Dose anyone know how to diagnose a collapsed lifter??
My bronco was running good but has just started running baddly.
At idle and in nutral it is fine except for what sounds like a lifter tick. Under accel or under load it misses and back fires. i'm thiking its a collapsed lifter on the right side. Dose any one know how to confirm this?
Its a 69 bronco with a 302. I love the bronco but its driving me crazy trying to get it running smooth again.
Thanks for any help.

 

Mechanic stethescope to valve cover while engine is on. Did I mention to be careful? No stethescope? Use a really long screw driver or copper pipe, like two foot or more, place end on valve cover, put other end next to ear but not in your ear! You'll hear it, move around to see where it is loudest. You can test this by putting it on the alternator housing and listen to that spin around. BE CAREFUL of moving parts!!!

 

Pull the valve cover on ths side you suspect and check for a loose rocker arm.

Jason

 

x2. Or a broken valve spring too....

 

Well i pulled the valve cover off today and found a loose rocker on #2 intake. Useing a dial indicator and comparing the the other intake rockers and found the cam lobe has gone flat. I pulled the rocked off and meassured off the top of the push rod and its about .100 less movment from the rest. which is like half opening. I also found sparkly oil. So my next question is this. I can get a ford 302 short block from a 89 Mercury Grand Marquis. It has some miles on it but clean and runable. Will this newer block bolt up to my bronco? I heard something about the harmonic balancer being different? Also would the flywheel be different then my curent one? Will my curent cyl heads bolt to the newer block, water pump? Assesories? I can get this short block for $80 so I think it would be the fastest and cheapest way to get my bronco back on the road.
Any and all help appreciated.
Thanks

 

The late model crank damper and flywheel are balanced differently than the early 302's. It is not a big issue. Either have your existing parts rebalanced. Or you can buy a early balancer that is balanced for the late model engine. And then buy a flywheel for a '88 F150 with a 302.

Also, if you have a manual, there is no provision on the block to mount the clutch linkage. The easy fix is to mount it to the bellhousing and then weld a tab on it that will tie into one of the bellhousing mount bolts.

If you want to use your existing accessories, you would need to change the water pump as the inlet is on the wrong side and it is a reverse rotation pump. Because of that, you would also need to install your early timing cover.

You might do some research before you bolt on the early heads to check the cc's of both. You could end up with too much compression.

If your engine is in good shape otherwise, the fastest way to get it back on the road may be a cam change. I think you could pick up a cam/ lifter set and gaskets for under $150. And you could have it ready to go in a day or a weekend (depending on how fast you work). The initial cost of the complete short block may sound appealing, you will spend much more than that to make it work.

Jason

 

Ok, I'm putting in a new cam and lifters again. I hope it works this time. I have the instructions to breaking in a new cam that it comes with. Dose anyone have any thing to add or tricks when it comes to a cam breakin??

 

B) Correct break-in procedure.
After the correct break-in lubricant is applied to the cam and lifters, fill the crankcase with fresh non-synthetic oil. Prime the oil system with a priming tool and an electric drill so that all oil passages and the oil filter are full of oil. Pre-set the ignition timing and prime the fuel system. Fill the cooling system. Start the engine. The engine should start quickly and run between 1500 and 3000 rpm.

If the engine will not start, don't continue to crank for long periods, as that is very detrimental to the life of the cam. Check for the cause and correct. The engine should quickly start and be run between 1500 to 3000 rpm. Vary the rpm up and down in this rpm range during the first 15 to 20 minutes, (do not run the engine at a steady rpm). During this break-in time, verify that the pushrods are rotating, as this will show that the lifters are also rotating. If the lifters don't rotate, the cam lobe and lifter will fail. Sometimes you may need to help spin the pushrod to start the rotation process during this break-in procedure.

(a) Note: Lifter rotation is created by a taper ground on the cam lobe and the convex shape of the face of the flat tappet lifter. Also in some cases, the lobe is slightly offset from the center of the lifter bore in the block. If the linear spacing of the lifter bores in the block is not to the correct factory specifications, or the angle of the lifter bore is not 90 degrees to the centerline of the cam, the lifter may not rotate.

Even if the engine you?re rebuilding had 100,000 miles on it and the cam you removed had no badly worn lobes, this still doesn't mean that your block is made correctly. It just means that the break in procedure caused everything to work correctly. Be careful to watch the pushrods during break in to verify lifter rotation. Don't assume everything will work correctly the second time.


copied from Crane Cams tech info

HTH,
Jason

 

Follow the oil requirements. Make sure to use a SL rated diesel oil and not a SM rated oil.

 

Be liberal with the cam lube on both the cam and lifters. You also want to use regular oil, not synthetic for break in.

Jason

 

Hey hate to be the bearer of bad news but flat tappet cams days are gone. No more zinc and phosphorous in the oil including Rottella . Broke in the cam in my bird with GM EOS and heavy lube on cam. All went well, 2 oil changes later cam going flat. No zinc in oil. We are being forced into roller cams. Check out the Chevelle site for more info. Bob the oil guy posts there.