Replace lifters - tips & tricks

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BigIrish

BigIrish

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
1,382
Location
Houston, TX
I have a bad lifter in my Ford 200 6 banger in the speedster. It collapses after the engine gets warm and ticks like crazy.

I've never had to this before - are there any tips? Do you need to soak the lifters in oil before installing? Need any special tools, like a magnet to get them out?

This engine doesnt have any side access to the lifters like some old 6clys do.
 
they make a lifter tool that goes in the top and expands to help pull them out. a little brake fluid helps cut the gum buildup and makes them come out easier. before installing a new one i push down a little and fill with engine oil from a squirt can. sorry i don't know anything about your ford six, but this is what i do on my chevys. good luck!
 
I soak them in clean engine oil and use a pushrod to pump the plunger up and down a few times to expell any air. I don't know if that is even needed as they will bleed themselves once the engine starts, but it makes me feel useful. :D

Put a dab of cam break in lube on the part that touches the cam, as there is never such a thing as too much lubrication until things seat.

Don
 
So far so good! The head bolts came off easily, which was my main worry. The lifters also slid right out with a strong magnet. Whew.

I noticed some of the head bolts were bone dry. Arent you supposed to put a lube on the threads to get a proper torque reading? The engine has been rebuilt before, now I'm wonder what kind of genius did it.

Whatever, its a $300 engine.

Hopefully button it back up tonight and test [P
 

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Some of the head bolts might run into the water jackets. Others could run into blind holes.

ARP supplies a special lubricant with their head bolts and they specify the torque. Generally on a non-high performance engine I put the head bolts in clean and dry and use the motor manual torque specs.
 
Luckily on this engine they all go into blind holes. The ones on the outside of the valve cover were dry, the ones under the valve cover were swimming in oil.

I guess I should oil all of them to keep it consistent. The blind holes under the valve cover are full of oil
 
When I first spotted this post I though you were

going to try to get them out without pulling the head....looks like I was mistaken.....:D
 
Well I got it all put back together last night and fired it up. Sounds great and runs normally. Ran it up to operating temp and didn't see any leaks, smoke, etc.

The real test will be when I can run it hard around town but for now I guess I'm done. I've been putting this off for 2 years!
 
I always clean the bolts real good and chase out the bolt hole threads then blow them out. I use nothing but Felpro permatorque head gaskets so no re-torqueing is required. I always lube the threads and the bolt face contact surface so I'm getting a true torque reading and not a squeaky dry reading. On holes that go into water jackets I use a sealer.
 

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