After engine reinstall, first start up ends in disaster!

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Brandt Fonda

Brandt Fonda

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Fired the engine up after a rebuild, started first try but soon happy turned to sad as a metal to metal tapping started. pulled the valve cover off and saw #7 intakes push rod was loose. Took manifold off and discovered my new Comp Cam roller lifter didn't look so hot..... and now they are saying it might be end of July before they have any more of these crappy pos's in stock. And since i have 7 other pairs already installed I guess I'm locked in to finding a pair....?

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I have the Speedmaster heads and they wont fit with the heads on. Had to take the heads back off to get the Lunati (Morel ) lifters in. At least the motor wasnt in the car at the time.
 
Ring around. Try Isky they might sell a pair; might need different length p'rods.
 
Brandt Fonda said:
Fired the engine up after a rebuild, started first try but soon happy turned to sad as a metal to metal tapping started. pulled the valve cover off and saw #7 intakes push rod was loose. Took manifold off and discovered my new Comp Cam roller lifter didn't look so hot..... and now they are saying it might be end of July before they have any more of these crappy pos's in stock. And since i have 7 other pairs already installed I guess I'm locked in to finding a pair....?

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My machinist said he's completely avoiding comp lifters roller and flat tappet at all cost! Comp sucks.
 
Bewy said:
Ring around. Try Isky they might sell a pair; might need different length p'rods.
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Yeah thats kinda what I thought just wasn't sure if it was ok to use a different set on just that cylinder? Also would like to be able to drop them in without removing the heads.
360duster said:
what kind of lifters are these?

Michael
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Comp retro fit 8920 lifters
thesiren74 said:
My machinist said he's completely avoiding comp lifters roller and flat tappet at all cost! Comp sucks.
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Thats what my builder said as well but I had a set already so i used them.


So as I was typing this up I talked to Comp cams and they said they would take a pair from one of their sets and will send them out to me. Also said if I can show proof of purchase they will replace them for free so got to give them some credit on that. I just hope the quality starts to improve!
 
So if you had metal on metal that means that there is crap throughout the engine and it needs to come out to be cleaned up and asses the bearings, no? Or did just the lifter piston fail and the pushrod as rattling around, but no grinding going on? This is another reason if I ever get to a roller cam, it will be a solid lifter. Supposedly Comp was making their own high precision hydraulic lifters due to failures from contracted ones, but it is only used in one product line, probably most expensive.
 
Did you disassemble the brand new lifters and clean, then reassemble prior to using them? I’ve been preaching that for a long time. Every hydraulic lifter that goes in one of my engines gets checked out and cleaned prior to use. I have a feeling a lot of the lifter failures could be avoided.
 
gzig5 said:
So if you had metal on metal that means that there is crap throughout the engine and it needs to come out to be cleaned up and asses the bearings, no? Or did just the lifter piston fail and the pushrod as rattling around, but no grinding going on? This is another reason if I ever get to a roller cam, it will be a solid lifter. Supposedly Comp was making their own high precision hydraulic lifters due to failures from contracted ones, but it is only used in one product line, probably most expensive.
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yes it was just the loose pushrod making the noise, all the pieces were still in the lifter thank goodness. We saw no evidence of any damage to cam, rocker or pushrod.
TT5.9mag said:
Did you disassemble the brand new lifters and clean, then reassemble prior to using them? I’ve been preaching that for a long time. Every hydraulic lifter that goes in one of my engines gets checked out and cleaned prior to use. I have a feeling a lot of the lifter failures could be avoided.
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I did not, and I'm not sure if my engine builder did either, he did mention he made sure they were clean and lubricated before assembling.
inertia said:
Do yourself a huge favor .
Get rid of the Comp junk, - all of it !
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Kinda reminds me of that line from Shakespeare: We are so soaked in blood now, it would be better to wade o'er than to turn back.
 
33IMP said:
If I run a roller, its a solid. I'd rather run a solid flat tappet cam than a hydro roller.....
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How much trouble are solid lifters? Probably won't be putting much more than couple thousand miles per year on it.
 
No trouble at all for your application. I have used them for years, car driven weekly, about the same mileage as you. Checked every 2 yrs.
 
