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Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:19 pm

Hello Vee Dubers,

I was driving north on the 101 and my oil light came on,(1978 FI) so i pull over and notice some oil dumpage. So i checked the oil and it was low. I put more in and started the bus to find the leak... It was coming out of a push rod tube on the #1#2 side, the inside part nearest the motor. And so i thought at first the seal so i pull the rockers and pull out the push rod and notice the inner end was all chewed up and then i look down into the hole and see these metal pieces...
http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=73559afd7...ine&zw

I think what happened is Someone put spacers on my valves and one must have broke and lodged into the push rod tube and messed up the lifter. so im wondering if this is part of a lifter, (hydraulic) if so, what can i do??? Thanks for any input :D

Wed Oct 28, 2009 7:42 am

KevbOliver wrote: http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=73559afd7...ine&zw

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Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:05 am

hopefully these work. its both sides of the same piece...
thanks

Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:11 am

Those are definitely pieces of a hydraulic lifter. Obviously you need to find the rest of it....then assess what other damage has been done from there. Doesn't look good!!

Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:22 am

Bet that at least the cam is toast. Hope it didn't cause other internal problems.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:27 am

Don't get worked up over the cam yet, that's most of the guts from the lifter but the body is not in the pic, if it's still in there the cam would be protected. There's still a spring and circlip as well as possibly the other half of that c shaped piece missing, if it is the outer edge of the lifter body like I suspect It may still be on the body.

I guess setting hydros to solid specs can end badly sometimes.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:42 am

When i look down into the tube, i see what looks like a slot for a push rod. as though the lifter is still there. what differs is that there is no retainer bracket on it like there is on the other...

Wed Oct 28, 2009 9:45 am

Get a magnet and get the rest of it out of there....then you can account for all of the lifter's parts and see whats there and what isn't.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:21 am

i used a magnet to get out all these pieces, but i believe the rest of the lifter is stationary...

Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:43 am

KevbOliver wrote: i used a magnet to get out all these pieces, but i believe the rest of the lifter is stationary...

You need to remove the push rod tube. It's toast anyway. Then you should be able to carefully pull the rest of the lifter out through the lifter bore with a strong magnet, and shine a flashlight in and look at the cam lobe.

Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:58 am

So, best case scenario I pull the lifter replace the push rod and tube and wha la?? Or is there more?

Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:18 pm

One step at a time....get out there and get the rest of that lifter out of the engine. All of the what ifs don't mean shit until you know what you have and what you don't. Less talk, more action.

Tue Nov 03, 2009 11:57 am

Today im heading to the bus to get it going :lol: . I've got the parts but i'm wondering what kind of tools should i expect to use to get that lifter out? Someone mentioned a powerful magnet but i'm not sure where to find one. when i get to the bus im not sure if i'll have internet so i gotta cover these bases now. thanks!

Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:37 pm

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38392

Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:54 pm

Best case, a new lifter, pushrod, and pushrod tube and it's good as new.

There is a better than even chance this is all you need.

If the cam is chewed the engine has to come out and be taken completely apart.

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:07 am

Got to the bus, and got down to the lifter. I tryed everything i could think of and could not remove the lifter. When i put my finger in there i can feel where the top was, and i can manually depress the hydraulics. The lifter itself moves in and out of the bore about a half inch but i cannot got it to come out further :evil: . Any thoughts???

Wed Nov 04, 2009 11:27 am

I won't be able to give it another shot for about a week, so any advice would be great. would rotating the engine to number 2 help?? Everyone seems to say it should simply slide out. Very frustrating!! :x

Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:34 pm

JUST TO CLOSE THIS POST OUT:

I ended up Snap Ring Pliers to get it out, wasn't to difficult at that point, put a new lifter in and got back out on the road! A few months later engine took a crap and ended up doing a full rebuild, not sure if it was related to this event but it sure didn't help!

THANK GOD FOR THESAMBA!

Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:54 pm

Were you ever able to account for all the pieces of the lifter? Is there a chance a teeny bit of something was left behind?