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Tips
Tips

TR2/3/3A tr3 lifter noise

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You may be able to coax that lifter back in its bore, but it is difficult. At this point though - don't be in too bad a shock, it would not be that difficult to just pull the head, get the lifter back in place, and replace the gasket.
 
sp53 said:
This thing has had 5 oil changes in 200 miles that should be enough, maybe.
Click to expand...

What you are interested in is if the oil has a metalic paint look to it. If the tappet or cam are going, you'll see the shiny flakes in the oil. No flakes, then no worry.

Good luck with the tappet. Tempting as it is, definitely do not hit it! Once it is straight it will go back down easily. Have you tried a magnet?

John
 
Thanks Randy and John for your response. I thought I would get more patients with maturity/age. I have had the lifts get in a bind before on a rebuild, but not one I thought was already the problem. You are right John to reframe, but I am some kind of bullet-headed lumberjack. I hit it once with a block of wood and a hammer no go. So, out of frustration and meditation, I just gently kept plunking the pushrod down on it out and like you said when it straightens out, it will drop. I am going to take your advice John and go talk to Delta Camshaft. The tips are all smooth where they touch the valve, but there is some scaring on the sides. These are old tappets that have been rebuilt. I like the dial indicator idea, but I have almost zero experience. I think what I need is a smaller feeler gauge that only touches the valve tip and the tappet tip.
 
Push rods will do that unless you break the suction between the lifter and the rod by rotating the rod and putting some side load on it until you feel it come free of the lifter.
 
I hate it when that happens! Force or tapping the pushrod on it's seat won't help, you have to get the entire lifter lined up exactly with its bore. I have been able to work them back in by lifting the pushrod an inch or so, and working the end around in a circle (so it move the top of the lifter). Once it is lined up, it should just drop into place.

But in your case, I'd probably just pull the head. That way you can have the lifter out for examination, plus make sure there isn't any FOD inside it, and get a peek at the cam lobe as well.

BTW, the cam follower (lifter) is also called a tappet. I think you are talking about the rockers (or rocker arms) rather than the tappets.
 
is there any reason why you dont just replace all the lifters(tappets) I know you should only replace them with a new cam as they wear in to the particular lobe and become matched to the cam but if you surfaced all of them you have destroyed the matching, so again why not replace them all thats if Money is not an issue

Hondo
 
Thanks all for your support. I was able to coax the lifter down, so that worked out. I forgot what a hassle that can be. I took the rocker shaft down to Delta Cam and when we got looking,some of the tips were not done. I thought they were, but no. I cannot remember exactly why, perhaps what they did were duplicates, because I brought the rocker ends in separate, and perhaps then I only used some when I figured that out, starry, starry, nights. A frame off resto just takes so long, I can get lost. Anyway they redid the tips for 56.00 and polished everything nice and pretty; it was already pretty. Anyways I put it back together and ran it, but it is still too noisy for me. There are no carpets or door panels so the noise is amplified. You make a good point about pulling the head Randall. Hondo the reason I did not use new lifters is there was so much talk about inferior grade lifter and cam shaft metal that I used old stuff. John thanks for your advice, I did not see any metal and that help me in the decision making process. I am going to start looking for a good quality manufacture of head gaskets, perhaps some English company still makes them. I figured it is like some kind of Druid sacrifice, the old English need their money. Moreover, if I buy it, I will not need it, just homage. Yes, I am putting a stereo in also to help with the noise.
 
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