Another LS7 lifter goes

[travis gore]

Not that this helps, but a local buddy had a friend that swapped through three lifters in an ls block before he finally sold the block and started fresh.

there was over 36k on the engine before the cam swap. Highly unlikely it is the block.

[Rawyzf]

I hate reading threads like this, makes me paranoid!

Good luck Ray!

[G8V8]

Damn, Ray. Now I'm paranoid!

[Rawyzf]

Damn, Ray. Now I'm paranoid!

OT - sorry.

Is you 1/4 time in your sig with all of you current mods?

[09G8DC]

The comment came up that perhaps the lifter spun in the bucket. I'm going to investigate, theres no doubt about that.
Getting prices on LS7, link bars are most likely what I'll be using.

Sounds like exactly what happened to mine. When I was having my new engine built first priority was to do away with the plastic buckets and use link bars.

[G8-4-Speed]

I've had my 2nd LS7 lifter fail on my G8. The first one I was beating on the car a bit working on the trans tune. Repaired at Norris Motorsports for around $1k. Picked it up the day of HRPT last year. Since then, I put on about 5000 miles.

Last Wednesday (6th), I took it to the track. I ran 7 times without any apparent issues. Saturday, I started it and had a little tapping. Went to Napa, and hit it a few times. Nothing most of us wouldn't do. I get within 1/4 from home and it starts tapping really loud. I knew what it was.
Got the valve cover off Sunday afternoon and the #4 intake lifter has no pre-load. Looks to be about .020" slop. I look at the push rod and roll it on a piece of granite. Rolls straight.

Then it dawns on me, it is the same exact lifter position that failed before. I still have the damaged cam, and as soon as I have time, I'm going to measure the angles/ramps, and lift duration. I have plenty of oil pressure, so not sure how to check an oiling issue. Since it's in the back, I would expect one of the front lifters to have a problem if it was oiling.

Anyone see this happen before?

The cam is a comp cam, 224/236 on a 114 +4. Lift is 608/602
heads are off an '07 Vette, Stage II porting from Land Speed.

Is there .020" lash? Or can you just push the plunger down .020"? I have plunger get stuck and just ran a longer pushrod for a little bit. BUT if you are flat-spotting a roller, it will break and make a mess if you let it go too long. Possibly trash the block. Try a single longer pushrod and see if you can push the plunger down further when putting the rocker back on. Then either run it for a minute or just take it back off after a few minutes and see if the plunger either stays stuck or releases. This may help determine if the lifter roller is worn down or it is just a stuck plunger. The stuck plunger can be "un-stuck" with just using a longer pushrod for a few miles. You can buy single pushrods for a couple bucks.

[todds87ss]

IIRC, Ray's stockers are about .020 longer...

[G8V8]

OT - sorry.

Is you 1/4 time in your sig with all of you current mods?

No. That was before the C-D transmission and was run on 20" all-season tires mounted on wheels that added up to 20 pounds per wheel heavier than my current VMRs and DW Contis. It was run right off the highway (no cool down) on street pressures and it was the only run made before the track closed for the day. There was more to be had but it was all the time there was.

[Rawyzf]

No. That was before the C-D transmission and was run on 20" all-season tires mounted on wheels that added up to 20 pounds per wheel heavier than my current VMRs and DW Contis. It was run right off the highway (no cool down) on street pressures and it was the only run made before the track closed for the day. There was more to be had but it was all the time there was.

Glad to hear that, I didn't want to be disappointed at the track when I finally find time. I have similar mods, but no Stall. I was thinking, oh crap, am I only gonna get a 12.5ish. I would die.

[-Ray-]

Is there .020" lash? Or can you just push the plunger down .020"? I have plunger get stuck and just ran a longer pushrod for a little bit. BUT if you are flat-spotting a roller, it will break and make a mess if you let it go too long. Possibly trash the block. Try a single longer pushrod and see if you can push the plunger down further when putting the rocker back on. Then either run it for a minute or just take it back off after a few minutes and see if the plunger either stays stuck or releases. This may help determine if the lifter roller is worn down or it is just a stuck plunger. The stuck plunger can be "un-stuck" with just using a longer pushrod for a few miles. You can buy single pushrods for a couple bucks.

Rick, I didn't take a feeler gauge to the rocker, but I can put it back on and check it. The previous lifter flat spotted. Ground around .250: off the roller, and part of the side of the roller up to the pin.
I'll see if the lifter is stuck/collapsed by pushing down on the push rod. Doesn't matter, I think the engine is coming out.