Replacement Lifters for a 1993 LQ1

[dukester]

Looking to get pointed in the right directions as to where I can find some replacement lifters for my 1993 LQ1.

Engine sat for a while, cams look good but moisture has compromised the lifter beyond my comfort level.

So far I have found the Qualcast 362273. But it is out of stock most places.

I have also found the EngineTech L2273 But can't confirm fitment.

I'm new the LQ1 game it's currently on fiero cradle waiting to get slotted into my 86GT

 

Thanks

[Schurkey]

Photos?  Is the water damage on the lifter face where it rides against the cam lobe, or internal?

[dukester]

Face of the lifter unfortunately, rust has made the surface slightly uneven in some spots. Just enough where you can feel a ripple with your finger nail. 

 

It turns out all of those parts I listed above are 33mm lifters so they won't work.

Apparently audi is still using a 35mm lifter that was found on the quad 4. 

Still looking for a known replacement though

[55trucker]

The only difference in the early lifters & the later lifters is the overall diameter.

The early lifters are 32.969mm & the later are 33mm.

Pick up a single lifter designated for the 96-97 LQ1 engine & see if it drops into the lifter bore freely.

In terms of dimensions the difference between 33mm & 32.969mm is the equivalent of approx .002 thou.

Edited February 6 by 55trucker

[dukester]

Early lifters are larger and 35mm later lifters are 33mm. That's what I have been told.

[55trucker]

If you're uncertain on which lifter to purchase then remove one of the cams & pull out a single lifter & take a measurement with a vernier to remove all doubt as to what the lifters dia are.

To the best of my knowledge the early lifters (2nd design) are 1.298" dia or 32.969mm & the 96-97 lifters are 1.2992 or 33mm dia.

That is a difference of .002 thou.

[dukester]

Just confirmed my 93 LQ1 has 35mm lifters. My 97 heads are 33mm

[55trucker]

Hmmm.......lucky you to have the 97 cam carriers.

Did some searching for you....seems that back in 96 some engineer at GM decided that the cam carriers needed a revise for the 97 engine.

From 91 thru 96 the lifters are the same item GM 17108288 or Manley ML139H, Enginetech L3400, Melling JB-2275 all of which are no longer available.

But the lifters for the 97 are available.

How badly pitted are your present lifters & how many of them are marred?

If you can't find any new lifters how do you feel about exchanging the 93 cam carriers for the 97 cam carriers?

The only other change made to the carrier casting was for the 94 model year introduction where a cam sensor port was added to the machining process that located that sensor right above the intake cam just to the right of the revised carrier cover on the front bank (there's a notch in the cover at the right upper corner).

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by 55trucker

[dukester]

The worst lifter has probably 1/8 of the lifter surface with a raised rusty ripple that you can just barely feel with your fingernail. Problem is I cant reuse them even if I wanted to cause I mixed em all up.

 

Further switching to 2nd gen carriers mean I need 2nd gen heads and the price just states skyrocketing

 

Edited February 7 by dukester

[Schurkey]

How many lifters do you need?   Full set?  Or just a few to replace the worst ones?

[Schurkey]

5 hours ago, dukester said:

The worst lifter has probably 1/8 of the lifter surface with a raised rusty ripple that you can just barely feel with your fingernail. Problem is I cant reuse them even if I wanted to cause I mixed em all up.

 

Further switching to 2nd gen carriers mean I need 2nd gen heads and the price just states skyrocketing

 

I wouldn't say that the lifters have to stay matched to the cam lobes like a normal cam/lifter set.  The valve spring pressures are so mild, and the surface area is so huge, that I don't think it makes any difference which lifter goes on which cam lobe.  A person could verify by looking in the Genuine GM service manual, perhaps.

 

I didn't know there was a meaningful difference between "first gen" heads and "second gen" heads, as far as interchangeability of the cam carriers IF (big IF) you don't need the cam sensor.   That is, I though a second-gen cam carrier could be used in place of a first-gen, but a first-gen can't be used to replace a second-gen.  But I'm not too old to learn something.

I have an entire set of first-gen cam carriers and heads.  I think I even valve-jobbed the heads, and did the cam-carrier oiling mod per the GM bulletin.  I may have pulled the lifters apart for cleaning--I don't remember that for sure.  All that was a decade ago, maybe longer.  I'd have to hunt around to find the parts.  My plan was to swap the rebuilt/modified parts onto my '92 when I changed head gaskets and added a block heater like I did to my '93.  I never got that far.

Edited February 8 by Schurkey

[dukester]

I prefer to do them all. I guess if the seat pressure if fairly mellow, I will just get a good set of 24 used ones and break them in like they were new

[Schurkey]

OEM lifters have a hardened-steel wear-cap welded to the camshaft-end of the lifters.

 

The hardened cap has virtually no "wear", but does show some polishing.  There's no need to "break-in" these lifters when re-used.  The soft valve springs, the lack of rocker arms multiplying valve spring force, and the huge surface area (low psi loading on the cam lobe) make that moot.

 

Not exactly 35mm by my caliper.  Measurement varied from 34.92 to 34.91 depending on how I held the caliper.

 

 

 

If you get another set of lifters, contact me.  I might be willing to buy your "rusty" ones.

Edited February 8 by Schurkey

[dukester]

To these lifter even have a crown or are they flat? 

Maybe I could just get some wet 600 grit and sand off some of bad spots, considering how thick that cap is.

 

 

[Schurkey]

1 minute ago, dukester said:

To these lifter even have a crown or are they flat? 

Maybe I could just get some wet 600 grit and sand off some of bad spots, considering how thick that cap is.

 

 

That was going to be my plan.  Piece of glass for flatness, various grades of sandpaper to resurface them.