#3 Exhaust Lifter

[Rt.146]

Cyl. 3 exhaust hydraulic lifter started with a tick, I think it is collapsed, rotates in place which may be good news though I'm not counting on it. Possibly the lifter "mushroomed" flatting the cam lobe, just wonderful news, one of excitement at the thought of having to replace the cam, lifters, gaskets.

[Rt.146]

Newly rebuilt motor for what it is worth, exhaust lifter on #3, grooved, portends the cam is worn, so to have a lot of fun, took all accessories off the motor, intake manifold bolts are out, will pop the intake manifold out today, to check out the other lifters, though another new cam and lifters is in the works, again.

[jtschug]

Plan on removing the oil pan and cleaning out all of the shrapnel

[Rt.146]

Plan on removing the oil pan and cleaning out all of the shrapnel

Good advice about the oil pan just a dreaded job car on blocks on creeper, is the oil pump on the 66 390 anyway connected to the oil pan?

[bbogue]

I had a lifter start ticking soon after a rebuild on my 61. #4 intake as I recall. I read that this isn’t unusual with replacement lifters.

FWIW, please know that some lifters are removable and replaceable without removing the intake. A pencil magnet inside vinyl tubing (magnet slightly protruding from the tubing end) was useful removing the old one and installing the new one. The defective lifter was not obviously defective from its appearance.

Assuming your engine is similar to mine, the oil pump is not attached to the pan. Pulling the oil pan is an Ugh job for sure. A search here will reveal several helpful posts.

Best of luck.

Bill
Former ‘61 Owner

[jtschug]

The oil pump is not connected to the pan, but the pickup hangs down and there isn’t enough room between it and the X member to pull the pan out in the vehicle. I’ve heard it can be done by unbolting the engine and trans mounts and lifting it an inch or two, but I haven’t tried that.

[David Langhorne]

If you go to Nick Pepe's channel on Youtube (Vintage Thunderbird Repair) you will find details on this job where he changes out the oil pump.
I find his videos very useful and essential for those of us who do our own repairs.

[Rt.146]

The number 3 cylinder's exhaust lifter and lobe on cam wiped out, the rest of the lifters and cam look and are OK, any thoughts why just those two places the lifter and cam, did that?
I heard about lifting the engine to remove the oil pan, the fun doesn't end, I'm going to try and run a magnet and a scope into the pan, there is room in the front where the timing cover sits, that may give an idea on the amount of metal if any (big hope) the oil filter may have handle it, maybe?

[losendos]

I had a lifter start ticking soon after a rebuild on my 61. #4 intake as I recall. I read that this isn’t unusual with replacement lifters.

FWIW, please know that some lifters are removable and replaceable without removing the intake. A pencil magnet inside vinyl tubing (magnet slightly protruding from the tubing end) was useful removing the old one and installing the new one. The defective lifter was not obviously defective from its appearance.

Assuming your engine is similar to mine, the oil pump is not attached to the pan. Pulling the oil pan is an Ugh job for sure. A search here will reveal several helpful posts.

Best of luck.

Bill
Former ‘61 Owner

Bill, you sold your car??

[bbogue]

Sorry, not to overhaul this thread, just to answer Patrick.

Yes. My wife and I moved to a retirement facility. No enclosed garage here so the car had to go. My car is now in Texas, near Dallas, I think. A nice driver for somebody. Cheers.

Bill

[Rt.146]

Thanks for the advice from all, everything is stripped down, all the gasket material cleaned off the surfaces, now to put in new lifters and cam. A couple of questions I have , other than greasing up the cam and pre loading the lifters with oil, right about here in the installation,I'm tying to find a mechanic more knowledgeable than myself to take over this part of the actual installation! Reading the shop manual, end play of the cam is measured with a dial indicator, this may have been a problem with the old cam's installation.

[bbogue]

For engine help/advice you might try Brent Lykins at Lykins Motorsports. Located in Kentucky. For sure he’s an FE engine expert. I’ve jealously poured over many of his posts on the FE Engine forum. He rebuilt/modified a friend’s 61 TBird 390 engine which now makes around 350hp. Seems like a really nice guy, to boot. Good luck.

Bill

[stubbie]

Have read there has been problems with lifters.What brand are they? What oil were you using?

[Rt.146]

Have read there has been problems with lifters.What brand are they? What oil were you using?

The break-in oil was Royal Purple10/30, then Valvoline VR1 10/30, the cam and lifters Melling SYB 22. Replacing cam and lifters with Howard's cam/lifters. The tune from the Rolling Stone's "Last Time" runs through my mind.

[Rt.146]

Putting in new cam and lifters from same manufacture, I was prepared to do a break-in for the cam and lifters, with break in oil and the 2000,RPM 20 minute run, not so sure about that process after a member posted a link on Oils, https://540ratblog.wordpress.com/ it goes into issues about the value of zinc vs. psi, in and of an oil, goes on to write break-in oil is a hype, so is the 20 minute fast idle of the motor, something the factory doesn't do either.