• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Remedy for stuck lifter?

sputnik 440

sputnik 440

Capt Jim
Local time
10:07 AM
Joined
Feb 16, 2016
Messages
248
Reaction score
69
Location
Norfork, AR
I believe I have a stuck lifter(s) on one of the 8 cylinders. I have not noticed a problem with driving or idling, but when I decided to zero the lash on the valves, I found that the exhaust valve rocker and the intake rocker on #4 cylinder would not zero. I have run out of threads trying to get it to zero. Is this due to a stuck lifter? Strange it is on both intake and exhaust on same cylinder, unless I have a serious heat build up problem. Any comments? Oh, it has a roller cam (I was told when I bought it).

If I am dealing with a stuck lifter, what is the best way to lubricate it so it will free? I have had a lot of success using Aerokroil penetrating oil on nearly all corroded or stuck parts. Might a shot of this down the rod work? I saw where the use of motor flush, engine treatment and a shot of B-12, then idle for 10 minutes has worked for one person. Any other suggestions? I know I do not want to screw with longer push rods.
 
Solid lifters are just that , solid. You would not be able to run out of threads solid lifters are adjusted with feeler gauges .example ,( intake .018 exhaust .022) this the lash setting .either way you should have no more than 1,2,3 tops threats showing under the rocker if you do have a solid lifter cam it sounds like you may have a worn cam lobe or lifter .
But it sounds like you have a hydraulic cam.
Your trying to preload the lifter. Bring lifter around to its base circle and tighten till pushrod stops spinning freely and a 1/2 turn more to keep the lifter cup off of its retaining ring . That said i herd marvels mystery oil works . If you have roller lifters it might be just that a hung up bar or broke lifter set. Be careful don't run that cylinder with them rockers adjusters way down as described you could bend valves and pushrods ... If it was me i would bite the bullet and pull the intake and get a good look at what your dealing with . Summers coming good luck mopar on !!!!!

View attachment 315474
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You probably have more problems going on than a stuck lifter, or valve lash adj. Pull the valve cover, loosen the rockers on # 4 and have an assistant rotate the engine slowly with a socket on the front of the motor. At the same time look at the push rods and make sure they are all pushing up the same distance. By your description, I am thinking you may have a bad cam/lifter. If you're not getting much push rod movement on # 4 or any others, then you have a bad cam/lifter. Wouldn't hurt to pull the intake and inspect the lifter valley area. That's prob where your problem is.
 
if you suspect a lifter problem then do the right thing and take the intake off for a careful look at all the lifters and lobes.
 
Thanks to all for the help. Went ahead and pulled the intake. Rotated the engine, inspected the lifts on #4, they all seemed to work, so I thought well maybe the lifter had a hole in it. Pulled the push rod and bingo. The tip of the rod was gone! Looked in the top of the lifter and and there was the tip of the rod, all busted into little pieces. That was on the intake, looked at the exhaust and same thing. Went to O'Reily's to get a new set of 16 and they did not have them. They have to be special ordered from Kingston and they are closed on Sat. These are Proform rockers and rods. $142.00 if they can get them. I don't like what I saw and can't explain it, so I am going to look at replacing the whole set with some other make. Any suggestions on the best ones to get, and then the most bang for the buck ones? Thanks to Lewto, Garys1969rr and Mopar 871 for your help.
 
CALL MANCINI RACING , 440 SOURCE ,OR JEGS... AND GET A SOLID TIP PUSH ROD. .LUNATI SELLS THEM IN MANY CONFIGURATIONS jegs.com/p/Lunati/Lunati-Pushrods/763228/10002/-1. I WOULD CHANGE OUT THAT OIL & FILTER AND GET A MAGNETIC DRAIN PLUG IF YOU DON'T ALREADY HAVE ONE .THE TRICK KNOW IS TO FIND OUT WHY THIS HAPPENED, WAS IT CHEAP RODS OR IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON . KEEP US UP TO DATE. PICS HELP. PEACE
 
