Replacing lifters while the heads are off? Or waste of money?

[redfishsc]

1999 C1500 Suburban. 225k miles. Doing a head gasket job on it.

Motor is in good shape as long as I dont discover anything nasty in the piston chambers tomorrow when I pop the heads off. Engine is clean as can be expected at 225k. No coolant in the oil.

Never suspected bad lifters but I am able to swap the original ones now if these things tend to go bad in time, I honestly don't know.

$28 each for Delco is insane. $4 each for Melling and Enginetech is obviously a nicer price but cheap parts often come with a "rebate" about a month after you install them lol.


So yall advise me here. Should I just leave the old ones in ........ Pull and clean them.......... Or pull/replace them?

 

[Schurkey]

When it was me, I pulled them apart ONE AT A TIME for cleaning and inspection. Re-assemble using ATF as assembly lube. Lifter plungers are select-fit to the lifter body. DO NOT mix the parts up.

It was scary how much crap was trapped inside. I didn't see enough wear to concern me...but they were filthy inside.

'Course, I haven't actually run the engine those lifters went back into...yet.

 

[454cid]

A guy on another board bought some Melling lifters on ebay that turned out to be OEM GM, made in the Wyoming, MI plant.

 

[c1500deathtrap]

If they're roller lifters, just check them out for signs of a locked roller, (skid marks/scoring on cam lobe) look for slop in the needle bearing, and if they're good rebuild them. Or just order some new lifters online. about 11 dollars a pop for gm oem.

 

[big_mike]

You can grab a set of stock GM LS7 lifters for about $100. They are even listed as direct replacements now and are a better lifter than the OEM L31 lifter.

 

[Schurkey]

You can grab a set of stock GM LS7 lifters for about $100. They are even listed as direct replacements now and are a better lifter than the OEM L31 lifter.

Link?

 

[big_mike]

There are multiple sources online, just shop by part number for best price and availability

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[redfishsc]

Has anyone here actually put LS7 lifters in their 5.7 Vortec L31? Do the original pushrods work?

I am reading comments saying that they had to buy new pushrods (one said needed 7.150 pushrods).


Either way, I got the heads off, I'm going to pull the lifters and starts cleaning them if the rollers all look good.

 

[big_mike]

Yes, lots of people are running them and falling within spec. Depends on if your good with it being within spec or if your wanting it dead money on. I have been doing alot of reading on this same topic lately bc I'm about to.pull my heads on my 99 tahoe L31.

I'll tell ya this, they worked great on my LS combo with a .581 lift cam and I ran them HARD for 80k miles, they were still fine when I sold it.

 

[redfishsc]

Yes, lots of people are running them and falling within spec. Depends on if your good with it being within spec or if your wanting it dead money on. I have been doing alot of reading on this same topic lately bc I'm about to.pull my heads on my 99 tahoe L31.

I'm not sure what you mean by "within spec". I'm speaking as someone who has done a cylinder head swap and valve adjustment once (same L31 type motor, I never touched the lifters then) and all I did was set the rocker nut to 0 lash and did a 3/4 turn further, seemed to work just fine, that truck runs like a champ. So I am by no means an experienced mechanic.

So what is the difference between "dead money" vs "in spec" ?