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I just put new bearings, rings, cam bearings all that into my block, its a 1991 302 block, i got a used stock HO roller cam and lifters off my buddy, he says they didnt have many miles but who knows. Well i fire it up it ran good i could hear some ticking from the lifters, i took it for a ride and somthing started squeealing and screeching in the motor real loud. I take the intake off pull the lifters and there all tore up on the edges of the rollers, one of the rollers even has a big flat spot like it wasnt spinning, and my cam is all messed up. The cam bearings look perfect though. What could have caused this? Could spider hold down and dogbones that hold the lifters wore out and letting the lifters spin? Maybe they had allot of miles on them and they just wernt pumping up? Im stumpped. I used stock length 6.250 pushrods too with stock E7 heads but they have a trickflow spring kit on them... heres some pics..

Did you install the cam retainer thrust plate on the engine block behind the timing gear?
Was the oil gallery crossover plug installed at the rear of the block just beneath the intake manifold?
Were the oil gallery plugs installed at the front of the block behind the cam timing gear?
Soak the lifter rollers in a tub of oil before installation?

jeffmotorman wrote:Did you install the cam retainer thrust plate on the engine block behind the timing gear?
Was the oil gallery crossover plug installed at the rear of the block just beneath the intake manifold?
Were the oil gallery plugs installed at the front of the block behind the cam timing gear?
Soak the lifter rollers in a tub of oil before installation?

Yes on the ratainer
Yes on the back plug
Yes im pretty sure on the front plugs
And no i dont think i soaked them but i thought you didnt have to soak roller lifters, wouldnt it have messed it up right on the start up instead of runnin fine for a wile idleing in my driveway? It happend a few days after i got it fired up after i drove it a few times in one day.

looks like the valve adj was tooo tight

That's a bunch of damage for a small amount of run time..

What do the main and rod bearings look like??

One thing that really raises a red flag for me is "used cam and lifters" what was the reason they were removed from the previous engine??

What was you oil pressure like??

Keith

Looks like the lifter/s rotated, check those dogbones or whatever is supposed to hold the lifters in position.

Oldsmoduck wrote:Looks like the lifter/s rotated, check those dogbones or whatever is supposed to hold the lifters in position.

Ya im pretty sure that was what happend.. i put my other cam in, its a flat tappet but its runnin fine except for low oil pressure but it was low with the roller cam too. It pisses me off becuase the motors got all new bearings in it but gets 10 and maybe even lower psi hot at idle, and maybe 45-50 cold. The bearings couldnt have wore THAT fast theres only like 100 miles on these bearings do you think my oil pump is goin out to lunch? Its a little old.