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FE Power Forums => FE Technical Forum => Topic started by: fairlaniac on June 22, 2022, 08:30:35 AM

Title: How to tell if a solid roller lifter have issues? UPDATE: OILING VIDEOS
Post by: fairlaniac on June 22, 2022, 08:30:35 AM
I have a very faint squeal, howl, whatever you call it coming from around the #3 or #4 cylinder. It is very faint but I don't recall hearing it before. I have Lunati rollers lifter installed. It's a '66 427 solid lifter block so the only oiling is splash. The sound is a revolution type sound and the only revolving parts are the lifter roller. The noise sounds close to the valve cover. I keep asking myself would it be the roller on the lifter despite being shielded deeper in the engine? Not sure what I'm asking, just opening the discussion.

I have the Fairlane Club National Meet coming up in two weeks. The one activity I'll probably drive it. I expect to put about 75 miles on it. So it's not coming apart until after then. I just put over 200 miles going to Carlisle two weeks ago so I'm not too concerned at the moment.

Here is the Lunati lifters I use.
(http://www.fairlanet.com/images/lunati.jpg)
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: blykins on June 22, 2022, 09:21:40 AM
Has lash changed?
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: fairlaniac on June 22, 2022, 09:41:17 AM
It has not. It's .026 still.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: shady on June 22, 2022, 12:12:28 PM
vacuum leak?
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: 1968galaxie on June 22, 2022, 12:28:11 PM
I assume no roller rocker arms?

For peace of mind I would pull the lifter pairs and inspect each.
I know that is a Pain, but better to be safe.
With splash oiling only I would be doubly safe and inspect the lifters.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: fairlaniac on June 22, 2022, 03:34:24 PM
It’s probably a waste of space but here are two audio/video. You can kinda hear it. There really is no way to get good engine audio from an iPhone.
https://youtube.com/shorts/MEB7mGp5MK4?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/MEB7mGp5MK4?feature=share)
https://youtube.com/shorts/OKlgcec4gCE?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/OKlgcec4gCE?feature=share)
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: oldiron.fe on June 22, 2022, 03:58:59 PM
                                                                                                                                                                  --noise can travel strange places starter drag /block plate bell /throw out bearing - check from bottom  --splash rollers do not like a lot of low rpm- esp. with deep pan/screen tray--rocker shaft lacking oil?----really do not want to run a bunch of hard  bearings through engine --others may have spring psi- rpm/cam ramp info. ---I would not run big/cam splash rollers low rpm--extra gas is easier/cheaper for -cruse / trip  higher             rpm than time for engine parts        good luck  JS-oldiron.fe
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: fairlaniac on June 22, 2022, 04:02:42 PM
                                                                                                                                                                  --noise can travel strange places starter drag /block plate bell /throw out bearing - check from bottom  --splash rollers do not like a lot of low rpm- esp. with deep pan/screen tray--rocker shaft lacking oil?----really do not want to run a bunch of hard  bearings through engine --others may have spring psi- rpm/cam ramp info. ---I would not run big/cam splash rollers low rpm--extra gas is easier/cheaper for -cruse / trip  higher             rpm than time for engine parts        good luck  JS-oldiron.fe

I had it on the lift and running, you can't hear anything below. Thanks for the possible culprits.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: oldiron.fe on June 22, 2022, 04:21:52 PM

  is noise steady ? maybe lifter roller - or slower like rocker- pull valve cover listen with hose at rocker arms or along push rod -- may be able to isolate more-if louder inside block time to pull                      rollers / check cam lobe - crank rpm/cam rpm? if not lifter-cam bearing?  oldiron   
































Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: My427stang on June 22, 2022, 06:01:34 PM
I don't want to scare you, but in the early 2000s I adopted a Tr-5 Chebby club in Vegas.  The local machine shop and dyno loved solid rollers and made good power, but they all failed without warning after couple seasons. By the time they make lash, the wheel fails and the body hits the cam lobe, it's pretty dramatic

Retrofit hyd rollers were just coming of age and although you wouldn't benefit, oiled pin rollers weren't out.  So we called Comp and they said, "rebuild after 300 passes".  Chevy Rats seem to be worse than others on solid rollers, and Lunati is generally better than Comp, but I won't use them on a street car, and I'd be leery if you don't find anything.  I didn't rebuild the other guys work, we went flat tappet on most

Might be a good idea to at least look at the rocker shafts to see if dry or worn or a pushrod is bunged up, at least you'd have a reason
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: machoneman on June 23, 2022, 10:07:57 AM
Yes, it did seem that BBC's were harder on rollers some years ago. They probably still are. My old shop, Pro Motor Engineering of Elk Grove Village, IL built lots of 'em. I suspected as they did that due to the splayed valves (and p-rods) that a Rat motor's angle  put side loading on the rollers unlike say a straight p-rod engine (SBC, SBF, 390 FE, etc.).

