How to check lifter rotation
 

How do you check the valve train with the engine running without getting oil everywhere?


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Here's what I did on my recent cam swap. After about 200 miles, I wanted to be sure the cam hadn't gone flat. This 400 engine has a lot of wear and makes some clattering noises on start.

I use a paint pen and draw a 1" vertical line on each pushrod, just below the rocker arm. Fire the motor off and let it run about 1000 RPM. You can see the vertical line go round-and-round as the engine runs. Only takes a few seconds to verify all the pushrods are spinning. You can do one side of the engine at a time, if you're worried about oil splatter. I've put an old beach towel over the inner fender to catch any errant oil during the tests.

I've seen a lot of variation in pushrod spin rate. Some are really whizzing around and others are spinning, but much slower. I assume all is good as long as they continue to dotsey-doe.

I marked the pushrods rods in the 69 Lemans with a yellow paint pen and turn engine over by hand - much like chiphead indicated, some rotate faster than others but at least they all rotate. I’ll check them again with engine running.

I have only built 2 HFT cam engines in the last 20 years.Both I could see the lifters turning when I was priming the engines.I do it with the valley cover off and turn the engine a 1/4 tirn,prime,another 1/4 turn and prime etc.One was the 4 cyc 63 engine with a Isky regrind and a set of factory lifters,the other was a 068 clone and also with a set of factory lifters.Both those engines have been running for years with no issues.I used the cam lube that was supplied with the cams.FWIW,Tom

I've seen you guys take old valve covers and cut the tops off so they can run the engine and work on the lifters. You can also get something like this that clips on the rockers https://www.summitracing.com/parts/m...xoCotYQAvD_BwE

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mrg-1015

these clip over the pushrod end of the rocker and deflect the oil back into the rocker.

I have done the same. Although I tend to adjust the valves with the engine running so all the pushrods spin at the same rate of speed. They should be spinning pretty briskly.

Slice up some Treasure Yard valve covers so they have viewing windows.
http://www.hbassociates.us/455_PontiacValveCoversm.jpg

As said...paint stripes on the pushrods in a place where the paint won't be scrubbed-off by the pushrod guideplates. Run the engine--watch the stripes. Some will spin faster than others, but they all must spin. Any that don't spin probably means the cam and lifter for that pushrod have failed.




When rebuilding an engine, among the first things I cram into the machined 'n' cleaned block are the cam bearings, cam and lifters, lightly lubed with engine oil or ATF (NOT heavy assembly grease, at least not yet.) The lifters can be checked for rotation by simply spinning the cam. Drawing a stripe across the top of the lifter bore onto the top edge of the lifter with a Sharpie makes an easy reference point to see that the lifter is in fact turning--mark all the bores/lifters, turn the cam a couple of revolutions, and make sure that none of the lifter bore/lifter lines are still aligned. In other words, the Sharpie-stripe on the lifter bore stays put, and the stripe on the lifter has rotated around so it doesn't match-up with the lifter bore stripe any more.