2 different 427 solid lifter designs

[Patrick B.]

I am having a hard time getting oil flow to the front rocker arms of a 67 L-71 using an electric drill to turn the oil pump. Pressure is not the problem since I'm getting over 80 psi. However, the two boxes of 8 TRW VL-43 lifters I had were slightly different, as showm in the attached photo. I am beginning to think that the lifters with the shorter turned down area near the oil hole are blocking the oil galley holes when they are in the valve open positions. Has any one experienced this problem? Has anyone used the VL-43 lifters with the short turned down area or has even seen this style lifter? The short turned down area is similar to a GM hydraulic lifter.

[Gene M.]

Re: 2 different 427 solid lifter designs

Pat,
While running the pump have a buddy slowly rotate the crank to allow all the lifters to pass open the lifter oil passages. Or you can pump and rotate a short distance stopping to index crank a 1/4 turn at a time till all the push rods show oil at rockers. I do the later. Same process for solid or hydraulic. I always drop lifters in oil prior to assembly in engine. Don't forget to use cam lube and cam break in oil with the dzzp, zinc stuff.

[Patrick B.]

Re: 2 different 427 solid lifter designs

Pat,
While running the pump have a buddy slowly rotate the crank to allow all the lifters to pass open the lifter oil passages. Or you can pump and rotate a short distance stopping to index crank a 1/4 turn at a time till all the push rods show oil at rockers. I do the later. Same process for solid or hydraulic. I always drop lifters in oil prior to assembly in engine. Don't forget to use cam lube and cam break in oil with the dzzp, zinc stuff.

Thanks Gene. I moved the engine to several rotational positions but did not do it systematically. I think the lifters with the narrower turned down band are at least partially restricting the oil galley in some lift positions. It may not make a difference when the engine is running, but I am unwilling to start the engine until I can see oil flow to every rocker arm. Northern Supply is selling the VL-43 lifters really cheap in the McQuay-Norris brand as a close out. Other McQuay -Norris valve train parts I have seem to be reboxed TRW items of high quality, so I bought some more. Hopefully they will be of the longer turned down area design.

[Patrick B.]

Re: 2 different 427 solid lifter designs

I measured the oil galley location and the relative position of the lifter at full lift. The lifters with the shorter turned down length (right side of photo) will definitely block the oil galley at full lift. Since they are like the GM hydraulic lifters in turned down length they would probably pass oil down the galley OK with the engine running. However, they also flow more oil to the rocker arms than the lifters on the left in the photo which resemble GM solid lifers in turned down length. Therefore, when the two designs are mixed the lifters on the right can prevent flow to all the rockers both by blocking the oil galley and by flowing so much oil to the rocker arms that they starve the lifters further down the oil galley (toward the front of the block).

I further discovered that there are two optimum cam positions for testing the rocker arm oiling with an electric drill and dummy distributor. With the crank stationary at about 120 degrees before top center on the number one firing stroke all the rocker arms on the drivers side of the engine will get oil without with need for fuirther rotation. Similarly, with the crank stationary at about 120 degrees before top center on the number six firing stroke all the rocker arms on the passengers side of the engine will get oil. The bottom line is that the engine is OK but I do not want to mix lifter types even though the were sold under the same part number. I hope the McQuay -Norris VL-43 lifters are of the type at the left of the photo which I consider a correct OE replacement.