Brandt Fonda said:
How much trouble are solid lifters? Probably won't be putting much more than couple thousand miles per year on it.
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In that case, with a good solid stable valve train, id recommend that you adjust the valves every five years or so...
Mopar has had many solid lifter motors intended for everyday use, from slant sixes to hemis, gen one and two. Frankly, for a moderate cam (under .600 lift) I would trust the old cast iron adjustables more than aluminum roller rockers with roller bearings on the shaft. Its really too bad that nobody makes them anymore, tho I did see a thread saying they were gonna be made again.....
If that actually happens at the price point i saw ($250), i will be in line.
 
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Comp cams is owned by the giant conglomerate that is Holley. Lunati escaped from holley a couple years back, and got Harold Brookshire to design cams for them again, the voodoo's. The next cam I buy will be a solid flat voodoo.
 
33IMP said:
In that case, with a good solid stable valve train, id recommend that you adjust the valves every five years or so...
Mopar has had many solid lifter motors intended for everyday use, from slant sixes to hemis, gen one and two. Frankly, for a moderate cam (under .600 lift) I would trust the old cast iron adjustables more than aluminum roller rockers with roller bearings on the shaft. Its really too bad that nobody makes them anymore, tho I did see a thread saying they were gonna be made again.....
If that actually happens at the price point i saw ($250), i will be in line.
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Wow I need to do some research on solids, i allways thought they were something you don't drive on the street and had constant lash problems.
 
Brandt Fonda said:
Wow I need to do some research on solids, i allways thought they were something you don't drive on the street and had constant lash problems.
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That's likely from problems with stud rockers on chevies. Solid shaft rockers with good pushrods don't have such problems.
Why do you think the HIGH dollar aftermarket chevy heads and rockers are set up for rocker shafts?
 
Brandt Fonda said:
Wow I need to do some research on solids, i allways thought they were something you don't drive on the street and had constant lash problems.
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Once, maybe twice a year check/adjustment. Cripes the car owner manuals used to have the process instructions for the late 60's cars that ran them from the factory. No big deal. People are lazy and want more for nothing, thus the angst against SFT and SRT cams. But thankfully, the new user manuals do warn against drinking the coolant and battery juice.....
 
Ran dragweek with my solid flat tappet, check it once a year. No Hyd for me ever. I chased a hyd lifter collapsing for a bit. Never again. Solids are not high mainteneance, plus it is like a physical for the motor each year. The lash opening up? Early warning sign. So the plunger rotated in the lifter body? Push rod still straight? Valve tips all the same height? You have plenty of piston to valve clearance? You have to be VERY careful the pushrod is in the center of the lifter. It can sit between the lifter body and the outer edge of the plunger. I will look at EACH AND EVERY ONE, multiple times to make sure before putting the covers on.
 
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furrystump said:
Ran dragweek with my solid flat tappet, check it once a year. No Hyd for me ever. I chased a hyd lifter collapsing for a bit. Never again. Solids are not high mainteneance, plus it is like a physical for the motor each year. The lash opening up? Early warning sign. So the plunger rotated in the lifter body? Push rod still straight? Valve tips all the same height? You have plenty of piston to valve clearance? You have to be VERY careful the pushrod is in the center of the lifter. It can sit between the lifter body and the outer edge of the plunger. I will look at EACH AND EVERY ONE, multiple times to make sure before putting the covers on.
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you know the good thing about problems is you learn from each one. I will definitely be planning for solids for any future build or if I have more problems with these. I kinda blew the rest of my budget on forged crank/rods and the lightweight flywheel/twin disc clutch.
I do wonder if maybe when my builder put the engine together he may of missed centering that lifter with the pushrod. I do know he said I have plenty of clearance. And yes luckily the pushrod is still straight.
 
It is very easy to do, the LA lifter angle makes it pretty easy. Way back when I wasn’t really aware of it I had one off center. Was turning it over by hand lashing the valves and SNAP!!! It popped into the center, scare the stuffing out of me!!! From then on I’m paranoid about it.
 
Brandt Fonda said:
Wow I need to do some research on solids, i allways thought they were something you don't drive on the street and had constant lash problems.
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Solid lifters are fine. The flat tappets do require the zinc and phosphorous levels to be in the 1,200PPM to 1,500PPM to aid lifter and cam lobe life.
Used to hear poorly maintained slants drive by with the tappets singing like a drunk band, and they would still go 200k miles. Once broken in and the parts "like eachother" annual adjustment is likely OK, depending on the amount driven and spring loads. For the first 10,000 miles or so the lash should be checked occasionally until they stay set.
 
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