Bad Lash Adjusters=Valve Dropper

[FAST3V]

Ok, so the past two time I have put my car together, I have essentially dropped a valve...open things up, missing exhaust valve, eaten up piston..broken rocker arm or two....

My tuner, machine shop guy, and myself are all scratching our heads trying to figure out what the hell is going on...car is running great...then out of no where (regular driving, no racing) boom..there goes a valve.

We think its just a part failing or something. So, my machine shop guy calls me and thinks it's my lash adjusters (lifters) that may be causing this. He seems to think they are going bad with inconsistencies in them. He says most of them he can't compress with his hands, but some of them he can.

Anyone also make sense of that?

So, I am thinking this go around I am going to replace all of my lash adjusters. Anyone have any recommendations there?
This is a high-horsepower e85 car with big blower cams. Should I get OEM, or is there a good upgrade lash adjuster. Only thing I have found out there is Trick Flow...and I'm sure there is something better?
I have the 05 3v heads btw.

Thanks for any insight here.

 

[GB10]

What are the cam specs? Could be too much lift, or the ramp rate of the cams causing the issue. Jesel makes solid lash adjusters to use with their followers, but they are very expensive.

 

[BruceH]

The adjusters will compress if you keep trying. It takes a little while to displace the oil.

Ford has had a few revisions of them over the years. It would be a good idea to replace them all imo.

Are you using stock valve springs? What are your cam specs? How much boost?

 

[FAST3V]

I have the 127550 shelf compcam with the recommended springs.

Aprox 20 lbs.

 

[TexasBlownV8]

VCT limiters/lockouts?

On the valves that remained in the motor (didnt break yet), any signs of piston contact?

(Please PM me the name of that machine shop in Hutto )

 

[FAST3V]

I have the replacement part that only allows 20degrees...so i believe the limiters.

No piston contact or shadowing.

Performance machine

 

[BruceH]

Do you remember the part number of the springs? Were the retainers changed too? Stock keepers?

OEM is the only way to go for adjusters. Something just isn't adding up here.

 

[strong_j]

I had the 127550's too and it dropped a valve in my motor as well, also mushroomed out all my valve stem tips.
I had the Jessel followers, Manley springs, new lash adjuster OEM, and the 550's with lockouts.

My suggestion is get rid of the 550's. that's what I did and I haven't had any problems.

 

[FAST3V]

strong j.....this is very good insight....very surprising...i never thought it was the cams....anyone else with issues on these cams?

why might this be the case with these cams? retainers were changed as well, yes. stock keepers.
26125-24 springs i believe


26125-24

26125-24

 

[strong_j]

I'm not sure what the reason was. But I think the lifts were just to big maybe.
I had my heads inspected and there was notches cut out in the casting of my head from the cam.

 

[05stroker]

I had the 127550's too and it dropped a valve in my motor as well, also mushroomed out all my valve stem tips.
I had the Jessel followers, Manley springs, new lash adjuster OEM, and the 550's with lockouts.

My suggestion is get rid of the 550's. that's what I did and I haven't had any problems.

What do you run now?

 

[BruceH]

I had the 127550's too and it dropped a valve in my motor as well, also mushroomed out all my valve stem tips.
I had the Jessel followers, Manley springs, new lash adjuster OEM, and the 550's with lockouts.

My suggestion is get rid of the 550's. that's what I did and I haven't had any problems.

Manley springs are only good to .500 lift. At least the ones I was looking at when I did my springs. Nextek iirc.

 

[FAST3V]

i ordered new OEM lifters, and I'm considering scrapping the cams and going with a custom grind from my Tuner who also builds cams.

 

[strong_j]

What do you run now?

I changed to turbo so I run JPC/RGR's turbo cam now.

 

[05stroker]

I have been beating the hell out of mine with the 127550 cam and the 26125-24 springs and bronze guides. I have everything others say they have trouble with. The cams are actually from a member here who had the same tuner as me and will swear the cams are the issue he had. I think it just comes down to the setup. Oh and, wish me luck!

 

[FAST3V]

reminds me..i have the livernois bronze guides as well

 

[05stroker]

reminds me..i have the livernois bronze guides as well

What was the clearance specs used for your guides?

 

[strong_j]

Yea I also have bronze guides. Maybe it is down to the setup. I mean I had fully decked out heads and those cams just didn't work. The only thing I miss is the sound. Damn those are the best sounding cams ever made. With long tubes and those cams the ground would shake to the sweet lope of that cam.

Turbo cams are boring and not intimidating at all. :-/

05 stroker post up a vid of ur car with the cams.

 

[FAST3V]

idk the specs dude. but yea...they sounded BEAST

 

[05stroker]

Yea I also have bronze guides. Maybe it is down to the setup. I mean I had fully decked out heads and those cams just didn't work. The only thing I miss is the sound. Damn those are the best sounding cams ever made. With long tubes and those cams the ground would shake to the sweet lope of that cam.

Turbo cams are boring and not intimidating at all. :-/

05 stroker post up a vid of ur car with the cams.