Having trouble understanding the following from the vfaq: Lifter cleaning..

[UofACATS]

I'm attempting to clean my lifters to see if it the cause of a very loud clacking in the head. I am having trouble understanding and/or executing the following from the vfaq:

"Remove all oil from the lifter - Get a large paperclip and straighten it out. Insert it into the top hole of the lifter until it bottoms, then press on it lightly - you can now easily collapse the lifter with the paperclip still in place."

When a paperclip is inserted into the top of the lifter I can't compress the lifter. I don't know if it's just me doing something incorrectly. I pressed lightly with the paperclip, then progressively harder. Still, nothing seems to be happening. The directions seem very straightfoward. Can one "feel" the internal valve when inserting a paperclip?

Stock-style lifters for sure, very small oiling hole.

Thanks!

 

[chris712vt]

haha sorry i can't really help as far as your question, but i've got a knocking/clanking under my valve cover as well. i first noticed it back around july. i changed my oil in august and went with 20w/50 and the loudness of the noise subsided a little, but it's still definately there at certain rpm. i'm assuming we have the same problem. when i took my valve cover off to check it out i could jiggle a couple of my rockers but that's probably just due to the cam lobes' position at the time. i assumed one of the lifters had just gone bad and i'll fix it later when rebuilding the motor. good luck.

 

[eboy0]

Follow the alternative way of cleaning them, I also tried compressing the lifter, didn't get anywhere so I just followed the alternative way.

# Wipe each lifter off, and clean off with CARB/Brake Parts cleaner.
# Rotate the inner cylinder until you see the inner hole through the outer hole. (They do not line up perfectly, but close.) Yes, they rotate easily by hand. Put the red straw into the side hole and spray a good amount of cleaner in. Really hose it out. ***warning - carb cleaner will shoot out of the tip of the lifter 5-10 feet!***
# Repeat for each, and soak lifters completely submerged in cleaner for at least 30 minutes.
# Remove from cleaner and turn upside down. Shake hard to remove most of the cleaner. Re-spray to get any gunk out that soaking loosened (this is when I saw actual crud chunks).
# Shake again and dry off.
# Rotate inner cylinder so that the inner hole is opposite the outer hole (180 degrees).
# Reinstall as per the VFAQ. NOTE - I had to 'pop' each rocker back onto it's lifter as Tom shows at the end of the VFAQ. I used another, bigger screwdriver to give each one a push.
# Pull the MPI fuse and crank the car for 30 seconds to prime the lifters with oil. Replace the MPI fuse and start the car... Ahh sweet silence...

http://www.vfaq.com/mods/lifters.html
Found it very helpful, didn't solve my lifter ticking, but made it less audible.
Hope this helps!

 

[UofACATS]

Yesterday: I aligned the two holes and sprayed as suggested in vfaq. Brown came squirting out. They've been soaking since.

I want to be sure that one, I get all the crap out. Two, that I can sufficiently prime the lifters with a coating of oil before reinstalling.

If the lifter is able to compress then a larger amount of fluid can circulate, flushing the lifter more effectively. This is just an uneducated guess however. The hole at the top of the lifter is akin to a pinhole. Thus, IMO, spray and shake will not be sufficient.

 

[flinguist]

Keep trying the paper clip method to collapse the lifters, which will push out the oil/dirt that's in them. You have to hit it just right, but it will work.

 

[Blue95GST]

if need be try using a needle, its a little thinner than a papper clip and perfectly straight

 

[Rex2342]

I forget where it was but I read somewhere about people bending valves by having the lifters full of oil when the reinstalled them into the head. It would be best to install them dry and let them pump up by doing what eboy0 said.

 

[GVR4592]

I would keep trying with the paperclip, it's kind of difficult to hit the plunger just right the first time. Just keep moving it around and pushing hard.

 

[eboy0]

The guide way worked for me, stick the little straw from the carb cleaner into the side hole, turn the lifter upside down, and watch all the oil shoot out the little pin size hole on the top. (this was alot easier once i soaked all the lifters in acetone overnight)

 

[UofACATS]

Keep trying the paper clip method to collapse the lifters, which will push out the oil/dirt that's in them. You have to hit it just right, but it will work.

I would keep trying with the paperclip, it's kind of difficult to hit the plunger just right the first time.

OK, got it. Thought the valve was near the top of the lifter. It's near the bottom! Once I got it it was very easy (like many things dsm). I inserted the lifter into a clamp so that the holes aligned for spray cleaning.

Thanks for your help!

 

[UofACATS]

The guide way worked for me, stick the little straw from the carb cleaner into the side hole, turn the lifter upside down, and watch all the oil shoot out the little pin size hole on the top. (this was alot easier once i soaked all the lifters in acetone overnight)

Yes. I did this before I tried to collapse them for additional cleaning. My lifters are stock-style, so the hole is quite small. I fear using only this method as large particles may not be able to escape. (small chunks shot out when I cleaned using the above method, don't want any of that to stay.)

I think using your method would work great (and I plan to use it) but with the lifter collapsed and in a clamp to align the holes. Collapsing them also allow for "priming" of the lifters with a film of oil before re-install.

 

[eboy0]

Yes. I did this before I tried to collapse them for additional cleaning. My lifters are stock-style, so the hole is quite small. I fear using only this method as large particles may not be able to escape. (small chunks shot out when I cleaned using the above method, don't want any of that to stay.)

I think using your method would work great (and I plan to use it) but with the lifter collapsed and in a clamp to align the holes. Collapsing them also allow for "priming" of the lifters with a film of oil before re-install.

I thought all you needed to do was lube them up and put them back in and crack it a couple of times?
Good luck cleaning out your lifters, acetone really helped break up any of the oil inside the lifter. Hopefully, unlike me, this will cure your ticking issue.

 

[realjdm]

I tried this and it still clicks does this mean I need new lifters