[michaeldwilson]

stock rebuild on small block. installed mild generic hyd flat tappet cam and lifters. 1/2 turn past zero lash. on stand trying to start it. cranking over like it has no compression. pull a plug and no compression.
loosened lifters till got compression on no. 1 cylinder. loosened them till had no preload and a little more almost like a solid lifter. did all cylinders and it started. wierd part there is no lifter ticking. a hyd lifter with no preload should be ticking.
took intake off and pulled 2 lifters and took them apart. they are hyd lifters. what am i missing? i build 30-35 350 chevys a year and have never ran across this.

 

[Tom Mobley]

I'd guess they're solids. even if they look like hydraulics.

 

[billdini]

Your cam has to be installed wrong. Has to be!

 

[Aml383]

I'd guess they're solids. even if they look like hydraulics.

Yeah but if they are solid then why no noise at all ? Maybe because he has them like right at zero or something?

 

[Aml383]

Your cam has to be installed wrong. Has to be!

Like they didnt degree it ??

 

[billdini]

Like they didnt degree it ??

Hell no 90 degrees out wrong. Wrong mark to mark IMO

 

[Aml383]

Hell no 90 degrees out wrong. Wrong mark to mark IMO

Oh boy lol I'd better watch my a ss
New cam heads roller lifters sittin here right now .

.so they might be hydraulic lifters but no
Compression or start because cam might have been installed wrong ....then by loosening the rockers some it runs but with no noise? No noise like it should with hydraulic lifters.
.then what?? Just leave a bunch of power on the table and drive ? Lol

 

[Aml383]

Oh boy lol I'd better watch my a ss
New cam heads roller lifters sittin here right now .

.so they might be hydraulic lifters but no
Compression or start because cam might have been installed wrong ....then by loosening the rockers some it runs but with no noise? No noise like it should with hydraulic lifters.
.then what?? Just leave a bunch of power on the table and drive ? Lol

Surprises me it would run at all if thats the case . Idk

 

[michaeldwilson]

I'd guess they're solids. even if they look like hydraulics.

took them apart. they arent solids. what would happen if the cam was a solid?

 

[michaeldwilson]

Your cam has to be installed wrong. Has to be!

why would it start and run and rev up well after i loosen them?

 

[billdini]

Funny I ordered a new Howard cam to today only to get a call it was a small circle cam. Wrong cam in the right box. Now that can run on my wifes 350 with different pushrods and other stuff but key word is different and it was wrong and the dealer caught the mistake before I tried to run it. Some of these new roller cams timing sets allow for 9 for different timing marks make me happy I do not go nuts degreeing a cam. . Something is wrong and you are gonna have to figure out what it is. This isn't gonna be fixed with some guy over a keyboard. Assume everything is wrong and start eliminating by process of elimination. Measure once and measure again.

 

[Camaro_fever68]

My only idea is that you collapsed the lifters when zeroing the lash. If the cam was 180 out it wouldn’t run.

 

[1967 chevelle malibu]

When setting zero lash are you rotating the push rod or lifting it? Its easy to set zero too deep In the lifter

 

[michaeldwilson]

My only idea is that you collapsed the lifters when zeroing the lash. If the cam was 180 out it wouldn’t run.

lifters arent collapsed. i prime the engine with a drill for several minutes to make sure everything is lubed and before i took the lifters apart i tried to compress them in the drill press and they were full of oil. my only thoughts are its a solid cam. i know the ramps are diffewrent and wonder if the way the lifters are adjusted if it would hold the valves open

 

[michaeldwilson]

When setting zero lash are you rotating the push rod or lifting it? Its easy to set zero too deep In the lifter

rotating. i adjust 30-40 sets a year and have a good feel for it. and after i got engine to start and run i assumed they tightened up some because they were quiet. took vlave covers off and they are still loose

 

[Camaro_fever68]

Even if it’s a solid cam on hydraulic lifters it wouldn’t cause this issue. You seem to have plenty experience. Go over it again

 

[shovelrick]

Have you checked the cam with a degree wheel to see if things are opening/closing when they're supposed to, did you happen to soak the lifters in oil before install? Maybe they're to pumped up? Im no pro just thinking out loud

 

[DUTCH MAX HEADWORK]

EOIC AND DON'T SPIN THE PUSHROD WHEN CHECKING FOR ZERO LASH. Zero lash is the point where there is no longer up and down movement in the pushrod.

Or

Fire it up and back off until she clicks and tighten down 1/2 to 3/4 a turn.

 

[Aml383]

My only idea is that you collapsed the lifters when zeroing the lash. If the cam was 180 out it wouldn’t run.

So if you put a hydraulic lifter at 0 or leave slop in there like you would with a solid lifter it can potentially collapse the lifters?
But then it ran afterwards anyway without noise even with the collapsed lifters?

 

[Aml383]

This guy puts 30 to 35 350's a year together