Lifters "feel" too tight after sleeving

[NAES]

Hey everyone. I had my lifter bores sleeved at Brothers for SCAT lifters. After a bunch of test fitting yesterday, they all feel a little tight. I used Comp Cams assembly lube for the bores and I just want to make sure they'll spin when the cam pushes up against them. I moved the lifters around to give them the best fit I could but everything feels like it needs a little extra breaking in.

I called Brothers and they said they'll all be on the tight side and I can go over the lifters with 400 grit wet/dry paper to smooth them out. It almost feels like I could take some lapping compound, give them a few passes in the bores and they would seat. I'm not sure how smart that would be though!

To give an idea of how tight they feel, it takes moderate to maximum grip pressure to spin each lifter in the bore. If I go too deep they hang up and I have to use a pushrod in the end to pop it loose. I realize the lifter won't go in that far during normal use but I'm just describing what I'm dealing with.

I'll take detailed measurements this weekend. I don't think my bore gauge will fit in the bores but I can use snap gauges. I'll also take measurements of the lifters. The lobe to oil passage groove section seems to be ever so slightly larger in diameter than the area below that. Hopefully that makes sense.

Thanks for reading my issues and commenting back.

NAES
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[Teeroy]

Clean off the assembly lube and try them with oil, see how they feel. If tight, do what Brothers told you to do. You don't want lapping compound near the bores!
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[bugguy1967]

If still too tight, you need to ream.
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"A petrol engine can start readily, run smoothly and give every appearance of being in good order, without necessarily being in good tune." - Colin Campbell, "The Sportscar Engine"

[txoval]

Could you use a flex hone? Just thought/question...I know they sell them for that diameter

[Ohio Tom]

Yes, the proper way is to use a hone.
A small "brake hone" can be purchased commonly. They work well.

Better to have them tight than too loose.

I have had to hone a few after getting them sleeved.

Lifters can be several thousands' different in size. Not a fault of anyone. Just a matter of making things better than factory.

[mark tucker]

look for burs or high spots that will show up after you move them back and forth. if there is a visable high spot do as tom said and a very light hone to them, do not use any lapping compound!! and you have to througly clean it !!! all gallys everything after honing them. and yes use 600 wet on all lifters. then clean them reall good too. but as tom said a little tight is better than loose. but a little tight may be different for you than what I think si a little. I like a slight drag. but eazy to spin& move. it's eazy to get them too big and still have drag....a taper, barrell shape, hourglass shape all can have drag and be AFU. thats where good bore gauges made for checking stuff like this comes in handy. a proper dial bore gauge for checking guides&stuff like this does not have a small point or ball to take the mesurement as that will show the low sots and you may have it a lot tighter than the reading. small bore guide type bore gauges usualy had a long foot for the contact point( about 3/8~ 1/2" long. those are kinda expensive. remember tight is tight and a slight drag is usually ok. the lifters are not perfect, nor is the bore, thus slight drag with the right clearance. also the case will expand more than the lifter will.

[bugguy1967]

It's silicon bronze. Honing is not the proper practice. Will it work? Sure. All shops that take installing sleeves do so with a reamer.
_________________
"A petrol engine can start readily, run smoothly and give every appearance of being in good order, without necessarily being in good tune." - Colin Campbell, "The Sportscar Engine"

[NAES]

Thank you everyone for the great information! I'll buy one of the rigid hones for lifter bores. First I'll try sanding the OD of the tight lifters.

But first and foremost I'll measure the bores in several spots each.

Lastly, should the lifter go all the way in until it bottoms out?

NAES
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[74 Thing]

When Steve Hollingsworth did my sleeving with the silicone bronze bushings he asked for a lifter to ream it to size.

You may want to bring it back to Brothers with your lifters to size correctly.

[Max Welton]

[raygreenwood]

[txoval]

Yes, they should slide all the way in. Then you need to measure from the top of the lifter to your cam lobe (point of lobe facing lifter). You should have a minimum of .040” clearance between the lobe and lifter when the lifter is all the way in.

[Ohio Tom]

Rod wristpin bushings are honed as well.
The crosshatch patter honing leaves is good for oiling.

[NAES]

Ok I spent a few hours today dialing in lifters. I chucked each one up in my lathe amd used 400 emery cloth to get them sized.

I was able to remove 0.001" off of each one which made all the difference in the world. I also used engine oil for trial fitting which made things a little easier.

I have 0.045" or more lifter to cam clearance so I can check that off my list as well.

Thank you guys so much for the help. I was able to trial assemble the short block today and ended up clearancing the camshaft as well so the rotating assembly is now good to go. That is after I break it all down amd clean everything for the final time.

NAES
_________________
Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[Brian_e]

Do not final assemble the short block till you have all the rocker geometry and the tin fit.

What do you think is gonna happen to the cam break-in paste when you need to rotate the engine by hand 150 times to get the rocker geometry correct?

Or you find out a rod hits the inside of the case once the pistons and cylinders are on??

Brian
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[mark tucker]

yes honing is proper.but the right hone needs to be used and a fucking ball hone aint it. I bought a sunnen PG180 and tomany mandrls to do guides and lifter bores properly. quite expensive but worth it to me.even since I only do my own stuff nowdays. the sunnen side wonder is supposed to be a little better but, it;s also a little more $$. do it right do it one time and be done. no you dont have to have a sunnen hone to do it. a 3 or 4 stone break hone wioll do if you know how to use them. but I doubt you have a issue.

[NAES]

[txoval]

I agree with Brian, but since you already buttoned it up you can recoat the lifter tops and cam lobes with cam shield with a small paint brush through the cylinder bores once you set geometry/deck height

[NAES]

Thanks for the quick reply. I was hoping someone would say something like that!
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Barndoor Mafia
Box On Wheels
SBS #00

[nsracing]

IF you use a reamer, you will fuck it up. The flex hone is the best way to bring it to specs if tight.

Precision reamers are meant for machine tools. Not by hand.