Splitting case/changing lifters and pushrods

[77charger]

[Singerdude]

Been super busy as of late but the project is back on track, we're bumping up to 2276 with Mahles forged, Manton PR's, re-seated and re-valved Heads, Cromo straight cuts. The engine will be bigger, tighter and better than ever, fully balanced and will be dyno tuned.

Can't wait for for spring to arrive !!!!

[Singerdude]

Finally, a couple months behind schedule, the longblock is done and tomorrow we bolt all the tins and gizmos. Happily, the brown santa dropped some goodies today so, I'm anxious to see what a true dist/ignition system feels like, having only driven cheapo 009 and crappy coils... I know, it would've been cheaper to get their digital magnaspark instead of the blackbox/magnaspark combo but they were back-order for 4-5 months...

[77charger]

I ended up tearing mine down a while back for the pushrod problem i mentioned.I ended up replacing lifters,had an oil passage mod done to case new pushrods and no problems.

Looked more like a sudden oil issue that popped up with mine.
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Bugpack 4 seater rail
2275 built by me
Auto linea alm case,82 dpr crank wedgemated by DK machine
cb 5.4 h beams,12 pound DPR f/w,Slr xv294cam,cb straight cuts,hpmx 44s,40x35 heads ported by brothers machine

[Singerdude]

Glad to know it ended up ok for you. I wish that it could have been that simple on my side. I shure hope this is the "Ultimate rebuild" for this particular engine. But at least everything is ready for break-in. As for the Dyno, we had to re-schedule that to monday. I'm anxious to see If that Porshe/VW guy who helped me is as good as he thinks he is

[Singerdude]

Oooookayyy here we go: another one in a series of seemingly neverending misfortunes. The engine started good, and pulled strong even under a load at the dyno shop. Unfortunately, the dyno's computer had a problem so we weren't able to get actual figures (was rescheduled for later in june). So after having it installed in my buggy and final adjustments were made, I was given the go by the builder to drive it back home.

On the 20 miles drive home, the engine was feeling kind of sluggish upon acceleration and would feel almost as if the clutch was slipping for a second before picking up.

This morning I decided to check the valves to see if anything was off, lo and behold: intakes 1 and 3 have a big enough gap so that I can slip the tip of my pinky through. I'm thinkin' flattened cam lobe. If so that means cracking that sucker open once more. It definitely sucks the BIG one... This engine has less than 25 miles!!! The guy who did it will probably warranty his job but seeing as he took 8 months to rebuild the engine in the first place, the chances of driving my buggy before the end of summmer is slim. The only other option is I dig in as originally planned and do as Modok instructed and do a cam swap. I mean, if I don't have to mess with anything else, It should be OK. But that means I'd still do most of the job I've already paid for, twice!!!

Man Is this ACVW thing a cruel mistress...

[the2ndcashboy]

A wearing cam lobe shouldn't cause a massive gap like that, because most of the wear is on the "nose" of the lobe, not the base. You just lose total lift. A gap like that is either an assembly error or collapsing pushrods/wearing cups. I had two sets of EMPI rockers that weren't hardened properly and they did that.

Edit: I'd also be a little concerned about the length of your head studs. The one I see in the 2nd picture looks a good 1/4" too short. You want the nut to be fully engaged on the threads.
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[Singerdude]

I hear ya. But what baffles me is that we switched from unknown pushrods to manton to alleviate this problem in the first place (excessive pushrod wear).

Everything was rebuilt on new except for the crank and cam.

I'm still waiting on a call-back from the guy who re-built it...

[Singerdude]

I talked to the shop guy yesterday. His guess was a flattened cam lobe too. Maybe caused by a sudden loss of oil and/or the fact that the cam was not a true engle but a grind of unknown origin. I knew that prior to rebuild but I figured that with 3000 hard driven miles under the engine's prior itteration, if it had to get flattened, it would have by then...

So the guy was cool enough to offer me to come on monday (even if it's holliday here in CAN) to his shop so we can swap cams. Now he heartilly suggested I switched to an FK8 and 1.4´s while we're at it. I think I will. But he was out of FK8's so I got to find one close by on a holiday weekend... Wich probably won't be easy.

