Thread: Rebuilt 4.6 noise lifters at start-up - Help please?

The lifters them self are to blame mate of mine has the same drama with his recoed 5.0L and the lifters are the problem hes replaced em and has the same problem and that is ya cant buy a deacent holden lifter any more well he hasent found one yet ...

It really doesn't sound that unusual to me. They lose their prime until the pump floods them. There's no big wear issue on this. A bit annoying, but no problem if it's only a few secs.

I think Holden lifters are suppose to be fine but cheap Holden lifters are bad news as are cheap Rover lifters.
Was the preload set when the engine was built??
If not this is where I would start!

I had heard also that the are fine for the Rover, and I know others have used them. BUT, I had to replace the very first set I used with Rover ones after the same issue, and have never used them since Once bitten etc.

The Rover ones are not that expensive.

JC

I would also hope that when the lifters were replaced you replaced the cam??

Originally Posted by russa

Hi All,

I recently rebuilt a 4.6 for my LSE, everything went well and car now flies. But at start-up, after several hours, like overnight for example, the lifters clatter like they have no oil for about 10 seconds, doesn't sound long unless you’re standing next to the car.

Last night I just completed what I thought would be a fix, I fitted a new front cam bearing (thinking oil bypass loss) and new lifters. The old lifters were already very slightly dished and had signs of pitting on about 3 lifters. This is all in less than 10K's.

This morning the lifter rattling was there as before, I was shattered. It never happened previously with the 3.9 at 205klms.. so I have no reason to suspect the oil pump is the culprit.

I have changed the oils several times since the rebuilt, and tried 3 different brands of oil filters thinking the drain back valve may have been at fault.. So now I'm out of idea's.

Can anyone suggest where I might have gone wrong, where do the lifters get their oil supply from and why would they drain down like this?? I should add they are Holden lifters which several engine rebuilders said are fine and have themselves used successfully many times before. And a mate rebuilt a 4.0 for his '82 2 door, same lifters, no problems...

I am at a loss...I'm even dreaming of ball valves that might be missing from block after cleaning etc etc...

Any suggestions, good, bad or weird accepted...!

regards,
Russell,
Blackburn Melbourne.
Rattly 1993 4.6 LSE

If your lifters were dished, your cam will be also. If you run new lifters on an old cam, the cam will wear the pattern right back into them. The running width of the cam lobe to lifter will still be at the same force, but on a much smaller surface area causing accelerated wear.

As for the lifters, although the V8 is originally a GM Buick engine as is the Holden 253/308, the hydraulic rates are different. Go with what it should have as there is nothing to be gained by using something else.
You will have to replace your cam and again change the lifters.

I have limited knowledge on this matter, but holden lifters are designed to pump oil out of the top of them. The Rover set-up will not allow this to occur. Therefore a Holden lifter cannot work as it is designed to in a Rover motor. I would assume that this could cause issues. I would think that the best bet would be to use Rover lifter.

Originally Posted by r.over

I have limited knowledge on this matter, but holden lifters are designed to pump oil out of the top of them. The Rover set-up will not allow this to occur. Therefore a Holden lifter cannot work as it is designed to in a Rover motor. I would assume that this could cause issues. I would think that the best bet would be to use Rover lifter.

Exactly.

JC