Yeah, in race applications many suppliers do recommend a rebuild after x-number of passes or running time.

I'd definitely pull them all for inspection since.....what else on any engines top end would squeal save bad roller rockers? 
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues?
Post by: blykins on June 23, 2022, 05:40:30 PM
A pushrod end or rocker arm cup will squeal/chirp if it's not getting oil. 
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: fairlaniac on June 23, 2022, 06:28:56 PM
Maybe I found the issue?

2 months ago I cleaned up a slight oil leak at the back of the intake. I pulled the intake and resealed it. I do recall when I put it back together and was setting/checking lash that as I was hand cranking the engine it got real hard but I powered through and heard a loud crack from around cylinder 3 or 4. Afterwards I though maybe I didn't have the push rod in the lifter properly. Maybe it was on the edge? Now I'm thinking I may have been correct?

#4 exhaust is slightly bent but rubbing the intake push rod bore. See scratch marks. I can put .057 worth of feeler gauge under at the bend.
(http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pr4e.jpg)

I also have a rub on #3 exhaust but it's not bent. I knew this one was close.
(http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pr3e.jpg)

So now I need a 9.420" OAL push rod. 3/8 cup - 5/16 ball. anyone have any spares? I'm not sure if Smith Bros. does onesie-twosie orders?
 
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: jayb on June 23, 2022, 08:27:19 PM
Smith Brothers will do whatever you want, whatever quantity.  A rubbing pushrod isn't the end of the world, wouldn't worry about that too much, but you need to replace the bent one for sure.  I've actually had a couple engine builders say they like to have a pushrod just graze the opening, claiming that it will take harmonics out of the valvetrain.  Not sure I believe it, but I've heard it...
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: Stangman on June 23, 2022, 08:52:00 PM
So the lash must have been off on the bent pushrod. I listened to the walk around video of the car and the motor is quiet in that video. After you get some pushrods I would go over all of them just to be sure and make sure they are all getting oil.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: fairlaniac on June 24, 2022, 04:46:03 AM
So the lash must have been off on the bent pushrod. I listened to the walk around video of the car and the motor is quiet in that video. After you get some pushrods I would go over all of them just to be sure and make sure they are all getting oil.
I didn't mention but just prior to pulling the 1-4 rocker shaft, I did pull the distributor and run the pump. Oil was flowing from from all rockers at the shaft. However I will be checking them all again up reassembly.

Thanks!
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: blykins on June 24, 2022, 04:57:31 AM
Maybe I found the issue?

2 months ago I cleaned up a slight oil leak at the back of the intake. I pulled the intake and resealed it. I do recall when I put it back together and was setting/checking lash that as I was hand cranking the engine it got real hard but I powered through and heard a loud crack from around cylinder 3 or 4. Afterwards I though maybe I didn't have the push rod in the lifter properly. Maybe it was on the edge? Now I'm thinking I may have been correct?

#4 exhaust is slightly bent but rubbing the intake push rod bore. See scratch marks. I can put .057 worth of feeler gauge under at the bend.
(http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pr4e.jpg)

I also have a rub on #3 exhaust but it's not bent. I knew this one was close.
(http://www.fairlanet.com/images/pr3e.jpg)

So now I need a 9.420" OAL push rod. 3/8 cup - 5/16 ball. anyone have any spares? I'm not sure if Smith Bros. does onesie-twosie orders?

The pushrod was not seated in the lifter or in the rocker.  When you were rolling the engine over and felt it get hard, it was either because the spring was at coil bind or the valve was touching the piston.  You were essentially opening the valve further by whatever distance that the pushrod was from the cup. When you powered through, you were mechanically overpowering whatever interference there was.  The loud crack was from where the pushrod scooted over and hit the center of the cup that it was not in.  If you had a very strong interference, it could be that you bent the pushrod then.  If that was the case, I'd be wondering about bent valves or broken valve springs as well.

