MAGNETIC LIFTER CATCH
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. The normal procedure when changing camshafts is to rotate the cam 2 to 3 times to put the lifters in the plastic buckets, then the cam may be removed and the new one installed. But when there are no buckets, you need another way Our shop fabricated a device to hold the lifters in place, magnetically. The materials needed include 2 aluminum 1”x 1” strips 20” long and sixteen 5/16”x 9” threaded rods and sixteen flanged nuts. Sixteen 5/16 magnets are also needed and they are epoxied to one end of each stud and a flanged nut is placed at the other. Magnets are readily available at any electronic store. Drop eight finished studs through eight holes that are drilled into each 1” x 1” strip of aluminum. Drop the studs through the pushrod holes in the head, catch each lifter with a magnet and adjust the nuts until the camshaft is free.

Joseph Jill
Superior Automotive Engineering, Inc
Placentia, CA
November, 2017