speedracing944

Which group of lifters are bad?

All lifters measure 0.420" from the button to the top.

Group 1)

lifter is soft. I can push the button in with my thumb with using about 5 lbs of force.

If I pump up the lifter with oil it stiffens (real hard to push) up but as I push it with my thumb I am able to get oil to seep out of the hole and run down the lifter.

If the lifter sits on the bench after 2 minutes the oil leaks out of the hole and i am again able to push the button with my thumb using about 5 lbs of force


Group 2)

If I try to push on the button very hard with my thumb (about 50 lbs of force) I can get the button to depress just a little amount (1/5 the distance) and a little oil leaks out of the hole. Maybe 1/10 the amount of oil.

The lifter can sit on the bench for eternity and it doesn't go soft. It maintains a very stiff nature.


So which lifters are bad?
I need confirmation ASAP
Thanks in advance



Speedy



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KuHL 951

I hope you get some good feedback on this also. I have a set sitting in oil that sounds like your group 1 and takes strong thumb pressure to depress. I was told that is too soft. It's just hard to believe that every lifter is the same and they are bad. They look like new and came from a 91K motor. The group 2 sounds more like they should be unless the stiffness is caused by sludge buildup and not a stronger spring and seal. As long as the lifter returns quickly after depressing it should be fine. Blow them out with compressed air through the side hole and resoak the group 1 set in oil with the hole facing up and see if they stiffen up any. All lifters will drain some on a bench when not held captive in the bore; it's how they perform at operating temp that matters to me.

speedracing944

I spoke with a 944 guru at Harpers Porsche in Knoxville TN and he said the lifters should NOT leak down and should maintain to be very stiff even after a week from sitting on a bench. If they leak out of the weep hole and go soft the lifter is bad and should be replaced.

There is no procedure to prepping the new lifter before it goes in the car. You just install it.

To bench test a lifter you are suppose to push on the button with a screwdriver and the button should not compress.


So according to this info Group 1 is the bad set.


Speedy

KuHL 951

All good info but I don't agree with the part about a good lifter holding oil for a week on the bench. Lifters should always be stored in oil between rebuilds IMO. You are fortunate having those group 2 lifters. Good luck finding good 'new' OE lifters.The OE lifters made by INA today are the only ones Porsche and vendors sell any more and many of them have failed within 10K miles or less. I'd rather have a lifter that drains down at cold start but pumps up normally than one that seizes up and ruins a cam like many have experienced with the INA version.

billthe3

Is there no (relatively) cheap option to do solid lifters or some other type of replacement, aside from the lindsey solid lifter setup?

speedracing944

That is funny you mention the INA lifter. I replaced one of my lifters last October with a INA I purchased from the local dealership. It only lasted 3000 miles and is now shot. When I took it back to the dealer to have them replace it under the new parts warantee they wanted all the original receipts and the original box the lifter came in. Now who in thier right mind keeps the original box for a lifter which SHOULD last the life of the car. In the end I was able to negotiate the free replacment but now I wonder if I should of just bought a set of used original lifters from a parts car.

Note to everybody. Keep your original box if you need new lifters or just buy good used ones.

Speedy