Bad Lifter 305 what to replace?

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

Do not reuse that cam or any of the lifters. Period.

Ain't going to go back-and-forth with anyone, but that's just a hard no.

lol I wasn’t going to as I would have to return $550 of parts I just ordered lol. Should I replace rockers and pushrods as well?
Also did the valve tips look okay from what you could tell in photos? They all looked pretty much the same to me.

[Willshook]

I don't see a need to replace the rocker arms if they show no damage. Pushrods should be checked for straight on a surface plate of some kind - something you know is dead flat.

Hard to tell from a pic - look over each tip and ensure there's no damage at all.

[Willshook]

Here are my two must have books. Almost 50 years of building SBCs and I still turn to these now and again

Note that Vizard is displacing the front valley seal in the pic. Nobody's perfect ;-)

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

I don't see a need to replace the rocker arms if they show no damage. Pushrods should be checked for straight on a surface plate of some kind - something you know is dead flat.

Hard to tell from a pic - look over each tip and ensure there's no damage at all.

They all looked the same to me the only difference I found was the one lifter really. I will check the pushrods today on a flat surface as I just kind of eyeballed it to be honest.

I took some more pictures I will attach them, but I will look at them again tonight more closely.

Also thank you for the book recommendations I will try to pick one or both of them up if I can find them!

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

Here are my two must have books. Almost 50 years of building SBCs and I still turn to these now and again

Note that Vizard is displacing the front valley seal in the pic. Nobody's perfect ;-)

Ha! I wouldn’t have noticed if you didn’t say anything that is awesome!

[kcackler]

Here are some more although ai don’t know if they are any more telling

[Willshook]

It's just super hard to tell anything from the pics :-/ I don't see anything obvious; the tip should be a cleanly machined surface with defined edges.

This is an extreme case, but here's the kind of damage you're looking for on the valve tip.

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

It's just super hard to tell anything from the pics :-/ I don't see anything obvious; the tip should be a cleanly machined surface with defined edges.

This is an extreme case, but here's the kind of damage you're looking for on the valve tip.

Okay noted I am 95% sure none of mine look anything like that.

Update I did manage to get the cam out yesterday and the lobe for that lifter is completely rounded off. No surprise there really. Here are some pictures for the curious. Now just waiting on parts to come in. Also the timing chain was extremely loose had plastic teeth that 90% of them had broken. So good calls there lol.

[kcackler]

Any recommendations on how to clean a dirty engine up the best/easiest?

[Willshook]

Originally Posted by kcackler

Any recommendations on how to clean a dirty engine up the best/easiest?

If you're just doing the repair, don't get wound up about it. Scrape out the worst of the gunk and get rid of the rest of it with a few oil changes. I'm not a seafoam or other additive guy. Bearing and gasket surfaces need to be immaculate, and make sure you get rid of anything that's fallen in the ports or cylinders.

I use chlorinated brake cleaner for gasket surfaces; the "pro" stuff that's not green, but cleans

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

If you're just doing the repair, don't get wound up about it. Scrape out the worst of the gunk and get rid of the rest of it with a few oil changes. I'm not a seafoam or other additive guy. Bearing and gasket surfaces need to be immaculate, and make sure you get rid of anything that's fallen in the ports or cylinders.

I use chlorinated brake cleaner for gasket surfaces; the "pro" stuff that's not green, but cleans

Gotcha! I will definitely be going over it with a fine tooth comb since I have nothing to do until parts come in and I want the best possibility of success.
Maybe a dumb question, How would I check to see if something has fallen into cylinders?

Hahaha okay 3 cans of brake clean coming up.

[Willshook]

Originally Posted by kcackler

Gotcha! I will definitely be going over it with a fine tooth comb since I have nothing to do until parts come in and I want the best possibility of success.
Maybe a dumb question, How would I check to see if something has fallen into cylinders?

Hahaha okay 3 cans of brake clean coming up.