?
sputnik 440 said:
Thanks to all for the help. Went ahead and pulled the intake. Rotated the engine, inspected the lifts on #4, they all seemed to work, so I thought well maybe the lifter had a hole in it. Pulled the push rod and bingo. The tip of the rod was gone! Looked in the top of the lifter and and there was the tip of the rod, all busted into little pieces. That was on the intake, looked at the exhaust and same thing. Went to O'Reily's to get a new set of 16 and they did not have them. They have to be special ordered from Kingston and they are closed on Sat. These are Proform rockers and rods. $142.00 if they can get them. I don't like what I saw and can't explain it, so I am going to look at replacing the whole set with some other make. Any suggestions on the best ones to get, and then the most bang for the buck ones? Thanks to Lewto, Garys1969rr and Mopar 871 for your help.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'm mistaken, but if you have a roller cam and pro-form rockers, which I assume are roller tip,? would they not be custom length and not something you can just order over the counter?
 
Glad you found the problem. A too loose adjustment on your valve lash could damage the push rod at the lifter. In that case, the lifter flying up on the opening cycle would smack the pushrod quite hard and damage the weakest point in the valve train. In this case, the push rod tip. The previous owner could have set it too loose. I think it's easier to adjust valve lash on a solid lifter cam, compared to a hydraulic. I have one in my 440 RR, and it's easy to adjust, but takes a little time.

- - - Updated - - -

Also, a roller cam has a steeper ramp than a flat tappet cam. So the lifter will accelerate quickly once the lobe starts to lift the roller. Don't think a hydraulic cam should have any tappet noise, as there is no play in the valve train.
 
I forgot to mention this. The previous owner told me it had a roller cam. After I removed the intake, it clearly did not have rollers. the lifters are flat. I found where I can get the rods by special ordering them. Delivery is not until April 7 - 14. Blk 68 R/T, so you are correct, you cannot just pick them off a shelf. I decided to stay with the Proforms and to make sure that lash is proper.
Here is my question. When you read all the articles on setting hydraulic lash, and watching all the videos on you tube, you can get quite confused and concerned. With the High Performance
440, how much preload would you add to the zero lash? To be safe, I wanted to use only a 1/4 turn. Is that enough for the set up I have? I have seen every thing from 1/4 to 1 whole turn.

Photos of Proform pushrod Part #66421C Available from Jegs and Northern and Keystone 2-3 week delivery
IMG_1135.jpgIMG_1136.jpg
"Crushed" against lifter cupped end against the roller rocker
 
buy some good push rods. i use .060" for preload but the correct thing to do is remove a tappet and measure how much plunger travel there is and then set the preload somewhere between 33%-50% of that travel. just try to get them as close to each other in preload as possible. your rockers probably have a 3/8"-24 adjuster thread. one turn will be close to .042". 1/4 turn is about .010", not enough. valve float will wreck a valvetrain so try to avoid it.
 
Just received an email on the pushrod order for the Proform rods.......delivery date April 26 - May 16..............guess I'm in the market for new rockers and rods. One other problem is that the rod length is 8.75".
 
You should be able to get a custom set of pushrods from someone like Smith Brothers in a week or so. All you have to do is print out there pushrod order form and email it to them or call them with what you need. My custom ball/cup rods were around $150 and I had them within one week.
 
Sorry I didn't see this new thread, I had replied to your initial post regarding your valve train troubles...
Good luck, I hope you're back on the road soon...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

1
318 Lifter Tick
Replies
4
Views
576
1970DCH
1
nutz4spd
Lifter differences
2
Replies
38
Views
4K
Krooser
Krooser
Sadie_the_66
Stuck butterfly valve!
Replies
2
Views
574
Sadie_the_66
Sadie_the_66
HawkRod
I Need Engine Experts! 340 Roller Lifter and Pushrod Issue
2
Replies
24
Views
4K
Krooser
Krooser
Gary Stavely
Lifter and cam questions
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
gtxrt
gtxrt
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top