Bought a truck w a needle bearing in the lpop. Removed the heads to figure out which lifter was the culprit and so far no joy. But, we have one stuck. Comes up about half 1/2 or less and we can't see to get it out. Tried some pliers to grab it but won't come. Just stuck.

any ideas? Tks

 

I would be more concerned with how far and how much damage the other needle bearings caused, and how far they got in the system.

You may have to pull the cam and drop them inward.

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trying to figure out which lifter lost a needle bearing at this point. 11 that came out roll ver smooth on the finger. 3 have just a tiny rough feeling spot rolling it around but you wouldn't know any bearings are missing - not noticeable. One I can't get out. One I can't get out is next #5 cylinder and the race on. The cam doesn't have any bad scarring but does look like a bunch of ice pick, head of a needle size marks, as you turn it. It's noticeable compared to how smooth everything else is.

ordered a slide hammer tool to get this last one out.

 

The only problem with "forcing" it out is you may ruin the bore....you DON'T want to do that.

But it's your engine.

 

Pull cam and pull lifter to the inside.

 

I see it now. The three next to it. You can see where they got oil starved and started to wear.

the one stuck must've seized before it let loose and the bottom mushroomed on the cam.

we got a spare block w a cam. Looks like some work ahead.

 

Odd thing is the one that got stuck was closest to the middle.

 

It's stuck because the roller end was getting beaten and mushroomed a little. There is not much clearance to the bore.

The scuffing on the sides of the lifters is normal; they rock side to side depending on which side of the cam lobe they are on.

The pitting that you see on the lobes is the start of delamination. The thin, induction hardened layer on the lobe is starting to separate from the base material. Eventually, the crack will propagate under the surface, and larger pits will be found where the layer has flaked right off the cam base material.

As Hartwig said, the cam comes out, and the lifter is dropped into the block.

 

You can close this thread. we have a winner.

cam shaft is toasted too.

 

 

be running in no time.

we will video the bearings but they races adjacent to the damaged lobe are in really good shape. Surprised at how little wear they show for obviously losing oil pressure around 5 and 7. We will dry it out look it over real good, hope to get a new cam in there and start putting it back together

 

What shows that it lost oil pressure between 5 and 7?

 

how else does a lifter get stuck?

 

There are many examples of this engine's lifter and/or camshaft lobe failing, and it’s not because it didn’t get oil. It’s usually due to poor oil maintenance or excessive oil temperature. Your lifter got stuck because the lifter roller came apart, which then has clearance between the lobe and what’s left of the lifter. So what is left of the lifter is getting beaten by the lobe, and the lifter’s end starts to mushroom. There is no way you’re going to have oil loss in the middle cylinders and not in the back cylinders. if you looked at the lifter oil supply gallery, it goes directly from the front to the back.