Stuck lifters! How to remove??? HELP!

i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the things
i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up in that
area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really want to
go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.

What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I went
down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of the
lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide hammer
to remove the old lifter.

Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of a
sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.

I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if anyone else
has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck lifters.


Any help would be appreciated.



Thanks


s.

samantha wrote:
> i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the things
> i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up in that
> area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really want to
> go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.
>
> What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I went
> down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of the
> lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide hammer
> to remove the old lifter.
>
> Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of a
> sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.
>
> I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if anyone else
> has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck lifters.
>
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
>
>
> Thanks
>
>
> s.

Sounds like the lifters have either carbon rings build up on the faces
or they have mushroomed.

For the first one pull the lifter up a bit then spray carb cleaner
around it and work it in the bore.

You would be much better off to install a cam/lifter kit. Unless that
cam is in perfect condition it will eat new lifters.

If the engine has more than 50K or so on it you would be way ahead to
open it up and refresh it with new cam & lifters, timing set, new
bearings, new oil pump and new rings at least.

--
Steve W.

In article >,
"Steve W." > wrote:

> samantha wrote:
> > i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the things
> > i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up in that
> > area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really want to
> > go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.
> >
> > What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I went
> > down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of the
> > lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide hammer
> > to remove the old lifter.
> >
> > Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of a
> > sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.
> >
> > I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if anyone else
> > has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck lifters.
> >
> >
> > Any help would be appreciated.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
> > s.
>
> Sounds like the lifters have either carbon rings build up on the faces
> or they have mushroomed.
>
> For the first one pull the lifter up a bit then spray carb cleaner
> around it and work it in the bore.
>
> You would be much better off to install a cam/lifter kit. Unless that
> cam is in perfect condition it will eat new lifters.
>
> If the engine has more than 50K or so on it you would be way ahead to
> open it up and refresh it with new cam & lifters, timing set, new
> bearings, new oil pump and new rings at least.

Well the idea was that I had a noisy lifter in there so it just seemed
logical to replace them all... I replaced the timing chain two years
ago because it was one of those ford timing gears with the phenelic
timing gears and it worked well so far. The reason i am so deep into
the engine is that (of all things) the thermostate stuck closed and the
engine started overheating. So pulled the gooseneck and inadvertantly
broke a bolt. So off comes the intake manifold. Bolts broke off in the
head. pulled the heads to get the broken bolts out... Since it was out
did a valve job. So was just reassembling the mess and decided that
since i was so deep into it I would replace the lifters... I have tried
some carb cleaner .. but my technique must be wrong because it failed.
The first lifter I took out looked suprisingly good. So I put some
assembly lube on it and put a new one in there... the second one just
seems stuck... I would be exceptionally supprised if it is
mushroomed... expect the carbon ring as you mentioned... Not sure how
I am suppose to get the carb cleaner down the bore of the lifter with
the lifter in the way though... I took the one lifter i got out and
sprayed it with carb cleaner and it got little or no carbon off of it.
Is there some other chemical i can use that will really get in there and
cut that stuff up so i can get the lifter out?


Thanks for your reply.