[the2ndcashboy]

Man, I just don't see it. There's no way a cam will wear down enough to give you 1/4" of clearance at the valve. There wouldn't be a lobe LEFT. Now, if there's something really badly wrong with the lobe, the corresponding lifters might wear/break, but not the cam. Either way, you'd for sure have felt/heard a problem before you ever got it on the dyno. Let me ask you this: are there lash caps on the valves that are still tight? It kind of looks like it in the pictures. If you set up those ball-type adjusters with the flat facing the wrong way it can leave enough space for a lash cap to fall off and then you REALLY have clearance. The same thing will happen if the rocker cup or pushrod wears too much.
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[Singerdude]

You're damn right, the two lashcaps were actually missing! I will re-install them and see if I can get the right clearance...man the world would be a fluffy place right now if it was just a stupid mistake like that! Thank you for catching it 2ndcashboy.

[[email protected]]

I do, and have. When the cam goes flat it often takes the lifter heads with them. You can easily get 1/4" between them, I've seen it a few dozen times.

You can swap the cam in 3-4 hours, but you'll spend that much time cleaning and replacing stuff like

rings
cylinders
oil pump
bearings

etc. That cam/lifter material is very hard, and takes a lot of stuff with it. Measure carefully.

But make sure you haven't just dropped lash caps, etc. Some guys mistakenly run lash caps AND swivel feet. Which means the PR length is wrong.
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[modok]

your right, the other valve looks like it has a lash cap.
The pushrods wearing back into the damaged sockets could easily loosen lash enough to lose a lash cap or two. ANd
yes, it should not have lash caps

[nsracing]

Man... I feel for this man's misery. I have to give it to you, Canada. You seem to be a good sport. Some other people here on this site might gone out and went on a rampage given the same.

What is killing your motor are those pesky roller adjusters. Those ballbearing things can flip around and really do a number on the valvetrain. You would have been better off using stock adjusters. IMHO.

YOur best choice are the true Porsche swivel adjusters. Not cheap but the very best.

Also, the pressure plate w/ that much weight unbalance should have had the light side MIG welded w/ a bead. Or you will end up w/a bunch of holes like that weakens the pressure plate unnecessarily.

[Singerdude]

John I sure will bring the wrong PR lenght issue when installed with lashcaps to the builder. You and Glen both say it shouldn't have lashcaps in the first place. Well in it's original form it didn't have any. But the rebuild guy told me it was a must to have them... I wan't to have it done right all the while I hate to be the asshole backseat wrenching on somebody who's helping me out. I'll see how that discussion with him pans out.

[nsracing]

I only stole the avatar. I thought it was cool. I am not associated w/ them at all. I hope I do not get in trouble.

Swivel adjusters generally do not use lashcaps. But there is no rule you cannot. It is not etched in stone. I have seen lashcaps used to correct rocker geometry...even on swivels. And they function fine. If the tails have been shortened too much from re-dressing and soft, yes lashcaps can save your ass.

Lashcaps are heavily used in performance engines running roller tips to give wider footing and protection on the valve tips.

But I will go that route and install the Porsche swivels. Maybe even cut a fresh set of pushrods to set the geometry. I think this will fix the issues.

[modok]

You can run lash caps AND awivels, but in most cases you would also need .200" thick spacers under the rockers, which usually won't clear the valve cover, so it sure is a strange setup. If a magnet sticks to the end of the valves, then they DO have hard tips. SS valves without hard tips were made in the past but it would be rare to find any.
There could be lots of reasons to use lash caps but I don't think you have any of them.

[Singerdude]

Engine is off the car once more and into the trailer. Tomorrow I'll know what's what. I'll try to take as much pictures as I can.

[Singerdude]

We did a quick inspection and as we suspected the cam chewed a few lifters, but at least everything else seems untouched. Tomorrow, we clean thouroughly everything and re-assemble with a K8 and 1.4´s. I guess I was lucky through my bad luck...

[modok]

hmmm, what's the combo of destruction here?
Was that empi lifters + sc-1 cam blank?