Just out of curiosity, anyone know how hot the internal engine components get (cam, lifters ect.)? Anybody have an oil temp gauge? One of my lifters in my 235 has a crack and I'm thinking of using jb weld which is good up to 500°.
I'm honestly not sure. I'm sure it's been cracked the entire time I've owned the car. When I pulled the head, I was pulling the lifters to check for wear and when I pulled the cyl. 6 exhaust lifter, just the top came out but no lifter. I put it all back together and it's working but I'd rather stick it back together.
If the car has a Powerglide it will have hydraulic lifters, they are held together with a spring C-clip. The clip probably came out, and might be sitting in the lifter chamber. Don't use JB on it, replace the clip! That top piece has to move to allow the lifter to work right.
Oil normally runs a little hotter (20 to 40 degrees normally, "can" get hotter) than the water temp. A new lifter is in order...! Mike
Will the new lifter on an old cam eat the lobe? I'm not opposed to getting a new lifter but at the same time, I don't want to wreck the cam. I know if the lifter comes apart at speed and I lose my exhaust valve it can get ugly but I've been running it for the last year literally every day until a couple weeks ago when I pulled the head. The thing is, number one and number 6 are the only exhaust valves that weren't burnt.
Would a used lifter (not worn out but used) from another '54 235 work since they have identical cams? At that point they should have really close to the same wear pattern, correct?
I would replace it with a good used one. "Good" means still having a convex or crown and no noticeable wear marks. If you do go for a new one, spin it up in a lathe and polish the surface with 600 grit wet/dry paper lubricated with mineral spirits. my $ .02
I am not so sure that lifter is "cracked". My recollection is they are hollow lifters and the top is is separate piece from the lifter main body. In any case DO NOT replace it with a used lifter unless a new one is not available and only then with a very good used one showing little to no wear, if such a thing can even be found. The problem with used lifters is the existing wear pattern can be incompatible with the cam lobe wear pattern and thereby causing more wear/damage as those surfaces 'seat' to one another. As for damage should the lifter fail by coming apart, that shouldn't cause any subsequent catastrophic damage as the valve it operated will just remain closed. If it is an exhaust valve it will result a lot of back pressure as the exhaust cannot exit and the engine will lose power. An intake will cause a miss and power reduction, but no back pressure since no combustion will take place. Ray
Actually, if the lifter "came apart," that suggests there is a lot of lash in the system and it is likely the cam lobe was whacking the now free floating lifter with the high velocity flank of the lobe instead of accelerating it gradually on the ramp. Take a close look at the cam lobe for signs of distress. If the lobe is damaged, the cam and all of the lifters will have to be replaced.
Before I pulled my head, I measured the valve clearance and every one of them was tighter than specs say they should be. The thing is, the motor started right up and ran smooth (up to 3000 rpm) for the last 11 months. I'm thinking the tight clearances are what burned my valves out. The lifter is working as it is now and opening the valve the same as the others. There have never been any metal shavings in my oil so I'm not sure it's wearing abnormally
When I first noticed it, I was pulling the lifters out to check for wear. The lifter was all the way down in the block like a bunch of the others. When I pulled it out just the top came out but no lifter body.
Put in a NEW lifter. If the cam is in good shape it will not hurt or wear the lifter. If you can't get a new lifter, and put in a used one, it may or may not wear excessively. There is no telling. I once put an engine together that someone else had taken apart, without marking the lifters. About 1/3 wore out in a month, the rest were ok. So, it's a gamble.
With the amount of movement the lifter actually has, I can't imagine it'll be a "huge" problem. It has what, .016" of free play in it? When running the lifter's under constant load as well so it should hold everything in place until I can get a new cam/lifter set. If I'm replacing one lifter I may as well replace them all and put a 261 cam in it while I'm at it for a tiny performance boost
Don't know if you can fix it with JB weld but a new lifter is about 5 bucks at NAPA. Give or take a little bit. They are not a part that cannot be purchased and are not a specialty part they are just a chebby part. Put the little darling in with a dab of cam break in lube and run it for a while above idle to about 2k then drive it like nothing ever happened.
The cap was sticking out but it was as far down into the block as the cam would let it go making it so it looked like all the rest until I pulled it out
I priced the lifter at napa, advanced and auto zone... $40 across the board. I can get one from chevs but I'd have to wait 2 weeks for shipping
Actually, if an exhaust valve cannot open due to sudden breakage, you will get a major backfire through the intake, because that combusted hot pressure can and will exit out of the cylinder through the only path available....at the very next intake valve opening event. You'll have more than a loss of power as the one piston tries to re-compress that burnt charge on what should have been the exhaust stroke, and you'll be "awakened" with quite the racket when it blows the air cleaner off the carb. Ask me how I know.
Did you inspect the cam carefully? usually they need to be replaced or reground....and you need a whole set of new or reground lifters.
40 bucks is for a set I just priced one at NAPA price range is 3.97 to 5 dollars and change for a single and they have them in stock. If you have one bad lifter and you are a mechanic and not a parts changer you replace the bad one. I think I know you well enough to know that you are not a parts changer. if you think you want to try a repair with JB weld you need to find the end of the crack and drill a 1/16-1/8 hole in the end of the crack, then you will need to open the crack up just like you were planning on brazing it, open to the bottom of the crack would be best, fill it and let it set until the JB weld is completely cured. Then you can use an *Arkansas lathe and cut it to size. It may of may not hold. As a side note I did pull a 302 jimmy down once that had two lifters that had been brazed. I am guessing that at one time these old inline 6s were prone to cracked lifters and the Jimmy was probably a farm truck engine and repaired in the barn late at night. It was a running motor and ended up getting new lifters on a reground cam shaft. I don't doubt that the engine would have run with the brazed lifters until it needed an overhaul or got turned into land fill. *Drill press and a piece of Emory Cloth.
the lifter is $15 ( no name) or $31 ( sealed power) from rock auto and 2-3 days for delivery , replace the lifter , a dab of cam break in lube on it 2500 rpm for 20 minutes , change oil and its done
Well...I just called my napa and now the guy said he can't get ANY lifters for me!?!? I took it out for the initial run after putting the head back on and it ran great so I don't know. When you guys re - torque the head, do you do it with the motor hot or cold?
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