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Installing new lifters.

454k30

454k30

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Is there anything that needs to be done with new lifters prior to installing them? Do they need to soak in oil or anything like that. Also since I have this thing apart, are roller rockers a good idea? This motor never sees much more than 3500rpm so I dont know if I'd get any benefits from them.
 
Yes, you need to soak them in oil overnight and also use a pushrod to "pump them up" while they're soaking to get most of the air out.

Roller rockers will help reduce friction in the valvetrain and should help free up some HP through the rpm range. They're not strictly necessary on a low-rpm engine but it definitely couldn't hurt. Just depends on if you want to spend the money or not.

Are you doing roller lifters or flat?
 
they are flat. I thought about doing a roller but dont you have to have a cam that is designed for that as well?
 
Comp Cams specifically recommends against pumping the lifters up as this can lead to improper preload. Just soak em in oil before you install them. Make sure you use break-in lube on the faces when you install them.

From Comp Cams installation instructions - It is not necessary to “pre-pump” hydraulic lifters full of engine oil prior to installation and valve adjustment. It is actually undesirable to do so as the “pumped up” lifters will cause the valves to open during the adjustment process, rather than positioning the lifter plunger in its operating position as it is supposed to do. “Pre-soaking” hydraulic lifters in a bath of engine oil is a good idea, but not mandatory. Doing so ensures that the lifters are adequately lubricated on their outer surfaces prior to installation. It may also result in a quieter engine start up as the oil in the bath may displace some air from the lifter’s plunger reservoir. Coat the bottoms of all flat tappet lifters with COMP Cams® Cam Lube (part #103) supplied with the cam. Install the lifters, making sure they fit well. Flat tappet lifters should rotate freely in the lifter bores. Any excess clearance or tight lifters can cause damage to the camshaft, leading to engine failure. Note: .0015”-.002” lifter bore clearance is minimum.
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Why do you need to replace just the lifters?
 
I had what sounded like your run of the mill rocker noise but when I tried to adjust the intake on the #2 cylinder there was no resistance from the lifter. I took it out, took it apart and found the spring inside all messed up, I'll try to take a photo when I have some light. I figured that since I was in there I would replace all the lifters not just the one, just in case.
 
goldwing2000 said:
No. You can use roller lifters on a flat-tappet cam if they're designed as retro-fit replacements. You just can't use flat lifters on a roller cam.

It'll still cost you $450+ for a set, though.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=SLP%2DHT5000RA&autoview=sku
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NO, you can ABSOLUTELY NOT use roller lifters on any cam other than a roller cam. Hydraulic flat tappet lifters can only be used on a hydraulic cam, solid lifters only on a solid cam. The cams are made of different materials and also a roller cam has much quicker ramp rates and will chew up any other lifter in seconds. :deal:

Retro lifters means they have a cross bar to locate the lifter and nothing else.
 
4X4HIGH said:
NO, you can ABSOLUTELY NOT use roller lifters on any cam other than a roller cam. Hydraulic flat tappet lifters can only be used on a hydraulic cam, solid lifters only on a solid cam. The cams are made of different materials and also a roller cam has much quicker ramp rates and will chew up any other lifter in seconds. :deal:

Retro lifters means they have a cross bar to locate the lifter and nothing else.
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Nothing you said there gives any reason why you can't use roller lifters on a flat tappet cam.

But yeah... you're right. I'm wrong. I'm just a dummy-head. :rolleyes:
 
The reason is that flat tappet cams have a taper ground on the lobes. This is what rotates the flat tappet lifter under operation, and why a flat tappet cam doesn't need a thrust bearing like a roller cam does. The load on the lobes from the valvetrain keep the cam in place.

Roller cam lobes are perfectly flat, thus there is nothing to keep the cam from shooting out the front of the block....enter the thrust bearing/bushing/whatever you use.

Roller lifter on flat tappet cam means the roller is hitting only one very small portion of the cam, and barring metal strength issues, the lobe or roller would fail in short order.

There is a post a year or so back about "pumping up" hydraulic flat tappet lifters for installation. End result was, it doesn't matter. Either you set them up right, or you don't. No oil, zero lash plus half turn has always worked for me with new cams and or lifters, but doesn't mean it's the only way to do it. I've adjusted them after running as well, no problems with that method.
 
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Thanks Dorian. Some people don't understand the taper part of a cam lobe so i did not even mention it. The fact that he doesn't understand means that he'll probably try it and find out the hard way, oh well.

Funny how he also said that nothing i said says why it can't be done but i clearly said the cams are made of different materials and also explained why flat tappet lifters can't be used on roller cams. Guess maybe i should have explained the other way around instead.

He probably did not look at my profile either to find out what i do for a living.
 
4X4HIGH said:
Thanks Dorian. Some people don't understand the taper part of a cam lobe so i did not even mention it. The fact that he doesn't understand means that he'll probably try it and find out the hard way, oh well.

Funny how he also said that nothing i said says why it can't be done but i clearly said the cams are made of different materials and also explained why flat tappet lifters can't be used on roller cams. Guess maybe i should have explained the other way around instead.

He probably did not look at my profile either to find out what i do for a living.
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Nobody said flat lifters can be used on roller cams. That's just asinine (and obvious).

Material doesn't make any difference to a roller.

I don't give a rat's ass what you do for a living.

And arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.

Done and done.
 
goldwing2000 said:
Nobody said flat lifters can be used on roller cams. That's just asinine (and obvious).

Material doesn't make any difference to a roller.

I don't give a rat's ass what you do for a living.

And arguing on the internet is like running in the special olympics. Even if you win, you're still retarded.

Done and done.
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Getting all defensive now that you've been found WRONG and you feel the need to make up excuses to make yourself feel better or look better. I will argue a point that i know i'm correct on until i'm blue in the face. This isn't the first time you've disagreed with me but giving a guy incorrect info isn't cool. You could cost the guy an engine someday. :crazy:
 
4X4HIGH said:
Getting all defensive now that you've been found WRONG and you feel the need to make up excuses to make yourself feel better or look better. I will argue a point that i know i'm correct on until i'm blue in the face. This isn't the first time you've disagreed with me but giving a guy incorrect info isn't cool. You could cost the guy an engine someday. :crazy:
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I'm not defensive, I'm not making excuses and I have no problem admitting when I'm wrong. However, the majority of what you've posted, while possibly accurate, has been mostly irrelevant to the issue and has FAR from proven anything right or wrong.

dyeager535's post at least made sense and was pertinent to the argument but I'm still going to do some more reasearch before I agree with it whole-heartedly. For now, I'll leave it with a "maybe".
 
4X4HIGH wrote:

He probably did not look at my profile either to find out what i do for a living.
Click to expand...



goldwing2000 wrote:

I don't give a rat's ass what you do for a living.
Click to expand...


4X4HIGH's Profile:

Occupation:
Automotive machinist (20 years)



goldwing2000's Profile:
Biography:
I am a floor repair expert!



just my .02,,,but my money is on 4X4HIGH...
 
I appreciate the info guys. I got the new lifters in today before I had to go to work. I went to zero lash and then a half turn but the rockers still wiggle around a small amount. Is that okay or should I go a quarter turn more? These are comp lifters that seem to be nice pieces. I decided not to go with roller rockers I'm going to put that money towards a correct size carb for my motor instead.
 
You'll have some play based on the weak spring in the lifters.

Go with Comps recommendations if they have any.
 
thanks dyeager! I set them up as the comp instructions said. Should have it running today! First time in almost 3 months due to some other projects i had going on.
 
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