Helstrm

I need someone to chime in on this question. Can someone use his old lifters in another used cam tower? Or will the wear be different? I just want to make sure we are not running into more problems.

Porsche-O-Phile

I've heard that the lifters should be only placed back in the same hole they came out of to prevent irregular wear, but I think it's bull. It doesn't make a lot of sense when you think about it - lifters that are hardened (like ours) don't wear that much (grab a used set and look) if at all. Even a given lifter in a given hole rotates slightly every time so there's no particular guarantee of a particular wear pattern developing. I'd say as long as the lifters are good (not worn) and pump up when soaked in oil / ATF, go for it. The worst that could happen is you'll end up having to replace a lifter or two eventually anyhow. I really do think the "you can't put them into a different cam tower" thing is bunk though. . .

david fracolli

As far as I am concerned yes they can. When I rbuilt my engine many years ago the lifter bores showed signs of wear. Replaced the cam housing with another one and used the same lifters. Put over 35000 miles on the engine before I parted it out do to an electical fire.

z3bra

My take is that it's probably the wear on the cam lobes that has been established that's what's important not to switch around.

Case in point, on the Datsun engines in the 510's and the early Z cars, the followers get a pretty established wipe pattern that you can see once they're broken in and that's the only dire warning they give is to keep the followers matched to their original cam lobes. Those engines are pretty bulletproof no matter what you do to them too, but the little hardened pad in the rocker arms wears itself to match the cam and then it stays put once it's decided it's happy.

I don't think swapping cam towers matters with regard to the lifters. The hardened stell of the lifters is going to pretty quickly establish who's boss with the aluminum casting once it's put into use as far as any wear patterns go so as long as you can keep a good oil film in there I really don't see why it would cause the sky to fall. I can see the lifters being mismatched to their original cam lobes causing bigger problems though.

Porsche-O-Phile

Exactly - I've seen the cam lobes wear a little, but never seen any appreciable wear on a 944 lifter. Usually they fail internally and won't pump up meaning a replacement is required, but I've never seen one wear or fail due to denting / wearing / shattering / deforming. I guess there's a first time for everything though.

Helstrm

Good to know, I am trying to help out 9fitty1 since the last guy that coated his parts destroyed his cam cover, I just wanted to make sure that he was not going to run into more issues. Thanks for the help guys....

And once again my membership has payed for itself....

Zero10

Ahh, from the parts of the discussion I read, it sounded like you shipped him a damaged one.
It makes more sense if somebody else did it to his.

As far as the lifters go, I've never seen any wear pattern on a lifter. That said, just due to not wanting any future problems, I always keep them in the same holes. However I wouldn't think twice about swapping them into another cam tower.

Helstrm

Yeah, He had some parts coated by another company. After increasing the price from $90 to over $300 and the wrong color I offered to recoat them. Let me tell you stripping that stuff is fun... But it seems they sand blasted the tower and the bores. Some shops use sand, I use fine Aluminum Oxide and only touch the areas needed. Well anyway... They toasted it. Sux too because I was pretty happy with the polishing job on the script... So now I am trying to help him out and get his car back together. If I would have damaged the tower I would be sending him mine today... For me this is a hobby not a business and I like helping people out as much as I can,... BUT after this one is done that is it until I finish my project car......

Jakerx

i've used old lifters in another cam tower. no problems to report here.

Zero10

Now I get it. I was wondering why so much of the discussion was on your techniques and habits. That makes perfect sense.
That is terrible luck, I remember that thread about the powder coating.