On Sunday, February 23, 2014 6:11:22 AM UTC-5, samantha wrote:
> In article >,
>
> "Steve W." > wrote:
>
>
>
> > samantha wrote:
>
> > > i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the things
>
> > > i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up in that
>
> > > area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really want to
>
> > > go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.
>
> > >
>
> > > What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I went
>
> > > down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of the
>
> > > lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide hammer
>
> > > to remove the old lifter.
>
> > >
>
> > > Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of a
>
> > > sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.
>
> > >
>
> > > I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if anyone else
>
> > > has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck lifters.
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > Any help would be appreciated.
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > Thanks
>
> > >
>
> > >
>
> > > s.
>
> >
>
> > Sounds like the lifters have either carbon rings build up on the faces
>
> > or they have mushroomed.
>
> >
>
> > For the first one pull the lifter up a bit then spray carb cleaner
>
> > around it and work it in the bore.
>
> >
>
> > You would be much better off to install a cam/lifter kit. Unless that
>
> > cam is in perfect condition it will eat new lifters.
>
> >
>
> > If the engine has more than 50K or so on it you would be way ahead to
>
> > open it up and refresh it with new cam & lifters, timing set, new
>
> > bearings, new oil pump and new rings at least.
>
>
>
> Well the idea was that I had a noisy lifter in there so it just seemed
>
> logical to replace them all... I replaced the timing chain two years
>
> ago because it was one of those ford timing gears with the phenelic
>
> timing gears and it worked well so far. The reason i am so deep into
>
> the engine is that (of all things) the thermostate stuck closed and the
>
> engine started overheating. So pulled the gooseneck and inadvertantly
>
> broke a bolt. So off comes the intake manifold. Bolts broke off in the
>
> head. pulled the heads to get the broken bolts out... Since it was out
>
> did a valve job. So was just reassembling the mess and decided that
>
> since i was so deep into it I would replace the lifters... I have tried
>
> some carb cleaner .. but my technique must be wrong because it failed.
>
> The first lifter I took out looked suprisingly good. So I put some
>
> assembly lube on it and put a new one in there... the second one just
>
> seems stuck... I would be exceptionally supprised if it is
>
> mushroomed... expect the carbon ring as you mentioned... Not sure how
>
> I am suppose to get the carb cleaner down the bore of the lifter with
>
> the lifter in the way though... I took the one lifter i got out and
>
> sprayed it with carb cleaner and it got little or no carbon off of it.
>
> Is there some other chemical i can use that will really get in there and
>
> cut that stuff up so i can get the lifter out?
>
>
>
>
>
> Thanks for your reply.

Try some carb dip, that's more aggressive than the spray stuff. Put some in a hand oiler and try to get it right on the "seam" between the lifter and the block casting, and work each lifter back and forth, put more on, etc.

If it's mushroomed, you'll probably have to pull the cam and oil pan and push them out from underneath, if More Force doesn't work :/ Do you think it's varnish/carbon or no based on the cleanliness of the rest of the engine?

nate

N8N > wrote in
:

> On Sunday, February 23, 2014 6:11:22 AM UTC-5, samantha wrote:
>> In article >,
>>
>> "Steve W." > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> > samantha wrote:
>>
>> > > i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the
>> > > things
>>
>> > > i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up
>> > > in that
>>
>> > > area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really
>> > > want to
>>
>> > > go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I
>> > > went
>>
>> > > down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of
>> > > the
>>
>> > > lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide
>> > > hammer
>>
>> > > to remove the old lifter.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of
>> > > a
>>
>> > > sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if
>> > > anyone else
>>
>> > > has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck
>> > > lifters.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > Any help would be appreciated.
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > Thanks
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > >
>>
>> > > s.
>>
>> >
>>
>> > Sounds like the lifters have either carbon rings build up on the
>> > faces
>>
>> > or they have mushroomed.
>>
>> >
>>
>> > For the first one pull the lifter up a bit then spray carb cleaner
>>
>> > around it and work it in the bore.
>>
>> >
>>
>> > You would be much better off to install a cam/lifter kit. Unless
>> > that
>>
>> > cam is in perfect condition it will eat new lifters.
>>
>> >
>>
>> > If the engine has more than 50K or so on it you would be way ahead
>> > to
>>
>> > open it up and refresh it with new cam & lifters, timing set, new
>>
>> > bearings, new oil pump and new rings at least.
>>
>>
>>
>> Well the idea was that I had a noisy lifter in there so it just
>> seemed
>>
>> logical to replace them all... I replaced the timing chain two years
>>
>> ago because it was one of those ford timing gears with the phenelic
>>
>> timing gears and it worked well so far. The reason i am so deep into
>>
>> the engine is that (of all things) the thermostate stuck closed and
>> the
>>
>> engine started overheating. So pulled the gooseneck and
>> inadvertantly
>>
>> broke a bolt. So off comes the intake manifold. Bolts broke off in
>> the
>>
>> head. pulled the heads to get the broken bolts out... Since it was
>> out
>>
>> did a valve job. So was just reassembling the mess and decided that
>>
>> since i was so deep into it I would replace the lifters... I have
>> tried
>>
>> some carb cleaner .. but my technique must be wrong because it
>> failed.
>>
>> The first lifter I took out looked suprisingly good. So I put some
>>
>> assembly lube on it and put a new one in there... the second one
>> just
>>
>> seems stuck... I would be exceptionally supprised if it is
>>
>> mushroomed... expect the carbon ring as you mentioned... Not sure
>> how
>>
>> I am suppose to get the carb cleaner down the bore of the lifter with
>>
>> the lifter in the way though... I took the one lifter i got out and
>>
>> sprayed it with carb cleaner and it got little or no carbon off of
>> it.
>>
>> Is there some other chemical i can use that will really get in there
>> and
>>
>> cut that stuff up so i can get the lifter out?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for your reply.
>
> Try some carb dip, that's more aggressive than the spray stuff. Put
> some in a hand oiler and try to get it right on the "seam" between the
> lifter and the block casting, and work each lifter back and forth, put
> more on, etc.
>
> If it's mushroomed, you'll probably have to pull the cam and oil pan
> and push them out from underneath, if More Force doesn't work :/ Do
> you think it's varnish/carbon or no based on the cleanliness of the
> rest of the engine?
>
> nate
>

