Looking for someone to argue this out with me
08-06-2017, 11:16 PM
#1
Instructor
Thread Starter
Looking for someone to argue this out with me
This weekend I did a Cam tower reseal. All my reading suggested that if the cam follower buttons were solid they were good and if they were soft they were suspect. I had 3 soft ones. I watched a YouTube video posted in one of the threads here that detailed the functions with a cross section of a Cam follower. Pretty simple design.
So I decided to try to flush my soft ones. I used my compressor air hose and blew it across the oil hole creating a venturi effect. Holding the lifter in a rag, some dirty oil and a bit of sludge came out. I then put it in an oven at 200 degrees and after 15 minutes repeated the venturi effect with the heated sludge/oil. More was expelled.
Next I used a monoject syringe and injected 91% alcohol into the lifter and worked the plunger for a minute. Venturi again. Repeated a couple more times until it ran clear.
Next I put it back in the oven and heated again to make sure all of the alcohol was gone. Went back to the monoject and held the button down while filling the oil hole with 10w40. The monoject makes a very tight seal. As I proceeded to fill the Lifter with oil the button raised with so much pressure I could not hold it down. I know that my thumb creates much less pressure than the 3-5 bar in the oil system. They stayed very firm but not immovable for about 15 minutes then slowly bled off. No oil dropped out mind you. Just to test, as soon as I put the monoject in the hole and gave it slight pressure rock solid again.
So that got me thinking, why are the other lifters so solid with no give without any oil pressure? Isn't the design of them to compensate for tolerances when cold and hot? Isn't that what the spring is in there for? Isn't that why they CAN move, to self adjust?
I then decided to play with a solid one. Did the same thing with the venturi. Without exception the solid ones seemed to have a thicker sludge/oil mix. After going through the same process, all of the lifters function the same now. They have some give until pressure is applied to the oil hole.
Either I ruined all my cam followers or they are functioning properly now.
I hypothesize that cam lifters that are rock solid with no give under no oil pressure are just sludged up and the ones that have give but get solid under oil pressure are actually in better shape.
Tell me where I'm wrong.
So I decided to try to flush my soft ones. I used my compressor air hose and blew it across the oil hole creating a venturi effect. Holding the lifter in a rag, some dirty oil and a bit of sludge came out. I then put it in an oven at 200 degrees and after 15 minutes repeated the venturi effect with the heated sludge/oil. More was expelled.
Next I used a monoject syringe and injected 91% alcohol into the lifter and worked the plunger for a minute. Venturi again. Repeated a couple more times until it ran clear.
Next I put it back in the oven and heated again to make sure all of the alcohol was gone. Went back to the monoject and held the button down while filling the oil hole with 10w40. The monoject makes a very tight seal. As I proceeded to fill the Lifter with oil the button raised with so much pressure I could not hold it down. I know that my thumb creates much less pressure than the 3-5 bar in the oil system. They stayed very firm but not immovable for about 15 minutes then slowly bled off. No oil dropped out mind you. Just to test, as soon as I put the monoject in the hole and gave it slight pressure rock solid again.
So that got me thinking, why are the other lifters so solid with no give without any oil pressure? Isn't the design of them to compensate for tolerances when cold and hot? Isn't that what the spring is in there for? Isn't that why they CAN move, to self adjust?
I then decided to play with a solid one. Did the same thing with the venturi. Without exception the solid ones seemed to have a thicker sludge/oil mix. After going through the same process, all of the lifters function the same now. They have some give until pressure is applied to the oil hole.
Either I ruined all my cam followers or they are functioning properly now.
I hypothesize that cam lifters that are rock solid with no give under no oil pressure are just sludged up and the ones that have give but get solid under oil pressure are actually in better shape.
Tell me where I'm wrong.
Last edited by GJB928; 08-06-2017 at 11:56 PM. Reason: Typo
