Urgent help needed

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fastmopar

fastmopar06
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I just cleaned and reinstalled my lifters in the 318.

They are dry, no oil. When the cam comes up to the top of the lobe there is absolutely no play in the lifter. It's like the hydraulic lifter is completely collapsed. Is this normal?

I checked the dry lash and it is in spec (.060 - .210)

Do I just need to prime the engine by spinning the oil pump drive?

Thanks,

fastmopar
 
it would be a good idea to prime the motor like you said it will pump the lifters up and you may need to recheck the lash or lifter preload.
 
I guess I don't understand your lash check on hydraulic lifters...

Did you mark your lifters and put them back on the same cam lobe? If not you will destroy both the cam and lifters.
 
You should not have any lash with a hydraulic lifter. They run no lash. Lash is essentially space between the rocker arm and valve tip. Only solid cams have to run lash. Hydraulic lifters do have preload and should be approx. .030-.050"

Sounds like your lifters are dry. I remember in your pm you said they were clattering. That's probably why you have lash which is what the clattering is from. Do you have an oil pressure gauge on the car to make sure it has oil pressure?
 
fishy68 said:
You should not have any lash with a hydraulic lifter. They run no lash. Lash is essentially space between the rocker arm and valve tip. Only solid cams have to run lash. Hydraulic lifters do have preload and should be approx. .030-.050"

Sounds like your lifters are dry. I remember in your pm you said they were clattering. That's probably why you have lash which is what the clattering is from. Do you have an oil pressure gauge on the car to make sure it has oil pressure?
Click to expand...


Exactly! you gotta be very carefull when it comes to setting up your valvetrain. if you run a hyd. lifter loose you could break the retainer on the top and sent parts through the motor.
 
CHEATHAM said:
it would be a good idea to prime the motor like you said it will pump the lifters up and you may need to recheck the lash or lifter preload.
Click to expand...
I primed my motor only to have the same symptoms not go away. A friend of mine (a Chevy guy of all people!) said to prime the motor in steps, clicking the motor over several times. This allows the oil to travel thru the passages since they're not all open with the cam and crank sitting in one spot, the oil holes in the crank and cam have to line up with the oil passages in the bearings.
Once I did this, I regained my lash, problem solved. Click your engine crank two revolutions (720 degrees), stopping maybe 10-12 times from start to finish to prime your motor. You should get full oil circulation and be able to loosen your lifters.
 
I suppose it's too late at this point...but what you should have done was use an old soup can (clean of course), fill with clean oil and drop the lifters in and let soak over night...then just before dropping them in...I used a big #3 phillups screwdriver and with the lift under oil would pump them up by hand or tap it with a hammer until I had resistance...then follow what the others said...prime the engine before start up...just in case you had to tear it aprt again I wanted to post this info anyway for others to view...good luck with the lifter situation.](*,)
 
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REPLIES. Even if I only use them to be sure my brain is functioning on the right track, they are helpful.

I also checked with a professional engine builder friend. He said to be sure that the plug at the end of the lifter oil galley inside the block is in place. This plug is inside the block, below the oil pump drive gear. It is supposed to be accessed through a hole in the block on the back side near the distributor. If you pull the drive gear and stick your hand down in the cavity at the end of the lifter oil galley you'll either feel a plug or a threaded hole. No plug, no oil pressure, no lifter pump.

Since this engine was rebuilt in a College auto shop class........... Guess what I'm checking tonight??

Thanks again for all the help.

fastmopar
 
I hope everybody on this site takes note of this.

If you have your engine rebuilt and they flush the block this oil galley plug I am talking about is removed. It may be missed on installation because of where it is located. Check for this oil galley plug.

I checked last night and mine was missing.

This means the engine would never pump up the lifters and oil pressure would be close to zero.

I did have oil under the valve covers so something was flowing, but not a lot.

Get the word out on this plug.

fastmopar
 
Another bit of absolutely valuable information I have garnered from this site!!!!

Finding this site has been a bright spot as I prepare to tear into my recent acquisition.

thanks

FF
 
I started it up and no lifter noise! I so happy I could....

I am really amazes this engine starts with a key twist and idles pretty smooth with a static timing, on three year old gas.

So, fill the fluids and teak the timing, fuel air mix. Oh yeah, make sure the brakes work.....

fastmopar
 
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