Just resist the urge to take something apart "while you're in there".

Ah; I had forgotten that you didn't pull the heads - disregard. Just look in the intake ports and vacuum anything out that got in there from removing the intake. Tape over the ports until you're ready to re-install the intake.

[kcackler]

Ahhh okay gotcha! I am slightly worried part of timing cover gasket may have made its way in as it was completely shot “crispy” and crumbled almost immediately after I took timing cover off.

I will definitely vacuum out underneath vacuum manifold though.
Thank you.

Looks like parts won’t come in until tomorrow but I will post more updates as I go!

[Willshook]

I wouldn't worry all that much about it - some of it's probably in the pan but not the end of the world. And there's really no easy way to address that without removing the pan and...see "while I'm in there" comments above

Remember that RTV Black is your friend for all these gaskets

[Dead Parrot]

To check the push rods for straight, a glass table or mirror is a good surface. A bent rod rolling over the glass will make a rather easy to hear clicking noise.

If you have an air compressor, pull the plugs and blow some air into the openings. Should be enough air to get any bits of gasket to come back out though open valves. IIRC - you mentioned a bore scope earlier. Can use that to check for stuff in the cylinders as well.

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Willshook

I wouldn't worry all that much about it - some of it's probably in the pan but not the end of the world. And there's really no easy way to address that without removing the pan and...see "while I'm in there" comments above

Remember that RTV Black is your friend for all these gaskets

I was just gonna try to reach in and feel with my hand and then just dowse it all done with oil and let it in out.

Haha I see what you mean while I’m in there can get carried away.

I used permatex ultra gray for my intake last time but I did buy ultra black for the timing cover.

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by Dead Parrot

To check the push rods for straight, a glass table or mirror is a good surface. A bent rod rolling over the glass will make a rather easy to hear clicking noise.

If you have an air compressor, pull the plugs and blow some air into the openings. Should be enough air to get any bits of gasket to come back out though open valves. IIRC - you mentioned a bore scope earlier. Can use that to check for stuff in the cylinders as well.

I have a glass desk I will use that thank you. Don’t have an air compressor but I may buy one because this is about the 50th time I could have used one. I will borrow the boroscope and take some pictures to upload here.

[AcampoDave]

Doesn't it worry you guys that the metal from the wiped out lobe has circulated thru the entire engine bearings and all? I have always assumed they were junk when that happened because wiser men than I have said so right here on this site.

[Willshook]

Originally Posted by AcampoDave

Doesn't it worry you guys that the metal from the wiped out lobe has circulated thru the entire engine bearings and all? I have always assumed they were junk when that happened because wiser men than I have said so right here on this site.

Sure. What are the options other than a complete teardown?

I've replaced quite a few failed cams (from other people's builds) with no issues after the fact.

$500 and a day’s work, and you takes your chances.

[kcackler]

Well regardless of whether this works or not I appreciate the help!
I understand there is a risk of failure but like Willshook said I would rather take my chances than buy a whole new engine or do a complete rebuild at least at this point.

That being said I hope this works lol

[kcackler]

So I got my new camshaft and timing set on but I am having some difficulty with the oil pan gasket piece that is in the bottom of my timing cover is there a trick to getting it back on, the only thing I have seen is to loosen the front two bolts to oil pan and drop it down. I worry that will ruin whatever seal is still there after X number of years lol.

[cadillac_al]

I have trimmed the corners off my timing cover before to install it without moving the oil pan. It's the corners on the inside where the front oil pan seal goes. That's a tip I picked up from the internet years ago but it worked for me. I probably used a little extra RTV for good measure.

[kcackler]

Originally Posted by cadillac_al

I have trimmed the corners off my timing cover before to install it without moving the oil pan. It's the corners on the inside where the front oil pan seal goes. That's a tip I picked up from the internet years ago but it worked for me. I probably used a little extra RTV for good measure.

Ok thanks I will give that a shot when the new gasket comes in. Thanks