84 replies to this topic

[rexy]

Just what everyone wants to find attached to their magnetic drain plug.

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[Litre8]

Intestines from a deceased roller rocker or roller lifter?

[wot179]

It could be worse.

They could be conrods.

[LXCHEV]

Interesting what you find, was the engine still running well?

[rexy]

I hadn't noticed a change but it's so damn loud it's hard to hear a new noise.
The culprit was this:
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I am less worried about the needles than I am about the tiny metal fragments from the rocker body.

Always fun pulling things down for an autopsy.

[rexy]

I am hoping I have got fairly lucky. It was a real suprise find on draining the oil. Motor only has about 1500 km on it.
Most of the other rockers feel a bit crunchy in their movement. They have all been replaced on reassembly with COMP cams ones.

The other bad suprise was when I pulled the roller lifters out to give them the once over. The roller ends looked fine but three of the pushrods cups looked like this:  image.jpg   195.01K   27 downloads

These are the super duper short travel COMP cams hyd roller lifters. They claim to have never seen a failure of this type.

[S pack]

Maybe you've got some valve spring coil bind going on there Rexy?

[rexy]

What brand of rocket Rexy? How are the rest of your rockers. If one lets go I would be nervous about the rest unless it's an obvious fault.

The dead ones were PEP stainless steel. Allegedly made in the USA but probably subcontracted to China...
Coil bind was suggested by a contact of mine. Didn't seem to be an issue when I was checking during re assembly.

[S pack]

Did you prime the new lifters before installation?

Also remember that hydraulic lifters have ample opportunity to leak down when turning an engine over by hand so coil bind may not be apparent as maximum valve lift is unobtainable until the engine is running.

[S pack]

Which is why you check for coil bind (as well as rocker to stud, retainer to guide and everything else) with a light spring.

Which is why you build engines and I don't.

[rexy]

Six month update.
Have done about 1500 km on it since the reassembly. Oil change today showed a few tiny metal fragments that look like leftover bits of the dead rocker.

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So have filled it back up with oil and we shall see how we go.

Confession time.
Both this change and the initial fill after reassembly I have added the Nulon E 30 Teflon treatment. Absolutely no proof it will save anything but made me feel better.

[RallyRed]

Hi Rexy,

Did you establish what caused the failure?...or are you thinking just poor quality China style?

 

I'm only asking as we are currently putting an engine back in, and any learnin's are good learnin's.

Thanks

[rexy]

I showed the bits to the guys at Competition Engines.
The opinion was the rocker failure was likely the result of poor quality.
No one is sure of what caused the lifter cracking. My preferred theory is the apprentice at the engine builders was let loose and bottomed them out while setting the initial lash.

[rexy]

Found a few more little bits changing the oil today.

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After a bit of a rub.

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The needles were well crusted with oxidised metal so I am hopefull they are leftovers from the initial injury. The little fragments are pretty non specific but probably compatible with residual bits of the dead rocker casing.

Dunno how worried to be to be honest. Engine sounds the same so I have filled it back up with oil and we shall see.
Fingers crossed.

[RallyRed]

cant be too many bits left in there?.....have you been using a can opener on the filters as well?......I'm assuming this stuff you are finding is all sump stuff

[rexy]

Another couple of thousand Kay’s, another oil change.



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Still got the same rag... well it’s brother.

Few more little odds and ends on the magnetic drain plug. Engine sounds the same.

Have put Penrite racing 15 in it this time. It’s a 15-50 High zinc full synthetic. Their technical help line was excellent as was Nulons.

Engine has had a few oils in it. Came with Joe Gibbs break in oil in it. Used the Brad Penn 10-40 and 20-50 semi synthetics followed by Lucas 20-50 racing oil.

We shall see how this goes.

[Shiney005]

If the stainless steel in those rockers was any good, the broken bits wouldn't stick to the magnet.

[rexy]

So for comparison this is what was on the magnetic plug when I changed the oil in the yellow car today.



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Tiny bit of fur on the magnet with no discrete metal fragments.
The engine is a Holden V8 built more than 15 years ago. Previously owned by at least two part time drag racers who used it regularly and hard. Bought it from a guy who thought it was rooted. He was wrong.... Still going strong!