Question holding lifters in place

[ren4228]

Question from the rookie trying to get the car out and competitive before the end of the year! Are there any trick ways anyone has found to keep the lifters in place that you would share? I have had two failures now on my new car with the lifters spining out of the dog bones. I am using part number FMS-M-6253-A50 from ford racing to lock them down, but is there a better set up that I am just missing? In Joliet I caught it before anything major occured. I wanted to have the car back at Ohio but it failed this week and a little more significatnt damaged occured. I am trying to get the block redone but probably won't be back in time to make ohio but hopefully Bowling Green. Any help would be appreciated, if this is what you are using I will order a new kit and just say I must have had bad luck. I just wanted to make sure I am on the right track.

Thanks,

Chris

[SwillRacer]

We use the stock dog bones. No failures in 6 years. Some guys use the stock plastic thing-a-ma-bob (I don't know what it's called) that is found on later model pushrod engines. I think Mike Post and Randy @ PER have used that with success.

Don't know if I helped ya or not...

[ren4228]

That was what I was needing I will assume it was either a bad kit or bad luck. If anyone else has something else just let me know. If not I will just get a new kit and try again.

[zoop]

[QUOTE=SwillRacer]We use the stock dog bones. No failures in 6 years. Some guys use the stock plastic thing-a-ma-bob (I don't know what it's called) that is found on later model pushrod engines. I think Mike Post and Randy @ PER have used that with success.


Ditto, we use the stock dogbones also, with stock OEM lifters.There has to be something else going on. Good Luck!;) Zoop

[Crazy Eddie]

I think the plastic lifter hold downs are from the newer explorer shortblocks, If I remember correctly there were two types of metal dog-bone styles.
One sits parallel to the lifter bore and the other style had a angle on the bottom of them.
I'd also make sure that your not using too long of spider bolts so they are
not bottoming out on the top of the cam bearings. Hope any of this might help.

[p302stang]

did they break atmid or high rpm? maybe your valve springs aren't up to snuff and your having the lifters jump off the cam lobe and breaking the dog bones. i had this problem a few yr's ago.

[Postman]

did they break atmid or high rpm? maybe your valve springs aren't up to snuff and your having the lifters jump off the cam lobe and breaking the dog bones. i had this problem a few yr's ago.


I use the plastic ones out of the explore but it sounds like paul and I agree it could be springs. I also have never had a failure. 3 years with the dog bones and 3 with the plastic ones.

[ren4228]

Thanks for the ideas on the heads I will have those checked since I have already torn the motor down. Could bad lifters also contribute to it? I am going to replace them anyway just trying to avoid for the future. Thanks for all the help from the experienced folks.

[SwillRacer]

did they break atmid or high rpm? maybe your valve springs aren't up to snuff and your having the lifters jump off the cam lobe and breaking the dog bones. i had this problem a few yr's ago.

what he said....

[ren4228]

it was on the burn out so between 5500 and 6200 rpms. My engine builder is reviewing it tomorrow but as of now it looks like I just had lifter failure which caused it to hop kind of like what you were describing with the springs. I just hope the damage isn't to bad to the roatating assembly or block. If not to bad of damage hope to have the car together to try again at bowling green. I just can't wait to get over the new car blues!

[Bob Cook]

I'm using the stock bones also and I'd wonder about the springs. They should be in the area of 180lbs on the seat and 380lbs open. The Comp Cams #977 spring sounds like a familiar number if the diameter is right for your heads.

[Chris Fillyaw]

Since we are talking about lifter hold downs, I had a question and I wondered if any of you have run into this before. When I was running Real Street, I was using a Dart Iron Eagle block. With the stock 5.0 cam, a few of the lifters would actually contact the dog bone and lift it from the block around 0.030". I never had any problems, but I was never all that comfortable with it being that way.

Since you guys are running higher lift cams, I would expect this situation to be even more severe. Anyone ever run into this problem and if so, how did you fix it?