Freddie's Transplant

[MacDee]

1. Lack of zinc in oil... but I suspect there's more involved
2. Over adjusted rocker arms... added to the bad oil.
3. Plugged oil gallery that supplies oil to the lifters in cylinder 5.

#1) My engine builder used SAE 30 with ZDDP additive. I've been using Kendall GT1 Platinum 20-50 specifically because it has ZDDP.
#2) Have always seemed to have an issue with valve adjustment. No matter what I did, or how many times I did it over, I ended up with noisy lifters.... I wonder if I just had some bad lifters?
#3) My engine builder was particularly good at ensuring all galleries are clean. But... who knows.

Two possibilities Randy and I came up with is 1) inadequate break-in, and 2) too much valve spring pressure. I had ordered the "302" springs with dampers from Classic Inlines, but they sent the hell-for-bent compound springs, the strongest springs they sell... so we used 'em.

[Nathan289]

Im thinking it was your springs..

And damage to the rocker assembly?
Any wear on other lifters?
How are the valve stems or the valve seats? High spring pressure should have hammered the valves.

[Luva65wagon]

One broke rocker early on and now this? I say valve springs and probably break-in issues since it was not a sure-fire start-up and break-in. Unless you're going to race this you don't have to worry about ultra heavy springs. Time to regroup and think about this with intended use and learning from what's happened so far.

[MacDee]

One broke rocker early on and now this? I say valve springs and probably break-in issues since it was not a sure-fire start-up and break-in. Unless you're going to race this you don't have to worry about ultra heavy springs. Time to regroup and think about this with intended use and learning from what's happened so far.

Yeah. It was actually a broken push rod, but I'd bet money that whatever might be wrong with the valve train contributed to it!

I have a theory... It's WAY off-the-wall... and makes assumptions I cannot justify... but it would explain a LOT:

Could it be possible the valve springs were "overpowering" the lifters?
Let's assume (the first ridiculous assumption)... the springs were causing significant leak-down during the period the lifter is on the lobe; then assume (the second ridiculous assumption)... the lifter didn't have enough time to refill during the period it is on the base circle. IF SO... I would get NOISY LIFTERS no matter how I tried to adjust them, or how many times I re-adjusted them (exactly what I have experienced), and the lifters would be getting HAMMERED on every revolution.

Considering its intended use... the new build will be using a much more conservative cam, and softer valve springs.

[Nathan289]

May I suggest a comp cam h256?
Use new stock springs with shims if needed.

10w-30 vr1 racing oil is good.
Lucas has break in oil that is good and not too expensive.

[MacDee]

The trashed cam was a Clay Smith 274-112. The new cam is a 264-110.
I have turned the build over to a True Professional. I seem to have more money than sense, so the only sensible thing to do is to pay a True Professional to do the sensible thing, right? Springs have not been selected yet, but I'm sure Randy [and I?] will do the sensible thing!

[Luva65wagon]

I'm not sure about all those assumptions, but oil pump capacity has more to do with it than the lifters or valve springs. Oil pump pressure should be a constant. I'm not sure (off the top of my head) what they offered for high-volume (not pressure) oil pumps on the L6, but that would be something to look at if you are not certain what was installed.

I know, just from history, that getting oil all the way up to the rockers was an issue requiring external tactics to get it up there, but whether that is an issue with lifters as well, I don't know. Usually by now (50 years post engine release) anything that can be known about these motors has been published - as well as any and all modifications you can and should do to make them survive any upgrades you want to throw at them.

You probably did well with going this route. I think we're all in agreement that we'd like to see more of your car out-n-about.