Check it out...

Lyn Smith · 01-13-2015, 01:57 PM

I have had the snap ring come out of a couple of lifters in my Buick 455 Stocker and my theory is that when you break a rocker arm the loose push rod hits that snap ring ,or in my case the mickey mouse little stainless keeper and pops it out and then that is when the lifter come apart.A good set of rocker arms will help this problem.

Mike Taylor 3601 · 01-14-2015, 10:36 AM

Are the lifters you all are having clips coming out full travel lifters,being they have the wire clips I am going to guess they are. Over the years I have worked on cars that lost the clips out the lifters, I believe a lot of the time valve float is the cause of clips coming out,when engine goes into valve float it starts compressing lifters and or gets slack between pushrods, lifters and causes inside of lifter to bang against clip and pop them out.
Like several have said put snap rings in them will stop it and even better switch to short travel lifters,I have shimmed regular lifters to reduce travel, you have to have .015'' travel to be legal.
May need to up spring pressure also.
Mike Taylor 3601

01-13-2015, 01:57 PM	#1
Lyn Smith VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Pontiac,il. Posts: 1,210 Likes: 290 Liked 994 Times in 200 Posts	Re: Check it out... I have had the snap ring come out of a couple of lifters in my Buick 455 Stocker and my theory is that when you break a rocker arm the loose push rod hits that snap ring ,or in my case the mickey mouse little stainless keeper and pops it out and then that is when the lifter come apart.A good set of rocker arms will help this problem.

01-14-2015, 10:36 AM	#2
Mike Taylor 3601 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somerset,Ky Posts: 1,374 Likes: 358 Liked 308 Times in 103 Posts	Re: Check it out... Are the lifters you all are having clips coming out full travel lifters,being they have the wire clips I am going to guess they are. Over the years I have worked on cars that lost the clips out the lifters, I believe a lot of the time valve float is the cause of clips coming out,when engine goes into valve float it starts compressing lifters and or gets slack between pushrods, lifters and causes inside of lifter to bang against clip and pop them out. Like several have said put snap rings in them will stop it and even better switch to short travel lifters,I have shimmed regular lifters to reduce travel, you have to have .015'' travel to be legal. May need to up spring pressure also. Mike Taylor 3601