I screwed up replacing lifters

[ram_man]

So I decided to pop the valve cover off the saturn sl and have a look see. So I did then removed the rocker shafts and pulled intake an exhaust lifter on 4th cly after pushing on each lifter to check for spongyness . I then reinstalled both lifter put the shafts back on and valve cover amd fired it up . It now is running terrible. Popping exhaust idling very rough.
What did I do wrong? I guess this is a lesson learned on my part. But I have to fix it. Any advice ?

 

[yonyon]

If you don't know how to fix it you haven't learned the right lesson.

Put things back where you found them.

 

[ram_man]

I've done lifters before in other cars. Never a saturn but I read the procedure and everything. Everything is back where I found it but it runs like [censored]

 

[OVERKILL]

Silly question, are they roller? IIRC they are. You didn't manage to put them in sideways somehow did you?

 

[FL_Rob]

All it takes is one tooth off, you'll have to re-time the cams.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
All it takes is one tooth off, you'll have to re-time the cams.

He didn't remove the cam. The car is SOHC BTW, the DOHC is cam over bucket and doesn't have the rocker shafts he spoke of

 

[Rand]

why would you have to retime cam(s) for removing some valves
the cam wouldn't have changed position?

 

[FL_Rob]

Yeah,i completely mis-read that opening post.R

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: FL_Rob
Yeah,i completely mis-read that opening post.R

No worries, it is friday night! I'm into a Rickards myself here, LOL!!

 

[tig1]

My guess is the lifters are collapsed, causing the valves not to open.

 

[ram_man]

Overkill excellent question but saturn put little holder things that slide on around the top of the lifter to keep idiots like myself from screwing it up. Lol i tool it apart and got it straightened out but one of the lifters is ticking like [censored].

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
Overkill excellent question but saturn put little holder things that slide on around the top of the lifter to keep idiots like myself from screwing it up. Lol i tool it apart and got it straightened out but one of the lifters is ticking like [censored].


Did you take them apart and clean them? If so, usually it is good practice to soak them in oil before reinstalling them.

 

[eljefino]

There are little notches cut in "something", I forget what, though I think it's the lifter end of the rockers. But it's easy to get the edge of that notch on that something instead, which could hang a valve partially open.

 

[ram_man]

.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
There are little notches cut in "something", I forget what, though I think it's the lifter end of the rockers. But it's easy to get the edge of that notch on that something instead, which could hang a valve partially open.


That is exactly what I did . I took it back apart and realized I wasn't careful enough and didn't pay good enough attention. I let the car idle for a few minutes and then lifter eventually got quiet. That lifter that took so long is probably my problem. it's coming from cyl four but I can't tell which lifter exactly is at fault

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
There are little notches cut in "something", I forget what, though I think it's the lifter end of the rockers. But it's easy to get the edge of that notch on that something instead, which could hang a valve partially open.


That is exactly what I did . I took it back apart and realized I wasn't careful enough and didn't pay good enough attention. I let the car idle for a few minutes and then lifter eventually got quiet. That lifter that took so long is probably my problem. it's coming from cyl four but I can't tell which lifter exactly is at fault


Well, you can soak the lifter in solvent (B12 works well) and get all the varnish out of it and then let it sit in oil for a while after blowing it out with air and that might fix it.

 

[ram_man]

Would I need to disassemble the lifter or just throw it in solvent in one piece? Or should I just replace it with a new one?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
Would I need to disassemble the lifter or just throw it in solvent in one piece? Or should I just replace it with a new one?


I like to disassemble them but you can probably just get away with soaking it without doing so.

 

[spasm3]

Did you put the lifters in the same cam lobe positions, or did you mix them up? They are worn to each cam lobe.

P.S. i'm not sure this matters with roller lifters , it does with flat lifers, but i'm curious if you kept them in the same position or mixed them.

 

[ram_man]

Originally Posted By: spasm3
Did you put the lifters in the same cam lobe positions, or did you mix them up? They are worn to each cam lobe.

P.S. i'm not sure this matters with roller lifters , it does with flat lifers, but i'm curious if you kept them in the same position or mixed them.


Yes did one at a time

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: ram_man
Would I need to disassemble the lifter or just throw it in solvent in one piece? Or should I just replace it with a new one?


If you can get close to knowing which it is, Id just replace it. How much are they, like $16?