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Removing Lifters With Intake/Heads Still On - Big Block

PurpleBeeper

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I want to pull a couple lifters from my 440 without removing the intake manifold. I only want to take off the valve covers & rockers/shafts. The lifters are pretty low mileage, so I don't "expect" any of them to be mushroomed at the bottom.

I saw this tool on ebay. What do you guys suggest? THANK YOU!

s-l500.jpg
 
Worth a shot, I've done it with one of the large telescoping magnets you buy at the local parts store but if you even bump it it falls! Hopefully that's a bit stronger.
 
Worth a shot, I've done it with one of the large telescoping magnets you buy at the local parts store but if you even bump it it falls! Hopefully that's a bit stronger.
The tool shown doesn't have a magnet. It "spreads" somehow from inside the lifter & I "guess" it grabs the snap ring?

As for a "magnet on a stick" that seems like a decent way to get the lifters out, but I'm not so sure about putting them back in (?)

I've always pulled the intake to do this in the past, so I have no knowledge of how to do this with the intake on. I had a real PIA getting this intake to seal, so I am VERY hesitant to remove it.
 
That's the tool you need. The business end expands more when you pull the handle
Summit has them too
 
It grabs the slot the ring goes into. It is a bit precarious as there isn't a whole lot of which to grab and lifters sometimes mushroom slightly on the bottom or have a build up. I was going around a corner and lost traction over revving and collapsing a lifter; one of these tools worked for me.
 
The tool shown doesn't have a magnet. It "spreads" somehow from inside the lifter & I "guess" it grabs the snap ring?

As for a "magnet on a stick" that seems like a decent way to get the lifters out, but I'm not so sure about putting them back in (?)

I've always pulled the intake to do this in the past, so I have no knowledge of how to do this with the intake on. I had a real PIA getting this intake to seal, so I am VERY hesitant to remove it.

That tool catches the retaining clip groove. Mainly used for used lifters that might be hard to get out from varnish build up or even burrs. That's why it has a sliding hammer on it.

I'd use a large flexable magnet on low milage lifters as long as your openings in the head will allow the lifter to pass through.

Why are you wanting to remove them?
 
The tool shown doesn't have a magnet. It "spreads" somehow from inside the lifter & I "guess" it grabs the snap ring?

As for a "magnet on a stick" that seems like a decent way to get the lifters out, but I'm not so sure about putting them back in (?)

I've always pulled the intake to do this in the past, so I have no knowledge of how to do this with the intake on. I had a real PIA getting this intake to seal, so I am VERY hesitant to remove it.
You just hold the lifter down with a long screwdriver while popping the magnet off, no biggie.
 
IIRC you would have to be able to grab the lower part of that tool to operate the fingers.
Well, that's not good.

I'm 99% sure I have room to get the lifters up/out of the heads if I remove the rockers/shafts. I'm trying to pull out a couple lifters for comparison & to see if they're "broken in the pumped up position".

I have A LOT of valve gear noise (see other post). Pulling one valve cover, the #8 intake rocker adjustment is maybe 1/4" different than all the other rocker arms on that side... the adjuster screw is sticking up 1/4" more. I checked the pushrod vs. the #6 intake one & they're exactly the same length and neither is bent.

It's almost as if the #8 intake lifter is "stuck" fully pumped up, or the lock ring broke or ??? I just set the valve lash a few days ago. I may have just forgot to adjust that one rocker? If I had the #8 intake pushrod off to the side of the lifter, I "think" I would have just bent the pushrod immediately or had it pop off the rocker/lifter? Something is just really odd about the #8 intake valve gear.
 
No need to buy anything, just grab a length of TIG filler wire or anything similar with some spring to it and sharpen each end to a point. Did my full set to check them all for leak down when I was installing new valve seals, by using the good old rope trick. Just have a magnet stick ready in case you drop one...

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You just hold the lifter down with a long screwdriver while popping the magnet off, no biggie.
That make sense & I hadn't thought about that....but how do you line it up "perfectly" on the hole? A lot of trial & error? I'm slightly concerned that I will drop a lifter up in the intake valley somehow & have to remove the intake...which I don't want to do since it's a PIA to get sealed.
 
Well lets not get carried away! Frugal from the Scottish side maybe! Mine had been in there since rebuild in 1979! None hung up.
 
I did an inspection on mine after about 100 miles. I pulled the plugs, removed the covers, hooked up a remote starter button and rotated the engine and observed each lifter going up and down and rotating. I used a high intensity small flashlight and I was able to see each lifter in detail.

Back off your adjustment to remove the pushrod and do a visual. If it looks ok and you can see the retaining clip in place, get the lifter on the backside of the lobe, install pushrod, set the rocker adjustment close to the others (one to two threads showing under the rocker) and see how far the plunger is below the retaining clip. .020 - .060 or what the manufacturer recommends.

You could even use something way longer than the pushrod to operate the plunger by hand and see how it acts. If it collapses, squirt some oil at it and try again. If it still doesn't hold pressure, remove and disassemble. Sometimes all it takes is a piece of dirt or metal flake to keep them from pumping up. Have fun!
 
I had one out of 16 that I had to do this to. I removed all of mine as I wanted to check the running faces for pitting / wear after 38 years. All good and back in THEIR SAME HOLE! Don't mix them up.

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Tool I used to use had to little fingers that grabbed lifter snap ring groove. Actuator right up at top by ur hand, no slide hammer. If varnished up just went up & down a few times and came right out. Think it was a Lisle(?)
 
I did 4 cam swaps in a 440 one summer when I was trying stuff out.
Never pulled the intake.

I used a telescoping magnet.
 
That make sense & I hadn't thought about that....but how do you line it up "perfectly" on the hole? A lot of trial & error? I'm slightly concerned that I will drop a lifter up in the intake valley somehow & have to remove the intake...which I don't want to do since it's a PIA to get sealed.
I dropped a few, trying to remember but I don't recall there being anywhere for them to go? It wasn't hard to get them out even if I dropped one.
 
I used a telescoping magnet when I changed my cam a couple of years ago and it worked just fine. I did drop a few, but it only took a couple of tries to get it realigned and pulled out. THAT tool might make it a bit easier, but either should work.
 
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