Broken Lifter Spider Mounting Hole

[Majoraslayer]

Retro fit lifters have their own fixed link bars and don't require the hold down plate. Also pretty good money. I've have mobile welders come braze stuff for me. It maybe be an option. Not sure if that passage is an oil passage or not. With that being said, I've heard of guys with non-roller blocks talk about drilling and taping that area for a vortec style hold down, but never came up with any follow up info if it actually worked and/or created other issues.

If this was external, I would be saying go for it, but internally, idk, a small chunk floating around could chew something else up and it's constantly in a wet environment where you can't easily put eyes on it.

I've seen the retrofit link bar lifters, but I've also seen a lot of YouTube videos for a Comp Cams kit that actually drills and taps for a spider. I don't know if the link bar setup has made that kit obsolete or what, but this is what I saw first before hearing about the link bar lifters.

Here's an example of that ridge being drilled on a block for it ---->

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Here's another guy explaining it, using a block without the ridge ---->

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[Road Trip]

Before I do that though, is that ridge through the center of the valley actually some kind of oil passage, or would it just be some "meat" I could actually driil and tap into? I think I remember seeing that's how some of the retrofit kits work anyway, by adding drilled and tapped holes for studs on that ridge.

The short answer to your question is Yes it happens to be an oil passage. A really important one.

Please be careful around that 'ridge', for the center of it is the rifle-drilled oil galley that
first feeds the 5 cam bearings, and then on to the 5 main bearings > crank > rod bearings. (!)

Check out the 'oil distribution paths' illustration from the Chevrolet Power Manual:

You must be registered for see images attach

(Credit: Chevrolet Power Manual, 5th Edition) p. 3-30, "V8 Small Block"

Anyone who's wondered what exactly the 3 oil galleys above the camshaft do, it's laid out neatly in this illustration.

The outer 2 galleys bisect the left and right lifter bores, while the one directly above the camshaft is
responsible for getting the dino juice to all 5 cam bearings on the way to the main bearings, and finally
the rod bearings.

Given all of the above, I would urge extreme caution in making any mods -- especially taking the existing
hole provided for the spider fastener and going any deeper. No joy awaits a too-deep repair effort. :-(

But remember if you have the same amount of threads as the diameter of the fastener itself,
then you have the equivalent strength. If you decide against screwing in the stud and securing
it with industrial strength 2-part epoxy, then threading in the stud and using Red Loctite
(Stud & Bearing Mount) should give you a solid 100% fix. Especially if you follow the instructions
above to straighten/secure the stud installation to the remaining threads with the nut while curing.

And if you simply don't want to ever lay in bed at night suffering from motorhead fastener anxiety,
then you could pin the stud like the rocker arm studs have been done, and Voila! no foreign object
nightmares to lose a good night's rest over.

Hope this clears up what options you have in this area. Definitely fixable while employing a deft touch. (Huh?)

:0)

 

[Majoraslayer]

The short answer to your question is Yes it happens to be an oil passage. A really important one.

Please be careful around that 'ridge', for the center of it is the rifle-drilled oil galley that
first feeds the 5 cam bearings, and then on to the 5 main bearings > crank > rod bearings. (!)

Check out the 'oil distribution paths' illustration from the Chevrolet Power Manual:

You must be registered for see images attach

(Credit: Chevrolet Power Manual, 5th Edition) p. 3-30, "V8 Small Block"

Anyone who's wondered what the 3 galleys above the oil pump do, it's laid out neatly in this illustration.
The outer 2 galleys bisect the left and right lifter bores, which the one directly above the camshaft is
responsible for getting the dino juice to all 5 cam bearings on the way to the main bearings, and finally
the rod bearings.

Given all of the above, I would urge extreme caution in making any mods -- especially taking the existing
hole provided for the spider fastener and going any deeper. No joy awaits you. :-(

But remember if you have the same amount of threads as the diameter of the fastener itself,
then you have the equivalent strength. If you decide against screwing in the stud and securing
it with epoxy, then threading in the stud and using Red Loktite (Stud & Bearing Mount) should
give you a 100% fix. Especially if you follow the instructions above to straighten/secure the stud
installation to the remaining threads.

And if you simply don't want to ever lay in bed at night suffering from motorhead fasterer anxiety,
the you could pin the stud like the rocker arm studs have been done, and Voila! no foreign object
nightmares to lose a good night's rest over.

Hope this clears up what options you have in this area. Definitely fixable while employing a deft touch.

:0)

I didn't even think about red Loctite, that's basically weld in a bottle anyway lol. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Road Trip]

I didn't even think about red Loctite, that's basically weld in a bottle anyway lol. Thanks for the advice!

Especially IF you also use the Loktite prep stuff that @Schurkey has championed elsewhere.

Me? If there were 3 good threads still in place at the bottom of the hole, then a quality stud +
Loktite prep + Red Loctite stud and bearing mount would make me happy. (And I don't spare
the horses under the hood, if you know what I mean. :0)

Let us know how the recovery effort goes. Best of luck!

 

[Hipster]

Both of those guys did this with the engines out during build phase , drilling into the oil passage in an already wet engine, no way. Chips will stick like glue. Sure you can grease drill bits and taps to collect chips, but there's no way short of disassembly to verify absatively posolutely nothing was left behind. One needs to be careful not to create a secondary and different problem trying to fix the first one.

Really not thrilled with the first build, not what we doing here, but the lifters barely tall enough to sit in the dogbones, and hardware store all thread wouldn't be my choice. He has one little hiccup, and that engine is done. People wonder why I say youtube is full of what not to do.

 

[Majoraslayer]

I do have the engine out and on a stand now, but I'm not thrilled at the concept of a full tear-down regardless. I'm already tapped out on funds after buying new aftermarket heads and a new roller camshaft, not to mention all the junk heads I got ripped off on first and the machine shop cost to get those magnafluxed.

 

[Hipster]

I do have the engine out and on a stand now, but I'm not thrilled at the concept of a full tear-down regardless. I'm already tapped out on funds after buying new aftermarket heads and a new roller camshaft, not to mention all the junk heads I got ripped off on first and the machine shop cost to get those magnafluxed.

All of sudden a $100 bill to a qualified welder starts to look cheap and a metric shyt ton less involved.

 

[Majoraslayer]

All of sudden a $100 bill to a qualified welder starts to look cheap and a metric shyt ton less involved.

Not so much when I'm so tapped out I don't even have that lol

 

[Hipster]

Not so much when I'm so tapped out I don't even have that lol

I hear ya man, and I know you're looking for a cheap fix but it sounds like you're building it to romp on and have some fun with.

 

[Hipster]

Especially IF you also use the Loktite prep stuff that @Schurkey has championed elsewhere.

Me? If there were 3 good threads still in place at the bottom of the hole, then a quality stud +
Loktite prep + Red Loktite stud and bearing mount would make me happy. (And I don't spare
the horses under the hood, if you know what I mean. :0)

Let us know how the recovery effort goes. Best of luck!

bearing mount?