Comp Elite Race Series Lifter Axles walking out?

[Kevin Panzino]

Please disregard title. These are NOT the Elite Race Series, that was an error on my part.


Anyone else had their Comp Sportsman Series lifter axles walk out? There are no 'C' clips on the this series axles, there is a "permantently" peened over ring on each end to keep the axle in. Well on 3 out of 16, the peened ring is gone, and the axles had walked out damaging the lifter bores

Anyone else had this problem?

[Denny Steward]

Kevin check these lifters out you won't be sorry.

stewardperformance.com

[1320racer]

have never, would never use comp roller lifters in my motors. Too many reports of their lifters failing over many, many years and for the same reason, ears spreading/axles walking, regardless whether, sportsman, endure-x. IMO and many other racers as well engine builders, Crower Severe Duty are the benchmark. I also don't believe in rebuilding lifters, they are a disposable component.

[Lenny5160]

I've tried one set of Comp lifters in 20+ years of racing. This was roughly 5 years ago. I didn't have the problem you are describing, but nonetheless it was a bad choice.

Went back to the trusty Crowers at that time; now running Isky bushed lifters.

[buzzinhalfdozen]

I must be doing something wrong, been running Comp lifters for years...zero failures. Near 400 on the seat and 10,000 RPM. These are Ford and .904 sizes so maybe the bigger size helps.

[Tom Goldman]

I have to agree with Joe ,I've been using them for years also with no failures of either their Sportsman or Elite lifters.
I also run 390# on the seat at over 8000 rpm.
Years ago one of Crowers techs told me that most lifter failures not caused by poor maintenance ,ie spring pressure or lash, were due to lateral loading of the bearing caused by the lifter bore not being perpendicular to the cam ,even after being bushed .
Try taking a new lifter ,coat the lobe with Prussian Blue and run the engine thru a few rotations with your normal spring pressure .
You might be surprised by the contact pattern left behind. PS this only works with a new lifter.
That being said if you don't like the current flavor try another , Denny makes a good product .

[Kevin Panzino]

Thanks for the replies gents!!

[Mike Taylor 3601]

anytime you are having trouble with lifters,rockers or popping heads off valves,9 out of 10 times you don't have enough spring pressure and lifter doesn't stay on the lobe and beats valvetrain to death.
Mike Taylor 3601

[nhramnl]

According to a lifter manufacturer that has a reputation of solid gold, here are the things that can kill a roller lifter:


Inadequate valve spring pressure. Spring simply can't stay in contact with the camshaft and is "tossed". When it lands, the roller wheels that are facing the lobe at that nanosecond get flat-spotted and the irreversible cycle of death has begun.


Also though, too crazy a lobe can cause lifter failure because if the opening ramp is simply too severe, no lifter, regardless of spring pressure, can follow it. In this scenario as well, the valve "toss" occurs and you're headed for trouble. It is for this reason that lobe "extremism" stopped (some years ago) and rocker ratio experimentation began.


Also, this lifter manufacturer said that if neither of the above issues kill your lifters, you should still worry about lifter diameter. Since that advice, I have always opted for at least .904 diameter lifters and have recently stopped using bearings (though I admit that I don't know conclusively that bushings are more durable).


Finally, if you add a bypass fuel pressure regulator to your car, you are almost assured of never having a failure of any kind again, in addition to picking up at least two tenths and four miles per hour.

[Adger Smith]

I hope Kevin doesn't mind this follow up. I had a couple of PM's with Kevin about the problem and my strongest suggestion was to check for some sort of alignment problem, esp lifter bore. He blued the cam and checked the roller pattern, no problems there. Kevin talked with a couple of knowledgeable people and figured out it was an alignment problem. Not bad parts, just parts with the wrong off set that created a pushrod alignment problem. Kevin was smart enough to do some cad drawings and figure it out. Side load to the lifters can be death to any companies good parts.
Please keep in mind It is easy to blame parts, but sometimes a little in depth study of the problem will reveal the real issue is not even associated with the failed parts.