Technical New Lifters - Clean up or return?

I am building a SBC (Probably from a Corvette ).
These are the new Speed-pro hydraulic lifters part number HT-817R. (The "R" must indicate rusty edition) They were mail ordered and arrived in the original packaging from Advanced Auto Parts. The discoloration is mild corrosion or rust.

My question is should I go through the hassle of returning them or use a scotchbrite pad or 800 grit sandpaper to clean them up? The rust is only on the areas shown in the photos.

 

Assuming you bought these recently ,absolutely , return them .
If you've had them for a time ,penetrating oil & a rag , no abrasives !

 

Send em back that's BS. Lippy

 

Wow, those are Fugly.
Depends, are you willing to risk a cam replacement?

 

I wouldn’t use those on a bet!! Send them back from whence they came.

 

What he said^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

You paid for Brand New, Ready to run part's... Those are NOT it!!! Send 'em back.

 

Given that "perfectly" good new lifters fail all the time why would you chance it?

 

You DON'T want them to be FLAT!!!

 

Junk, order quality lifters from Jones Cams, USA made, pay the correct price for quality. Do some research on the crap that companies we used to trust, 30 years ago, are selling. Melling, Sealed Power, Comp, don't use them anymore because quality is terrible.

 

Return.

 

That rust is a blessing. It made you question them and now your not going to use them. Lucky you. Return that junk to sender.

 

But the bottoms are supposed to be convex, not flat. I'd send them back.

 

Do you suppose the "R" might stand for Resurfaced or Refurbished?

The machined finish on the faces looks kind of strange to me. The straight pattern running radially from the center of the face just looks out of place. It makes it look more like the convex profile of the face would almost be more conical rather than a smooth radius. Maybe it's the lighting.

 

I thought the R is for rusty! lol

 

That's a heck of a dilemma since you are in Norway and besides all the hassle of long distance communication, timely resolution may be a pipe dream....
Is there a cam grinder in your area that could help you evaluate these things? As was pointed out above, could the "R" denote resurfaced or refurbished? I would sit down with a mic or calipers and measure each one to know what you have. Do they all match?
It might be possible to clean and polish those to a satisfactory finish, but you'll still be at the mercy of the worst one.
Good luck!
And yes, your SBC is probably from a Corvette (aren't they all?)

 

Given the dude is in Norway I'd be inclined to get a local to reface them but I'd be contacting the supplier and let them know of the issue. If they are sent back who know how long before another set turns up and what if they are just as bad?

 

Possibly a run of counterfeit parts, or someone cut corners on a cleaning process. Most lifters I used to get were well-wrapped to prevent crap like this from happening. Maybe they were reboxed and the protective coat of lube was washed off them.

 

On the other hand, maybe they just have a little of surface rust because they are new old stock from back in the day when they made good quality lifters. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

that is exactly what most aftermarket "new" lifters are. i read some time back this is one of the causes of lifter failures. while dimensional checks etc. may be done easily enough, if a heat treated part is re-ground, re-heat treating is hit or miss, if an option at all.

also, Iron oxide(and most all oxides) are actually harder than the metal was before it became oxide. so no,, you certainly don't want hard spots of rust rubbing against your new cam.

 

Who sells Johnson Lifters? Do buy directly from the manufacturer?
Jegs, Summit?

 

What's the story on being a Marine in Norway? Just wondering. Lippy

 

His profile says USMC 1993-2001. Probably married a Norwegian hottie who wanted to move back. They do, after all, have a functioning democratic political system and a relatively neutral media.

 

Norwegian father, American mother. Benefits to both countries, when money is available, dual passports and I always wanted to be a US Marine.
Semper Fi.

 

I agree with Claymart that the finish on the face doesn't look right, or at least it doesn't look like the finish on any quality lifter I've ever looked at.

Also, although there's no side view to compare, the chamfer on the edge of the face looks too large. Standard is around .010" just to break the sharp edge. If the combination of lobe profile and chamfer depth causes the lobe to contact the chamfer then the cam will be destroyed. As one writer put it, this is something that has always been known, but never presented a problem prior to the widespread use of imported lifters with poor quality control.

 

Probably the salt air on the trip frm China got to them.........

To the best of my knowledge, Johnson doesn't make flat tappet lifters anymore, only roller.

Did you ever wonder why they call them Flat tappet if they are convex ?

IF......you are stuck with them, you might try hydrosonic cleaning in some kerosene. If you disassemble and soak them in kerosene for an extended time (a week) it should disolve the rust without harming any surface finish. I have never tried using kerosene in a hydrosonic cleaner and don't know that it might not catch fire, but doubt it. I figure the hydrosonic action coupled with the natual ability of kerosene to disolve rust would do a through job. I would however attempt to get replacements as my first course of action.

 

Recent purchase or? If recent send them a pic and have them send you a mailing label.
Also ask for an RMA so when they get them, they can easily receive them and send out a good set.

 

Nothing more to say here. Contact the seller, get a return authorization and send them back. Parts are to expensive today to accept those.

 

I got a feeling he's either AWOL or has been placed in the witness protection program, but in any case, we've probably blown his cover now!

 

Thank you for serving. I'll leave my Jarhead jokes at the door