Collapsed hydraulic lifter - advise, views and opinions wanted

[MADMAX]

So here's today's problem - cylinder #10 has a collapsed lifter.
Oh dear, what a b#*(/*£! - looks like a head off job - or is it!!!!!

My query is, can I replace this lifter without removing the cylinder head?
Sounds like a crazy question given its location but bear with me for a bit......

A couple if years ago I fitted gen3 heads and used Cometic mls head gaskets.
Whilst looking for a replacement head gasket I noticed vendors advertise the following point:-

“All of our Head Gasket designs have been altered to allow the removal of your Lifters without the need for removing your heads. This is an extremely important feature for cars running aggressive profiles and high spring pressures. The ability to replace lifters without head removal is worth over 10 hours of labor and $300 in gaskets for each occurance of head removal this feature saves you. Included at NO COST."

"Very interesting" me thinks - this could save a whole lotta time and trouble but HOW?

Has anyone ever replaced lifters with heads still fitted? Achieved it? Or tried it and failed?
What experience have you got with lifters, good or bad?

So, back to #10 cylinder - when I removed the rocker cover I found the collapsed lifter had allowed the pushrod to work free - minimal resulting damage to see at this stage (having not yet started any major engine disassembly) although one broken component is the lifter yoke, see photo (the yoke half retaining lifter #10 has broken away) - I feel this is a result of the pushrods 'exodus' not a cause - not having a joke there could also be to my advantage, for the moment, we'll see.



The next photo is of the top of cylinder #8 - you can see the half of yoke (and retaining bolt) are still fitted - this lifter is also working fine.



So there we have it.
Any wonderful words of wisdom gratefully received.

Ade

[Fatboy 18]

No idea what im talking about but could you remove the lifter with a telescopic magnet tool? Looks like its still going to be tight getting past the gasket?

At your service if you need me Ade

What worries me is where the other bit of that lifter yoke has disappeared to?

[plumcrazy]

i remember joseph dell saying he did it once. i imagine it was with a magnet of some kind.

[The Stig]

You do not need to remove the head. I replaced my cam and pulled every lifter out.

7/16 swivel socket swallow type (1/4 inch drive). cut off a small magnet and epoxy into top socket, this will pull the retaining bolt up and out when loosened.

use 2 telescoping magnet and lift retaining bar out. use same for pulling the lifter straight out and up. it is tricky , u will need two magnets to re install the bar. just take your time don't rush also remove the rocker and push rod from the other valve as it give you move working area with the magnets

[James430]

Good luck....I know a lot of people are using magnets on the lifters to put a cam in without removing the heads...let us know how it comes out...

[ViperTony]

I have Viper Specialty's gaskets under my heads. I did replace a lifter without removing the head. I used a combination of swivel and flex extensions to get to the retaining bolt/bar over the lifter. No easy but doable. If it's just for one lifter this approach is fine. But if replacing all lifters its easier to remove the heads.

As for a magnet, I used a Sears flexible magnet extension to pick up the lifter as well as put one back in. Easy to do.

mJLAx9tJI0VjLePFFqUpT5w.jpg

[MADMAX]

Many thanks for the feedback guys - it's certainly helping and much appreciated.

All I've managed to get time for so far is retrieval of lifter #10 using a magnet - I wasn't expecting it to come out quite so easily - I wasn't expecting it to look like this either



Ah well - I wasn't really sure what a collapsed lifter looked like - guess I now know.

Nothing like a bit of foreign object retrieval to spice things up a bit.

Next job:- Oil pan off.

[plumcrazy]

hope the cam is ok

[Fatboy 18]

Yea, wonder where the other bits are?

[Thawk97]

I'm sure they broke off in tiny enough pieces that they just passed through with the exhaust - no biggie. What's today's date again?

[MADMAX]

I'm sure they broke off in tiny enough pieces that they just passed through with the exhaust - no biggie. What's today's date again?

LOL - yeh, I wish it was an April fool too..... - sadly not but I like the positive idea of "small enough pieces" - we'll see.

[MADMAX]

Removed the sump this eve and found a whole heap of bits - nothing present I wasn't expecting.



I'll take a closer look at the camshaft of #10 exhaust and do the same with #10 inlet when I get the lifter out, after I get the dog-bone off.
Man, getting down onto that dog-bone bolt is tricky - it's gonna try the patience of a saint.

