noisy Morel lifters on new roller setup

JDSfastGN

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2001
Just wanted to get some ideas before I go tearing in and adjusting pushrods. I just fired up my new engine and am running a 210/215 roller from fullthrottle. I am using Morels from TA performance (purchased before the kits were offered with morels) The car runs smooth but the lifters are very loud as if they aren't pumped up yet. It has about an hour of run time. The exhaust note sounds very strange as well. I am running stock rocker arms and Smith Bros adjustable pushrods. I set them up for around .030 preload with the lifters straight out of the box (I did not soak them) Is that a problem? All my pushrods ended up measuring 8.070-8.093 from end to end. Im also running .060 cometic head gaskets if that helps at all. Oil pressure is good and is around 23 hot idle and goes to 65 under a light load and 3000 rpms or so. Im hoping to have the same results as SNOWBIRD where i go start it in the morning and they are quiet but Im having my doubts haha. Thanks for the help guys.
 
Just wanted to get some ideas before I go tearing in and adjusting pushrods. I just fired up my new engine and am running a 210/215 roller from fullthrottle. I am using Morels from TA performance (purchased before the kits were offered with morels) The car runs smooth but the lifters are very loud as if they aren't pumped up yet. It has about an hour of run time. The exhaust note sounds very strange as well. I am running stock rocker arms and Smith Bros adjustable pushrods. I set them up for around .030 preload with the lifters straight out of the box (I did not soak them) Is that a problem? All my pushrods ended up measuring 8.070-8.093 from end to end. Im also running .060 cometic head gaskets if that helps at all. Oil pressure is good and is around 23 hot idle and goes to 65 under a light load and 3000 rpms or so. Im hoping to have the same results as SNOWBIRD where i go start it in the morning and they are quiet but Im having my doubts haha. Thanks for the help guys.

Mines appears to be load as well
 
When you soak them & pump them up in laquer a few times you will see how much Crud comes out of them. You really should have done it.
 
To New out of the box lifters?
Or to used lifters?

I always do clean them out even if there used and refill them with new oil... just a personal habit of mine. :p



Jd, I does the sound change if you increase or decrease the lash? Or does it seem like one cylinder is worse then the rest? I cant see them all not pumping up... how is the oil pressure?
 
Are you sure about the preload? 8.50 would get the job done MOST of the time with a set up like yours, you nmay have too much preload, how does it idle?
Mike
 
To New out of the box lifters?
Or to used lifters?

Both! New ones are full of assembly crud (possible something else by accident) & sometimes dont compress well right out of the box. When that happened to me I slowly compressed until it bottomed out about 3-4 times & filled with oil & then it was fine. You need to check them so your sure they are all good to go!
 
thanks guys,

Mike, the pre load was .030 and the pushrods are ranged from 8.07 - 8.093 , not 8.5. I figured this had to be close since you specced 8.05s for them and I am running a .060 headgasket which is about .020 more than most that are out there.

I should have cleaned the lifters, but i was just following in the instructions from TA that said to not soak them. I'm gonna pop the valve covers later and take a look around. Any other suggestions?
 
that was a typo I meant 8.050, I never soak them either I do shoot some oil in the side with a pump type oil can and put them in. If your pushrods have .020 or so difference in length where is that coming from? Did you lay a straight edge across the tips of the valves? They would have to be off to account for that.
Mike
 
that was a typo I meant 8.050, I never soak them either I do shoot some oil in the side with a pump type oil can and put them in. If your pushrods have .020 or so difference in length where is that coming from? Did you lay a straight edge across the tips of the valves? They would have to be off to account for that.
Mike

yes the valves were not straight across the head. It was slight differences on a couple on each head. 8 out of the 12 pushrods were right at 8.07 and a few others were a in the 8.08 to 8.093 range to make up for the valve height difference.
 
WELL ,after much hup ti doo ,my morels are quite excepte 1 lifter ....yes 1 lifter is defective ...it does not hold hyd pressure while engine is running and i really do not know if it was my fault when i installed them or a company defect,,,,,,but I can tell you when engine is running and i tap with a small hammer on td adjustment screw of the noisy lifter all becomes so so silent it puts a smile on my face .....NOW TO ORDER A LIFTER
 
WELL ,after much hup ti doo ,my morels are quite excepte 1 lifter ....yes 1 lifter is defective ...it does not hold hyd pressure while engine is running and i really do not know if it was my fault when i installed them or a company defect,,,,,,but I can tell you when engine is running and i tap with a small hammer on td adjustment screw of the noisy lifter all becomes so so silent it puts a smile on my face .....NOW TO ORDER A LIFTER


snowbird, did you make any changes? More or less preload that made a difference? Or was it just giving them time and letting them pump up? I hope i don't have a bad one, but if they have to come out they have to come out. Now im anxious to get home from work and mess with it.

Does the weird exhaust note (car runs smooth but has a strange exhaust note almost like a cylinder not firing) say that there is too much preload and the valves aren't opening fully? Does it make sense that lifters not being pumped up would make it sound funny?
 
Glad yoou found it. Seems like there is always 1 bad one in a set no matter who they come from lately. Thats why I like to check them real good before installation as sometimes you can catch it before its buttoned up.
 
Just wanted to give an update. I came home from work today and fired it up and it had only one loud lifter this time. I pulled the passenger valve cover off and the 1 exhaust lifter was not pumped up and no oil was coming up from the pushrod. I played with it and used a bit of marvel mystery oil and went for a drive. After about 20 miles it finally pumped up. It sounds pretty good now and i think the more i drive it the quieter it will get. Thanks for the replies guys.
 
Yes they seem to like some mileage put on them befor they quiet down...but i do have a defective one and ordered 1 from TA this morning..
 
Well I guess I was wrong. It had been getting quieter but after a 70 mile drive today its back to not being pumped up and the car sounds like its missing slightly. I pulled the intake and removed that pair of lifters. I am gonna call TA performance tomorrow, i don't know what if any warranty there is but I hope to get it taken care of since these are brand spankin new. It is definitely not pumped up and is still springy compared to its partner lifter.
 
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