Lifter Bore Help

[hilandr452]

Howdy folks,

It's been awhile, but I'm finally rebuilding the 454 for my Longhorn. I removed the engine in the fall last year and just now have the parts for it. The engine only had 15000 miles on it and the cam went poopoo. Serves me right for installing someone else's build.

I'm going with the performer series cam, lifters, double roller timing chain, performer manifold, and 1406 performer square bore carb. Sealed power moly rings and rod/crank bearings. Also re-seating all the valves and changing the springs and seals in the heads.

Here's the issue, A few of the lifter bore holes are damaged. I think this is why the cam failed, lifters may not have been spinning like they should. I was also failing to use oil with zinc additive. (live and learn and all that...)I am using one of the used lifters that wasn't damaged to gauge proper fit and I have two which are too tight.

Is there a tool out there that buffs the bore a little for a better fit? I don't want to mess them up any more than they already are. Any helpful comments will be appreciated.

Dan

[undertaker72]

I have used a wheel cyl hone , to polish them before and have also sliced a piece of 1/4 rod , then put emery clothe or crockus cloth in slit making a flapper type hone to lightly buff bores before , make sure to do this evenly and clean all galleys when done hope this might help other will chime in also kevin

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by hilandr452

Howdy folks,

It's been awhile, but I'm finally rebuilding the 454 for my Longhorn. I removed the engine in the fall last year and just now have the parts for it. The engine only had 15000 miles on it and the cam went poopoo. Serves me right for installing someone else's build.

I'm going with the performer series cam, lifters, double roller timing chain, performer manifold, and 1406 performer square bore carb. Sealed power moly rings and rod/crank bearings. Also re-seating all the valves and changing the springs and seals in the heads.

Here's the issue, A few of the lifter bore holes are damaged. I think this is why the cam failed, lifters may not have been spinning like they should. I was also failing to use oil with zinc additive. (live and learn and all that...)I am using one of the used lifters that wasn't damaged to gauge proper fit and I have two which are too tight.

Is there a tool out there that buffs the bore a little for a better fit? I don't want to mess them up any more than they already are. Any helpful comments will be appreciated.

Dan

Sometimes during block prep paint will get into the lifter bores and cause friction if it don't get removed.

Sometimes a cam will die, the lifters will get "mushroomed" and when the lifters are removed, they will gouge the bore sometimes severely.

Undertaker72's methods will work just fine, be careful to not polish more than necessary as you will lose oil pressure and the lifters can get too loose.

If it's really bad you may need to get the damaged bores bushed while it's apart.

I don't know the spec on lifter fit to block, nor how to measure said spec if it exists. But I know if they get too loose or too tight the cam will continue to fail.

I've heard you need about .0019" clearance, but that's just hearsay.

People swear by these but they scare me.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-Chevy-Sm..._Tools&vxp=mtr

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by hilandr452

Howdy folks,

It's been awhile, but I'm finally rebuilding the 454 for my Longhorn.
Dan

BTW Dan, if you ever remove an engine with mushroomed lifters that are proving to be difficult removing, it's best to turn it upside down and remove the cam, then rightside up and let the lifters fall out from the top down.

Really only feasible when rebuilding anyway, like you are. Otherwise there is a special tool with a slide hammer to pull out stuck lifters and do minimal damage. But with mushroomed lifters there is always some damage, it's just less when pulled straight out not twisted.

[steelhorse]

Have a machine shop look at it. It could save you big bucks in the long run.

[snipescastle2]

I'd also have them check for cracks in the lifter galley also, if the lifters got stuck/galled, could have produced cracks, and you don't want to use a block with cracks for obvious reasons. I went through crack checking three blocks before I got a good one, with no cracks in the lifter galley (a small block 350)
HTH,
Ben

[djgebert]

They sell lifter hones on eBay pretty cheaply. I just bought one a few weeks ago to remove a little minor surface rust in a few of the lifter holes in a block I am building. It would have come off by itself, but I am running a high dollar roller set up and I wanted them to be clean. You need to be careful with them though and not remove too much material. I just scuffed mine for a few seconds on each hole and they look great now.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-Chevy-Li..._Tools&vxp=mtr

[GRX]

Originally Posted by djgebert

http://www.ebay.com/itm/7-8-Chevy-Li..._Tools&vxp=mtr

^^ Dingle ball hone like above is what I use in lifter bores after block clean & peen. Be sure to use some light lube like WD-40 and clean very well afterwards.

[hilandr452]

Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for.

Thank You!