Pushrods touching are perfectly fine, as long as it's not touching so hard that the pushrod doesn't want to seat in the rocker arm cup.   When we see those marks on guide plate setup pushrods, no one ever says anything.  It's essentially the same thing.   Also, you may have .010-.015" clearance at build time, but pushrods don't stay straight when they're running.......
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: TJ on June 24, 2022, 11:39:13 AM
If it were my engine, I'd follow up on My427stang's idea of looking at the rocker shafts.  Remove the rocker arms and support stands and look for any scratches or fretting on the shafts especially if this engine has been road driven for a few hundred miles or more. 

I can imagine high revs over short duration (drag racing) can stress a rocker assembly and I imagine a little push rod rubbing the intake helps in that scenario.  On the other hand, I have seen low revs for long duration (freeway driving) also stress a rocker assembly and I wouldn't want to see push rods rubbing in that scenario.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: Joe-JDC on June 24, 2022, 02:43:47 PM
Those marks look more like a chatter than smooth rubbing against the intake manifold.  Sign of dry area, or not enough oil to lubricate the pushrod.  That builds heat and will weaken the pushrods if they were not heat treated properly.  I had an engine lose half the pushrods almost immediately due to the pushrods that were supposed to be chromoly, but weren't.  Where they touched they wore out within the first mile of driving.  Learned my lesson the hard way, and do a file check on anything that is supposed to be hardened.

Also, I lost a roller lifter without warning and it ruined the engine.  Shrapnel took out the camshaft, lifter, piston skirt, push rod and scored the cylinder wall beyond safe over-boring limit.   Joe-JDC
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: Falcon67 on June 29, 2022, 10:06:34 AM
FWIW - I only use pressure oiling solid rollers and so far (knock on moly tubing) no issues. That's not street, but race with pretty decent 500+ lbs of open pressure.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: blykins on June 30, 2022, 07:00:58 AM
FWIW - I only use pressure oiling solid rollers and so far (knock on moly tubing) no issues. That's not street, but race with pretty decent 500+ lbs of open pressure.

Can't use oiling lifters on a block that doesn't have oil going to the lifters, like a lot of older FE blocks.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter is beginning to have issues? ISSUE FOUND???
Post by: fairlaniac on June 30, 2022, 12:31:03 PM
FWIW - I only use pressure oiling solid rollers and so far (knock on moly tubing) no issues. That's not street, but race with pretty decent 500+ lbs of open pressure.

Mine is a '66 427 solid lifter block, so no oil feed as Brent mentioned. My spring pressures are 190 seat and 550 open with solid roller.
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter have issues? UPDATE: OILING VIDEOS
Post by: fairlaniac on June 30, 2022, 12:53:42 PM
I took some videos prior to disassembling things to inspect.
Upon inspection I found zero marks on the rocker shaft, no marks on rollers. All looked still brand new. On the #4 video it looks like 4 Exhaust doesn't flow like the others. This rocker oiling hole was just catching the edge of the inside bushing groove. So I took a burr and gave it some opening treatment, cleaned and reassembled. Ironically the same valve with the bent push rod. Maybe related? New push rod coming soon from Smith Bros. (2-1/2 week wait).

BTW, #1E appears to be slow on oiling. When the pressure was cranked up it did fine. I think because it's up hill and furthest away from the oil sources it showed badly in the video.

Enjoy the videos.

Cylinder #1 -https://youtube.com/shorts/wc9gY0_npaM?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/wc9gY0_npaM?feature=share)
Cylinder #2 - https://youtube.com/shorts/xw1qQVZhKKw?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/xw1qQVZhKKw?feature=share)
Cylinder #3 - https://youtube.com/shorts/ebyuJRf6b40?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/ebyuJRf6b40?feature=share)
Cyliner #4 - https://youtube.com/shorts/8xkyM7xKP64?feature=share (https://youtube.com/shorts/8xkyM7xKP64?feature=share)
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter have issues? UPDATE: OILING VIDEOS
Post by: frnkeore on June 30, 2022, 01:03:53 PM
I can't view them. It says, because they are "Private".
Title: Re: How to tell if a solid roller lifter have issues? UPDATE: OILING VIDEOS
Post by: fairlaniac on June 30, 2022, 01:18:10 PM
I can't view them. It says, because they are "Private".

See how they work now. Thanks!