[Fatboy 18]

Oh Boy, sorry to see that mate

[SNKEBIT]

That engine has to come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am quite sure the cam has some marks in it. You want to take the engine apart and clean it all out. Why would you even take the chance??

[ViperTony]

That engine has to come out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am quite sure the cam has some marks in it. You want to take the engine apart and clean it all out. Why would you even take the chance??

Agreed. It sucks but the only way to be certain.

[plumcrazy]

before it causes much more damage and money

[C.J]

The lifter looks like it is a roller lifter...was that OEM?

[Viper Specialty]

Don't jump the gun guys.

Its likely the lifter damaged the cam, yes. However, you can do a fine job of determining if you found all of the pieces in this case by reassembling the lifter. Worst case, you can use 18 more pushrods/magnets to hold the lifters up, and remove the pan/timing cover, and replace the cam. Certainly beats pulling the entire engine for a failure like this. A mirror and a light would go a loooooong way towards looking for any unlikely collateral damage besides the cam itself.

[MADMAX]

Okay, a quick update, although a quick repair is not my plan - I'm gonna take my time and do this properly, no time pressure - all driving events cancelled.

The cam is goosed and will be coming out for replacement. The exhaust valve on #10 has contacted the piston, so that head is coming off too. More than likely remove drivers side head to facilitate new lifter installs, depending on condition of respective cam lobs and how successful I am at replacing lifters with the head fitted.

More to follow.

[ViperTony]

Okay, a quick update, although a quick repair is not my plan - I'm gonna take my time and do this properly, no time pressure - all driving events cancelled.

The cam is goosed and will be coming out for replacement. The exhaust valve on #10 has contacted the piston, so that head is coming off too. More than likely remove drivers side head to facilitate new lifter installs, depending on condition of respective cam lobs and how successful I am at replacing lifters with the head fitted.

More to follow.

While you're in there you might as well consider getting some cam and head work done, if you haven't already. Which lifters are you using? The slow-bleed version? Are you planning on upgrading the lifters or other components?


"While you're in there" and "might as well" - Courtesy of Plumcrazy

[MADMAX]

Woz thinkin about a better cam than a stock 708 replacement and maybe portin the heads a little more.

[plumcrazy]

Woz thinkin about a better cam than a stock 708 replacement and maybe portin the heads a little more.

yup, might as well....

[MADMAX]

So the engine is now disassembled and in many parts, all bagged and labelled ready to go back together.
As originally thought, the cam is in a real bad way - I'm keen to share this information so you might benefit from my misfortune - I don't know, maybe if you can anticipate this failure.

Initial symptoms were odd coloured plugs - #10 was becoming a darker tan colour - others were mostly health tan but some were white and I just could not figure it out - I feel it might now have been because #10 exhaust gasses were getting into the inlet manifold and upsetting the emissions/electronics.

CAUSE:-
With 70,000 miles on the clock I would like to not see this type of wear but I am resigned to calling this failure across almost all the lobes as just WEAR. I don't think this wear is anything to do with the genIII head install project I did 3,000 miles ago - in fact, I'm certain #10 cam was excessively worn when I did the head project because that pushrod needed to be 1/8 longer!!! A warning sign I did not understand the significant of.

#10 exhaust cam lobe


#7 & 8 lobes


The cam is a stock 708 from my 96GTS.
So I'm looking at a replacement and what options are available - decisions decisions...

I'd like something with a BIT more grunt but not too excessive - I wanna stay with stock slow-bleed lifters and valve springs.

BTW, I was dynoing almost 600BHP with this cam.

Ade.

[steve911]

I just spent a ton of Money with Arrow getting motor parts and here is what I learned in the process that I believe will help you. The Stock "708" cam is machined cast steel.

THere are two other cams, one being cast with "a bit" more lift and duration, and a Billet Steel camshaft version. I bought the billet steel one. It is a work of art and I suspect will last a good long time. I have a bit heftier valve springs (not by much) but was assured by Todd that they would not affect the longevity of the lifters or cam. No pics of the cam prior to installing it though, sorry.

[ViperGTS]

...with all the metal parts in your engine I would pull it and have it disassembled and checked and rebuilt...send it to Arrow?