this is the normal way they are. just work them in and out while
spraying them and they will eventually come out. KB

In article >,
"Steve W." > wrote:

> samantha wrote:
> > i have a 351W small block i was doing some work on and one of the things
> > i wanted to do was replaced the lifter since i had some noise up in that
> > area. I have the engine partially tore down and I don't really want to
> > go into pulling the cam or going for the full rebuild.
> >
> > What I do have a problem with is the removal of the lifters. I went
> > down to autozone and rented a tool that slips inside the lip of the
> > lifter and a small weight slides up the bar and acts as a slide hammer
> > to remove the old lifter.
> >
> > Problem is I get the lifters out about 2/3 of the way and all of a
> > sudden they stick and don't want to move anymore.
> >
> > I have never encountered this before and I was wondering if anyone else
> > has and what solution they came up with to over come these stuck lifters.
> >
> >
> > Any help would be appreciated.
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks
> >
> >
> > s.
>
> Sounds like the lifters have either carbon rings build up on the faces
> or they have mushroomed.
>
> For the first one pull the lifter up a bit then spray carb cleaner
> around it and work it in the bore.
>
> You would be much better off to install a cam/lifter kit. Unless that
> cam is in perfect condition it will eat new lifters.
>
> If the engine has more than 50K or so on it you would be way ahead to
> open it up and refresh it with new cam & lifters, timing set, new
> bearings, new oil pump and new rings at least.

It rained all day today and i wasn't able to get out and try anything on
the lifters. Looking at the one that I did get out yesterday I more or
less decided that my cam is probably scrubbed and needs a replacement.

I expect the rings probably need to be replaced as well and the whole
engine needs a rebuild. But I think I am just going to dig into it and
replace the cam and leave the bottom end alone for now. The timing
chain was changed a couple of years ago, but I will inspect it for wear
once i get the timing case cover off.

I expect i will take some poster board and roll it in a half U and put
it where the cam comes out and catch the lifters once they come through
the bottom end and not allow them to fall into the oil pan.

Someone also suggested some vinyl flooring to serve the same purpose.
just take the lifter puller and pull them up until they stick up the
2/3s then pull the cam and put the poster board or flooring into the
hole and replace the cam and lifters together.


Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks for all that answered!!


S.

On Sun, 23 Feb 2014 05:11:22 -0600, samantha >
wrote:


>
>Well the idea was that I had a noisy lifter in there so it just seemed
>logical to replace them all... I replaced the timing chain two years
>ago because it was one of those ford timing gears with the phenelic
>timing gears and it worked well so far.

I rebuilt a 352 and had to do it twice because of the phenolic.
It had a spacer on the cam, and the new cast gear had it built in.
I put the spacer back on and the cam was off.
Chipped the cam and wiped the bearings.
Didn't have a problem with the lifters.
Depending on the miles, the main issue with the 352 was heads.
You'll probably need a ridge reamer and hone if you do the bottom.
I rented the reamer.
Get it cleaned and miked at a speed shop and let them give you ring
size. Have the crank polished and miked.
Personally, unless the car/truck is something I couldn't let go of,
I'd think twice, or three times about it now. Thirty years have
passed. It was a '66 F100.