is about flush with the top of the bore but this lifter goes down about a millimeter below the bore. I tried to take the lifter out but I can only pull it up about half an inch and then it gets stuck. I tried turning the crank and this lifter does not come up as high as all of the others. Does anyone know whats wrong with this lifter? Is there something wrong with my cam or did I maybe overtighten this rocker arm?

cam lobe is wiped and bottom of lifter is worn off---don't try to pull it out the top, but after removing the cam knock it down from the top--this will do less damage to the lifter bore---any damage,high spots,etc will need to be smoothed out in the lifter bore before reassembly--also probably other lifters/lobes are going to be similar

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

cam lobe is wiped and bottom of lifter is worn off---don't try to pull it out the top, but after removing the cam knock it down from the top--this will do less damage to the lifter bore---any damage,high spots,etc will need to be smoothed out in the lifter bore before reassembly--also probably other lifters/lobes are going to be similar

I agree with Jerry,cam lobe is gone.

So the lobe is gone and the lifter needs to come out the bottom.The next shoe to drop is where did all the filings from that go??.If it where mine,I would be taking it apart to see if there are any other damages.Bearings,etc.

Yikes - looks like mostly bad news here! Welcome to Club Hot Rod, eh?

Well. to add injury to insult, I concur with the above. As Jerry mentioned - do not force the lifter out the top - I've seen some nasty scoring and even broken lifter bores from applying too much force to "pull" the lifter out. As Gary mentioned, all that cam material has gone somewhere throughout the engine. It would be best at this point to pull the engine and do a complete tear down and plan for a rebuild. This will give you a fresh start and peace of mind that everything inside is new.

That said, let us know what you're working on (1964 Chev? Just a guess!) and you'll find the world's greatest bunch of guys and gals here with a lot of years of motor-building-know-how. We'd be pleased to offer advice and suggestions on a rebuild from stock to wild. Jerry's been building for a long time and Pat McCarthy is like "World Famous" for his engine building skills. The rest of us chime in with a lot of our own experiences. Lot's of small block Chevy folks here.

Regards,
Glenn

I don't think there is any question you guys called it exactly. That Camaro I bought a few years ago had one lobe gone and the lifter was reshaped considerbly. I found lots of shavings in the pan, so that engine came down to a bare block to get scrubbed clean before going back together. You should have seen the metal on the oil pump screen.

Change the pump while you have it apart too.

Don

I ended up pulling it out from the top. The bottom of the lifter is not flat like all of the other lifters..it is somewhat rounded inwards. I could not visually see, or tell by the touch of my finger if the cam lobe is worn...When i replaced the rounded lifter with a flat lifter, it went up higher and did not sit down in the bore. After cranking the engine over, i measured how high this lifter was rising compared to others..it was about 1/32" lower than all of the others..is this bad? Is there any other way to check the lobe without pulling the cam out?

Thanks for all of your help.

I'll bet you 500-1 that the lobe is worn-----

I'll take some of that bet....

We already told you what was wrong. The bottom of the lifter was concave because the cam lobe was wiping out and did that to the lifter.Seen it a zillion times. The motor needs to come out and be redone,all those metal shavings have been circulated thru the oiling system and are now imbedded in all the bearings.
I know you hate to hear that,but it is fact. And when its put back together it would be wise to go with a roller cam setup because the oils we have today will not support flat tappet cams.

Well - 1/32 of an inch isn't much but it's more than enough to cause concern and the fact remains that not only do you have the material from the cam lobe somewhere in the bowels of the engine you also have the bottom bit of lifter that's not been accounted for. There's a reason the lifter ground down and I absolutely, positively want a piece of Jerry's bet as I too believe the lobe has been compromised. As such, it will fail again as the surface is distorted and a new lifter will almost certainly begin to gouge the cam immediately when spring tension is applied.

There's metal inside the motor and it will (sooner or later) cause problems. Pray that the problems don't strand you on the Interstate or worse, in the pucker brush at two am.

If you want to button things back up and run it, go ahead - it's your engine and your choice. However, if you want to address the issue you need to pull the engine and rebuild it.

Everyone on this site has faced similar choices and the reason those who've responded are encouraging you to "do this correctly" is that we've been at it long enough to know you're heading down the wrong path if you think there's a quick fix.

You can view this as a big pain to pull thing or you can view this as a great opportunity to learn and build an engine! Your choice..

Regards,
Glenn

I think you all are right..i'll be pulling it out of the car this weekend..thanks for all of the help and support.

Matt

You won't be sorry.

Hey - now you're talkin' Matt! Keep us in the loop.

If you just want to have it done with, call Pat McCarthy and he will build you a monster to stuff back in your rod!!

Not saying this to be rude or cruel,but the lesson learned here is you might want to consider a roller cam.