Been having trouble with my 92 Camaro for some time now. It has acted like it wants to compression lock on initial start, worse when hot. Thought it had a blown head gasket and that maybe water was causing the problem but compression on 4 of the 6 is 135 to 145 and the other two are 122 to 126. No bubbles in the radiator. Replaced the battery (it was losing a cell), set the timing, same problem continues. Suddenly last weekend I started getting top end lifter noise (I believe) sounding like one really bad one. It also started running rough with some backfire and loosing power on acceleration rpms. Engine has 60k on it and was a GM crate rebuild to replace the factory one that blew out a rod bearing. It had lifter noise when installed and the dealer replaced a couple of lifters in the first few thousand miles. It also has had low oil pressure particularly when hot.

Any way to confirm collapsed (or collapsing) lifters easily?? Does it sound like it could be just the lifters?? How hard is the job to change lifters?? Can it be done without pulling the engine?? Thanks...

 

If they reused the original distributor ,I would yank it and inspect the gear at the bottom to see if its tight.Its held on by a dowel pin and these cars did have some problems with the pin coming off ?..if its coming out it can give you the symptoms you explained..

 

Thanks for the info. I had the dizzy out about 8 months ago to change the bad oil seal ring. Didn't notice anything then but that doesn't mean it hasn't become a problem. I heard the other day that collapsed lifters is pretty common on these engines though. I sure miss the factory original engine. This GM crate rebuild hasn't been a very good one...

 

a lifter is easy to fix... all you have to do is take off the plenum, fuel injectors, upper intake and lower intake, and the valve covers. diagnose which lifter(s) is/are the problem and replace them. $5.50/lifter, $1.50/push rod... i'd say if you have the original lifters and rods, replace them. our engines use 12 of each, and you won't have to worry about them for another 15-20+ years.

so, 5.50x12 = $66 + 1.50x12 = 18; 18+66= $84 and the labor is free... if you do it yourself... also if you need gaskets, i think a whole gasket set is less than $30.

the plenum, Fuel injectors, and upper intake are if you have the FI 3.1. if you have carb, just take off whatever you need to get to your lower intake and then take that off, and replace all of the gaskets if needed.

it takes me less than 2 hours to take everything off... may take you longer if you have stubborn bolts

*Note* you may have to pull the dizzy up about 1" to get the lower intake off.

 

Thanks. Sounds like it might actually be easier than my truck which needs a timing chain, gear, and lifters... Plan to do the truck this weekend...

 

It was the lifters... Two really bad ones, cam lobes shot too.... Thanks for the help....