Big end problems. Advice on what to do.

[acarmody]

Are the lifters supposed to go in any specific directions. As in is the oil feed hold supposed to face front of car of face firewall.

Or should I have them facing the oil flow direction, as in passenger side facing front of car and drivers side facing rear.

Also rocker were wiped down with metho and are currently sitting in oil.

 

[Tsunamix]

My best guess - and it is a guess - that if you didn't pre lube the lifters, that you may have worn the face of a lifter or a cam lobe more than expected.

What can happen is that the lifter is supposed to rotate on the cam lobe, keeping everything evenly worn. A groove worn early can result in the lifter having more clearance and starting to tap, in one position on the cam than in others.

This usually is discovered after you hear a tap that comes and goes.

After a while, if you h avent done anything, that tap will stay audible all thetime.

Anyways - I'd be looking at cam lobes, & lifters.

 

[Immortality]

The lifter should have a cut out band around the centre where the oil hole is so it doesn't matter which orientation it goes in as it will still get oil

My best guess - and it is a guess - that if you didn't pre lube the lifters, that you may have worn the face of a lifter or a cam lobe more than expected.

What can happen is that the lifter is supposed to rotate on the cam lobe, keeping everything evenly worn. A groove worn early can result in the lifter having more clearance and starting to tap, in one position on the cam than in others.

This usually is discovered after you hear a tap that comes and goes.

After a while, if you h avent done anything, that tap will stay audible all thetime.

Anyways - I'd be looking at cam lobes, & lifters.

All that is fairly accurate for a flat tappet cam, however our V6 engines have roller lifters and don't rotate otherwise it would stuff the roller follower/cam lobe

 

[acarmody]

I'll definitely check the lobes when I remove the lifters. Was going to get it done today, but spent most of day looking at cars for my folks. Tomorrows not looking so great either FML.

 

[acarmody]

I swear this job didn't take me 4 days last time. **** keeps taking up my time.

Anyway. All the lifters are out, and they all seem fine, some have very slight scratch blemishes, as in no depth, just a very light ring around the roller. Except one,

If I run my nail along it, my nail just catches. Hmmmm. Can't see any associated damage on the cam though. Though it is pretty hard to see down the lifter tunnel and see fine scratches.

Anyway, got a new water-pump on last night too, and new idler pulleys to fix that squeal.

 

[acarmody]

The new lifters I got say they are for both 5.7L and 3.8L. HT2148 from Austral. I thought only the 5L were compatible. Anyway.

Comparison shot between a new one and an old one. Old on right. As you can see the casting wasn't cleaned up very well near the top flats and in the middle recessed section. Also the oil feed hole is bigger on the new ones and on the side not on the back (bottom pic).

 

[Immortality]

Hopefully that solves the problem

 

[acarmody]

It bloody well better, I'm over it! LOL. My holidays end after tomorrow and I wanted to go shooting, but I can't get to the range without my car

I'm checking every pushrod for oil path clearance and straightness, and the rockers for free movement and no chips missing.

 

[acarmody]

Bah rookie mistake. When screwing one of the rockers back on I misplaced the pushrods so it wasn't sitting in the rocker cup, I only noticed it when I was rotating the engine for the next rocker and it popped in. Anyway now on the cam base for that rocker the rocker has a fair amount of movement. Can I assume I've just pushed the lifter in and it will pump up when I turn the engine on?

 

[Trikky]

yeah I would be thinking that is all you have done, did you check the push rod just to make sure you didn't bend it