Replacing lifters in 265 hemi - as easy as it seems?

Discussion in 'General Motoring' started by A-Man, Jan 21, 2006.

  1. A-Man

    A-Man Guest

    Hi again all,

    I'm keen on replacing the well worn hyd lifters in a 265 hemi 6. I have
    a moderate level of mechanical knowledge/ability and just want to make
    sure I don't get caught out (screw up) with this task.

    Do I need any special tools? The engine has removable side plates so my
    guess is all I need to do is:

    Remove rocker cover

    Remove rocker arms and pushrods

    Remove side plate from engine

    Remove lifters - can I just hook these out with something like a bent
    piece of coathanger wire?

    Reassemble etc...


    Just seems a bit to easy to be true, that's all.

    Also - was after people's opinions on using moly grease when installing
    the new lifters during reassembly. Also on any recommended "run-in"
    procedures, if any. I have the Gregory's manual but they at times tend
    to be somewhat vague.

    All help appreciated
     
    A-Man, Jan 21, 2006
    #1
  2. A-Man

    Bill Putney Guest

    I can't speak to the other aspects (don't know the engine), but I find
    that one of those telescoping magnets (the ones with the good strong
    magnets) works great for plucking lifters out of their bores.

    Bill Putney
    (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
    address with the letter 'x')
     
    Bill Putney, Jan 21, 2006
    #2
  3. A-Man

    Jason James Guest

    Basically yes,..with a few things more,..if they wont come out, its probable
    there is varnish coating them on the sump-side. In this case,..and it
    happened to me with a Valiant Taxi which had done a lot of miles on LPG, you
    may need to butcher them out with vice-grips using a back and forth twisting
    action. Hope that's not the case tho. The other thing is to prime the new
    ones by immersing them in new oil, then using an appropriate activator (I
    used to use an old large phillips screwdriver ground into a hemisphere shape
    on its end) push down on the little piston about 10 times.

    Jason
     
    Jason James, Jan 21, 2006
    #3
  4. A-Man

    mackeb Guest

    Hi,
    I don't know this engine, but I recently did replaced
    cam/lifters/timing gear in my 253 VH Commodore.

    I immeresed the lifters in *clean* engine oil (I know it sounds obvious
    but you never know...).
    After I put them in, air bubbles came out of both holes in the
    lifter(s). I left them over night. I didn't pump them.
    When installing them (as well as the cam) you should use a generous
    amount of assembly lube. This is crucial for the first 30 seconds or
    so of running the engine.
    When it comes time to start the engine, make sure there is petrol in
    the carby and water in the cooling system and it will start first time.

    I recommend replacing all rocker arms and saddles at this point, as
    they are not expensive and need ot be in really good condition to
    warrant being kept.
    You might also consider replacing the cam, as if you ever decide to do
    this in the future then you'll have to replace the lifters again, no
    matter how 'new' the lifters are.
     
    mackeb, Jan 22, 2006
    #4
  5. A-Man

    Bret Ludwig Guest

    The 265 Hemi is an Australia-only engine AFAIK. Were they sold
    elsewhere for marine or industrial purposes? Is there ANY commonality
    in this thing with any "normal" Mpoar powerplant?
     
    Bret Ludwig, Jan 23, 2006
    #5
  6. A-Man

    Jason James Guest

    Believe it or not, when Chrysler decamped from Australia, they sold their
    factories and remaining spares etc to Mitsubishi. Now being possessed of
    Japanese efficiency and an abhorrence of anything remotely resembling US
    styling and engineering, they threw out all the Aussie Valiant/Centura
    documents. Now no-one except possibly some old guy or two floating around
    the place has the mail on the R&D of the Aussie Valiants and their "Hemi"
    6s.

    The largest was 265 cu and when optioned up to run in the R/T Chargers, ran
    triple side-draught Webers and a decent exhaust. These cars turned in a 14.1
    sec quarter and at the time just beat the Ford 351 GTHOs over the 1/4, tho
    the GTs had a higher top-end on the straightaways.

    AFAIK, the Hemi 6 was a local design. It was a big engine physically with
    beefed-up internals compared to other 6s. They were virtually unburstable
    engines with legendary endurance. As to the combustion chambers, they did
    not have the original Hemi chambers as the US V8 did,..but they used angled
    valves.

    Jason
     
    Jason James, Jan 23, 2006
    #6
  7. One of the best things I ever bought for my toolbox. That and a 3 pronged
    pickup tool.

    Fraser
     
    Fraser Johnston, Jan 23, 2006
    #7
  8. A-Man

    Steve Guest

    Don't know too much about the 265 I6, but on American Chrysler v8s its
    much better to use either a lifter removal tool that has prongs that
    catch in the top of the lifter when you press a button, or a magnet. In
    fact its good to have a magnet for when (not if) you drop a lifter :-/
    Also, not all engines have enough clearance around the pushrods to let
    a lifter pass through, and I don't know if the 265 does or not.
    If you have room, its really that easy.
    Use engine assembly lube, and treat it as though you were breaking in a
    new cam- run the engine for 20 minutes at not less than 2000 RPM when
    you first fire it up with the new lifters to let the lifters bed to the
    cam lobes without damaging the hardened surface on either the cam or
    lifters.
     
    Steve, Jan 23, 2006
    #8
  9. A-Man

    Bill Putney Guest

    I agree about the three prong pickup tool - we called them
    "fart-grabbers" in the Navy. And grandkids love them - great for
    hitting the cat and for fishing for coins in a 5-gallon water cooler bottle.

    Bill Putney
    (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
    address with the letter 'x')
     
    Bill Putney, Jan 24, 2006
    #9
  10. hitting the cat? where did your kids picked up such cruel habits?
     
    treeline12345, Jan 26, 2006
    #10
  11. A-Man

    Bill Putney Guest

    Oh NO! Please don't tell PITA!! LOL!

    We're talking playing with the cat where the cat grabs it, etc. Geesh.

    Bill Putney
    (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
    address with the letter 'x')
     
    Bill Putney, Jan 26, 2006
    #11
  12. A-Man

    Steve Guest

    He didn't say hitting the DOG. He said "cat."

    :p
     
    Steve, Jan 26, 2006
    #12
  13. A-Man

    Polara Guest

    I always found that a tool like this

    hhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Hydraulic-Valve-Lifter-Removal-Tool-NEW_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ43996QQitemZ4613621956QQrdZ1ave



    is the easiest way as long as there is room to pull them up through the
    head.
     
    Polara, Feb 21, 2006
    #13
  14. A-Man

    Jason James Guest

    Most head castings only have a small hole for the pushrods. The extractor
    tool will work provided the lifters are'nt varnished in at the bottom.

    Jason
     
    Jason James, Feb 22, 2006
    #14
  15. A-Man

    Steve Guest

    Most *CHEVROLET* heads have a small hole for the pushrods. Big-block
    Chrysler head castings have a large opening for each pair of pushrods,
    and the lifters come out with a ton of room to spare.

    I've never had the valve cover off an Aussie 265 Hemi 6, so I can't
    speak directly to that one.
    It would take an awful lot of varnish to be so thick that you couldn't
    work the lifters out with a bit of up-and-down yanking on the extractor
    tool.
     
    Steve, Feb 22, 2006
    #15
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