Crane Lifters = TEH SUCK

[TheFieroBoy]

I just have to vent.

A few months ago, I installed a GM 3.4 V6 crate engine in my Fiero. It came with the Crane H260 cam and lifters. Three of the lifters were defective right out of the box. Another failed after initial break-in. And now, a fifth one has failed. The engine has only 3700 miles on it. These Crane lifters are dropping like flies!

Maybe I just got a bad batch. But that doesn't make me any less pissed at having to repeatedly tear apart the engine to replace five-dollar parts. Luckily, I had a spare set of lifters (Edelbrock brand, which IME are excellent quality). The next time a lifter fails, all the remaining Crane lifters get replaced. Screw 'em.

[Atilla the Fun]

Did you use any GM EOS or other ZDDP additive? If not, then no wonder you are killing them. These days, any non-roller lifter WILL fail if you don't pour in a dose of ZDDP after every oil change. I like COMP's the best, but I've also had great results with the RedLine, and the Trick Flow.

[Atilla the Fun]

Also, all currently available hydraulic non-roller lifters (that aren't chinese) are coming out of the same factory, regardless of whose brand name is on the box. This has been the case for nearly 2 years now. And this was true of the Crane stuff, Crane didn't sell any chinese lifters.

[TheFieroBoy]

No, I don't put additives in the oil. But I never had any problems until now. My previous engine had Edelbrock lifters (which are constructed differently, you can tell just by looking at them), and ran fine for over 20K miles.

All the Crane lifters have the same failure mode thus far: the plunger stops plunging, which basically transforms it into a solid lifter.

[Atilla the Fun]

The appearance doesn't negate anything I typed. And ever since the oil companies took all the ZDDP out for emissions reasons, you must add it back for yourself, every time. You see, every new engine comes with rollers if it even has lifters. The cams are now steel instead of iron, too. Especially in engines that use sliding-style cam followers. But your plunger failure is

[Shaun41178(2)]

I have never put in engine oil additives at oil changes and I have had 2 crane cams with no lifter or cam failures. I have been known to put in cheapy no name oil too.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Lucky I guess? I've always used ZDDP additives in my motors and re-builds. The STP $2.19 ZDDP additive isn't as expensive as the GM stuff and works about as well in my book.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Is it an issue running without ZDDP or purely break-in without ZDDP?

[CincinnatiFiero]

Fieros are flat tappet aren't they? My car went 95k miles without it. I just recently started adding a dash of it with oil changes, can't hurt and I can't afford a new motor so I like to think it will help my motor last longer, only time will really tell, and whats to say its longevity isn't just from love and frequent oil changes. Break in is where massive (relatively) amounts of wear happen, so I would assume its only key on the initial break in. Now if you look at the back of the Crane Break In oil bottle they *recommend* using it with EVERY oil change. But I think they'd really just like to see $12 every 3k miles.

[TheFieroBoy]

Keep in mind that 3 of the lifters were defective right out of the box. I'm talking about the engine sitting on the stand, setting valve lash for the first time, so I can finish putting it together and install it in the car. I don't think ZDDP (or the lack thereof) is going to make any difference there.

I disassembled one of the faulty lifters, and found a metal chip inside. Apparently, it got wedged between the plunger and the outer casing, preventing the plunger from moving. After cleaning it out, the lifter worked normally. Unfortunately, these lifters have stamped sheet-metal retainers. The retainer gets bent up during disassembly (you practically have to fold it in half to get it out). So I probably shouldn't re-use it.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Why don't you replace all of them this time around?