Valve lifters - again

[Cody Forbes]

Hard ones could simply be completely collapsed and NFG. The only reliable test I have found for lifters is if they click when the engine has been running for long enough to get to operating temp then they are bad.

-Cody Forbes (mobile)

On Oct 6, 2012, at 4:37 PM, "Radek" <radek at uniserve.com> wrote:

> OK, so it looks like softness, especially after the engine hasn't been run for a while, is OK?
> I wonder about putting in used ones from another engine.  Bentley specifically advises, when removing lifters, to put them back in the same place. That, I suppose, because they "settle" in their place.  If I were to replace the soft ones on the 90Q with used but hard ones from the EV, wouldn't that cause problems because the old ones were "settled" for a different engine?  Just curious.
> Thanks for your advice guys.
> 
> Radek.
> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 3
>> Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2012 12:21:18 -0400
>> From: Grant Lenahan <glenahan at vfemail.net>
>> To: "Radek" <radek at uniserve.com>
>> Cc: quattro at audifans.com
>> Subject: Re: Valve lifters - again
>> Message-ID: <6218457E-E143-4531-A84B-D070141A7CCD at vfemail.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>> 
>> In most of my audis, especially older ones, they ALL go soft when they stand even for a couple days, and clatter until they pump up.  Deposits (varnish) can also cause them to be sticky.  So i'd suggest caution before throwing money and time at it; clean them too.
>> 
>> Grant
>> On Oct 6, 2012, at 12:06 PM, Radek wrote:
>> 
>>> Two questions about valve lifters:
>>> 1. is it OK to put used ones in (from another car), provided they are still good?
>>> 2. How to tell they are good?
>>> Background:  my son's 1988 90Q has been out of commission for a couple of months now, due to rear differential problems (nearly solved now, separate topic).   I remember checking valve lifters about a year ago, two of them were soft (don't remember which ones).  So I decided to open up the front, change the timing belt and the two lifters while the car is on stands in the garage.
>>> First, I did a leakdown test to see if the valves are good - no issues. Second, I checked all lifters for softness (rolling the camshaft to get the lobes up and pushing down on the lifters with a small piece of wood). To my surprise, 7 out of 10 were soft.  Tolerance according to Bentley is just 0.01 mm.
>>> Is it possible that because the engine hasn't been started for over two months, oil leaked out of the lifters and they are soft, but when the engine starts again they will be OK?
>>> I went a step farther, removed the camshaft and took the lifters out one by one.  Squeezing them with my thumb and forefinger, I could very easily squeeze oil out of 7 of them, while the other 3 would not budge at all. Same about the 2 brand new lifters I have, can't squeeze them at all.
>>> So now, more questions in my mind:
>>> a) are the soft ones bad?
>>> b) if they are, do I replace them with brand new ones or can I put in used ones from my Eurovan, privided these are hard?
>>> Thanks for all thoughts.
>>> 
>>> Radek.
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 4
>> Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2012 12:18:34 -0500
>> From: Tony Hoffman <auditony at gmail.com>
>> To: Radek <radek at uniserve.com>
>> Cc: quattro at audifans.com
>> Subject: Re: Valve lifters - again
>> Message-ID:
>> <CAJM_R3rTAyBM6syQ8hark7TYCy6fKYj4cotnt-i0VZNtEcq-Qw at mail.gmail.com>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>> 
>> In addition to what Grant mentioned, you can use used ones. However, let
>> them bleed down installed for 24 hrs, or valve bending can occur. Also, if
>> replacing with new, use the newer style ones for a V8Q. Also the same as
>> the newer VAG exhaust ones (1.8T, 2.8 30V, etc).
>> 
>> These are what I run on my cars, when I decide the tic-tic is too much. It
>> usually isn't ;-)
>> 
>> Tony
>> 
>> On Sat, Oct 6, 2012 at 11:06 AM, Radek <radek at uniserve.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> So now, more questions in my mind:
>>> a) are the soft ones bad?
>>> b) if they are, do I replace them with brand new ones or can I put in used
>>> ones from my Eurovan, privided these are hard?
>>> Thanks for all thoughts.
>>> 
>> 
> 
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