I have a bad lifter in the front drivers side cylinder. (#5 intake?)

What is a fair price for this repair?

Anyone know a GOOD shop in the Tampa area?

 

How do you know it is the lifter......... the rocker could be worn out..... or the valve guide...... Have you had the valve cover off yet.

 

I can see the tops of the lifters. This one is missing the retainer clip, and the cup is cocked side ways, the push rod has minor damage from hitting the inside of the lifter. The lifter is shot. The cam does not seem to be damaged, won't know for sure til we get it torn down....But I am betting only the top of the lifter failed (fingers crossed). The rocker looks just as good as the rest of them.

Any ideas on fair price?

I just need to decide how much I am willing to spend, and who to let do the work.

 

This is going to sound dumb as I have never tore one of these down, but can't you change the lifters by removing the intake without removing the head.

 

Why do you say so? Thinking back to when I did my heads, the lifters are easily accessible by removing the valley pan/cover. If I remember right, that is.

 

Oh that would be great. I was thinking head removal to get to the lifters.

 

I'm thinking it will be a fairly simple weekend job and the only special tool you willneed will be a torque wrench and can be rented. I would not hesitate to do the job without one but that depends on your mechanical experiance.

 

whoops, I misread your post the first time, I thought you had said you can't change the lifters without removing the heads. Sorry for the question asking for clarification. I see we're on the same page.

 

You can get the lifters out without pulling the heads.

But getting the intake off of a turbo motor is a little harder than it is on a NA engine.

I am going to guess a shop is going to want about 15 to 20 hours labor.

 

How do you know the lifter is bad? How did you see the pushrod damage?
If you have a Saturday and a place to do the work yourself, save some bucks and do it yourself! It'll be a full day, so be prepared.
With the valley pan removed, the whole center of the engine is open for you to take the lifters out.
Order a new valley pan, and your lifters. While you're at the store picking up your parts, grab a tube of RTV and Permatex High-Temp Copper Gasket-Maker. It's a small aerosol can. It's another great Dave recomendation!
Begin draining the antifreeze and let it drain while you remove the Injector Lines and Injector pump. By now the coolant should be done. Remove the intake manifold and the valley pan. You can now see your pushrods and lifters, but can't pull them yet.
Before you start pulling it apart, locate a nice warm area. A corner of the shop with a propane heater, or maybe a spot next to the wood stove in the house. Get your new valley pan and the copper gasket maker. Spray two coats of the copper gasket maker on each side of the valley pan-head and intake manifold sides. Allow each coat to completely dry inbetween coats. Get that started and drying while you work on other stuff to save time on assembly.
Remove the valve cover on the side your failed lifter is on. Grab a piece of cardboard, like a cereal box. With a sharpie, write "Front" on one end, "Rear" on the opposite end, "Rocker" on the outside orientation, and "Lifter" on the inside orientation. Now we have cardboard with the words written as if you're looking at the front of the truck. Since #5 cylinder is on the passenger side of the engine. Rocker should be on the left of the cardboard, with lifter on the right side of the cardboard. Remove your rocker arm, and lay it on the cardboard as it would lay in the engine according to the notes you've written on your cardboard. Remove your pushrods and make 100% certain they are laid down correctly on the cardboard...these NEED to go back in the same hole they came from because each pushrod generates it's own wear patterns. Take some electricl or masking tape and tape those pushrods to the cardboard! (Just in case the dogs come running in and kick your pushrods! )
With your pushrods removed, you should be able to remove the lifter with your finger.
I've never replaced a lifter, so I can't help on how to do that.
Go spray your second gasket coating on the valley pan, the first coat should be dry.
When putting it all back together, make sure your pushrods go back in exactly how they were removed. Bolt your rock arm back down. Bolt your valve cover back on.
Grab your valley pan, if it's not dry...give your intake manifold some quality time with a wire wheel on the end of a drill. It'll look amazing!
Scrape off any build-up on the heads and intake manfold. Get some acetone and clean the head and intake manifold to get a nice clean mating surface. Be sure it's clean, you don't want to be back again!
Bolt up your valley pan and intake manifold. There's a torque pattern for the intake manfold in the Chilton's Repair manual.
Before you start bolting all your fuel injector lines and pump back on, refill your radiator with antifreeze and check for leaks from the valley pan. None? Good! This would be a good time to do your return lines if you've distturbed them. Install your Injection Pump and Injector Lines. Install your oil filler spout using some RTV as sealant.
Now you're good to go! Good Luck!

 

Yeah Dave, I was going to take it to a shop when I thought I needed the head pulled. I now realize I can do this pretty easily. I have had the turbo and injector pump off before, I figure that's half way there.

 

sad that for my complete re and re of my engine that i came in at 15 hours labor and this could be so much more! haha. Man what a chore.

 

Thanks Blue. I am going to replace all the lifters and push rods when I do this. My parts list is under $500. Time is my problem. I am an electrician, but seem to be a better mechanic than some who have made it their profession (see post about DMF going bad).

How are the cylinders numbered in these trucks. I thought #1 was front passenger side....oh wait that makes front drivers #2?? Odd numbers passenger side, even drivers... Is that it?

 

I'm no mechanic either, I've just lost TOTAL trust in ANYBODY else touchin MY truck. Sorry, I have a problem with other people touching MY equipment.
I'm a landscaper by day, Mechanic by night! When you're done fixing your truck, you'll be a mechanic!
Whoops, Dave pointed out the turbo...missed that the first round.
You're right with the cylinder numbering. Driver's side is even, Passenger side is odd.
You should be able to knock the job off in a full day Saturday. Definetly by Sunday afternoon you'll be back up and running.
Good luck, you can do it!

 

LOL I really don't mind somebody else working on my trucks and a lot of the time I am not where the truck is. What I do mind paying some shop and then having to do it again myself that does chap me and has happened several times lately.