When reassembling late model Chrysler heads with roller follower/hydraulic lash adjuster type lifters, I found that they bleed down much faster when turned upside down. When I used the vise it would take 2 or 3 squeezes and sometimes they would still be hard. I…
Scott Ouellette Power Play Automotive Machine Wilmington, MA
Our shop has had a cam analyzer for over 28 years. Recently I was at an friends shop and had to remember how we did it in the old days. He needed to verify which of the three customer-supplied cams to install because the previous shop had ground…
Timm Jurinc Tuf-Enuf Auto & Marine Performance Avondale, AZ
On the LS engine platform, when changing camshafts, the hydraulic lifters can fall into the oil pan on performance blocks such as the LSX. Instead of plastic buckets to hold the lifters up, these engines only have anti-rotational guides, that do not hold the lifters in place.…
Joseph Jill Superior Automotive Engineering, Inc Placentia, CA
1) COIL BIND-when a spring compresses solid before or during full camshaft lift. 2) RETAINER TO SEAL BIND-the distance from the top of the valve seal to the bottom of the retainer must be greater than the valve’s lift. 3) IMPROPER VALVE TRAIN CONTROL-any weak…
Engine Pro Technical Committee with special thanks to COMP Cams
To check lifter bores for finish, burrs or obstruction, I made tools by removing the plunger and internal parts from some lifters. I have a set of various “empty” lifters, specific to application. You can stick the lifter on the end of your finger then slide it,…
Herb Glaseman Spring, TX
Many classes of racing require the use of stamped steel rocker arms, and many budget crate engines utilize stamped steel rocker arms. Because stamped steel rocker arms do not feature a roller bearing pivot, stamped steel rocker arms generate more friction. As a result, improper…
Engine Pro Technical Committee with special thanks to Lake Speed Jr. and Driven Racing Oils
Our shop has had a cam analyzer for over 28 years, so I had forgotten how we checked and identified cams in the past. Recently I was asked by another shop how to verify which of three customer supplied cams to install in the customer’s engine.…
Timm Jurinc Tuf-Enuf Auto & Marine Performance Avondale,AZ.
We run the valve train geometry on every single engine we build. Every once in a while we get in a time bind and need pushrods ASAP. It is for this reason we keep extra sets of push rods for the popular engines on hand. For emergencies,…
Timm Jurincie Tuf-Enuf Auto & Marine Performance Avondale,AZ
For hydraulic lifter applications, I speed up the process for checking pushrod length, pre- load and geometry by using “solid” lifters. I disassemble a lifter and load it up with either epoxy or Plaster of Paris to position the plunger in a permanent “solid” position, after the filler…
Wade Cook Hubbard Machine Shop Hayward, CA
Hydraulic valve lifters are probably the most precision machined part inside any engine. It does not take much to cause one to operate incorrectly. In this case we are not referring to lifter failure due to metal to metal contact with the camshaft.…
Engine Pro Tech Committee with thanks to Federal Mogul Corp.