How to tell if a solid roller lifter have issues? UPDATE: OILING VIDEOS

[fairlaniac]

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!

[blykins]

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.


I also have a rub on #3 exhaust but it's not bent. I knew this one was close.


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.......

[TJ]

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.

[Joe-JDC]

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

[Falcon67]

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.

[blykins]

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.

[fairlaniac]

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.

[fairlaniac]

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
Cylinder #2 - https://youtube.com/shorts/xw1qQVZhKKw?feature=share
Cylinder #3 - https://youtube.com/shorts/ebyuJRf6b40?feature=share
Cyliner #4 - https://youtube.com/shorts/8xkyM7xKP64?feature=share

[frnkeore]

I can't view them. It says, because they are "Private".

[fairlaniac]

I can't view them. It says, because they are "Private".

See how they work now. Thanks!