Jasonz28camaro

I have not aken them apart. They are not new, that came right out of my other properly working motor.

Should I take them apart? I have the stock lifters still with 60k on them sitting in my garage and they are hard as a rock and these lifters are a little smooshy.

shoebox

I guess I missed the used lifter part of the discussion. Still, it would not hurt to inspect a couple just to see. I know there have been a few people that have had oiling problems with the LS7 lifters, but if they were already working in another engine...

Jasonz28camaro

You would think that right???

I'm about to post a short video of what's going on, maybe that will help you guys to help me. It's uploading very slowly now.

Jasonz28camaro

Here is a clip of the engine being primed. let me know if im doing it right and if anything jumps out at you guys.

http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s...t=IMG_1204.mp4

shoebox

It would be hard to compare as there are probably not many people that have observed flow in the manner that is in your video. With the engine being static, oil is likely not going to flow all the way from front to back in the lifter gallery. It's just kinda weird that they won't let the valves open. I don't recall that ever happening to me on engine first startup. Maybe you have some killer valve springs they are trying to overcome? And are you sure there is no other source of backfire (like crossed plug wires or something)? I know that sometimes it takes a few minutes of ~1500 RPM or so to get good oiling out the pushrods.

Jasonz28camaro

It's strange, the lifters spongy. I'll check all the wires again though. Hows the video, is that what should be happening?

Jasonz28camaro

so i put one of my old lifters in the car and it filled up very fast and even after about a min pumped oil out the pushrod. What does that tell me, lifters bad or do the LS7 lifters not fill up as fast or .....

ACE1252

I just wanted you to look at how the oil was flowing in the SBC system.

Heck, pull all the LS7 lifters and use your old ones. Fire it up and see if it fixes the issue.

Jasonz28camaro

I don't have all 16 and the right pushrods length. I'm going to clean them out and seeif it fixes it.

97 6SPEED Z

Yep, what "jumps out" at me is that you have absolutely NO problem with getting oil to your lifter bores!

No, the fact that your LS7 lifters are "spongy" is due to the fact that they are NOT "trapping" oil in the lifter body. Given the fact that you are only turning the oil pump drive at maybe 600 to 800 rpm with that cordless drill, and looking at the amount of oil "leaking" past the prime tool into the lifter valley itself, the amount of oil your video shows actually getting through the lifter bore is ........ plenty good!


What it tells you is ....... that your problem is with those LS7 lifters! Don't know if they can be disassembled, cleaned and re-used, but, the fact that your "old" lifter is working just fine, does mean your problem is with the LS7 lifters!

Finally, you are to be commended for having run this test as requested, and passing along the results. If you help us with feedback like this ....... we can help you solve this problem. Right now your number one suspect is ....... those "spongy" LS7 lifters.

Jasonz28camaro

so.... the #6 and #8 wires were mixed up, that solves some of my problems... thats probably why it was backfiring... thanks shoebox, i used your opti layout to help. im an idiot!!!!!

now im going to get a better drill and try to get oil to flow. i got one of the ls7 lifters to push oil through a pushrod.

Jasonz28camaro

you say its not trapping oil??? how can i get it to trap oil or is it dead?

o tried to take them apart but i guess i dont know how ill search it.

97 6SPEED Z

It's not "trapping" oil in the lifter body because it has an internal leak, which is not allowing the lifter to "seal" during the rise of the cam lobe. This may be due to either dirt or wear! At the very least these lifters need to be disassembled and thoroughly cleaned. Remember what "MachinestOne" posted way early in this thread ...... the oil feed passages in the lifter, are the tightest in the whole oiling path.

Jasonz28camaro

i need a lifter expert to answer this question about the pic below.
there is a small plate just below the the cup on the lifter where the pushrod sits. there is flow out of each lifter at this point but not enough. i place a pushrod on top of the lifter and can sometimes get oil to the top of it, no rockers are hooked up at this point.

if i stick something small enough in the top of the lifter that will push down on the small plate i get a lot of oil coming out of the top of the lifter. how does that plate work and if i hook up all the rockers will it start to move so the oil can come out of the hole? with the pushrod engaged it doesnt allow the plate to move at all so it is the same. with it running would that be a different story?

Jasonz28camaro

I installed the rockers just now and set them to a hair past zero lash for now and once its running I'll set to 1/4. I soaked the rods in oil and cleaned the lifters with solvent and I got a little dribble up top now on most all the pushrods. I turned the motor over a few times and I'll prime some more befor I install the intake. Thanks for all the support so far and I'll let you guys know what happens when I get it started tomorrow.