<VV> Lifter question

[BEllison@bbafiberweb.com]

Original symptons...reason for the teardown...pulls strong to 3k, but no
power after, in any gear.

Should I be able to push in a lifter plunger with my hand, whether it be a
SBC, or Corvair specific?

Cam is definitely not off a tooth - I can see the 0 on the cam gear, thru
the crank bolt hole.

I just did everything but crack the case on my Corsa 140.  (it's amazing how
many pieces will fit in that small, confined area.)  The cam, measuring with
a dial indicator at the lifter, is doing close to what the specs say, for a
used ISKY 280, not an Otto 30, around .270-.275 for most of the lobes on the
passenger side.

Who wants to explain how all this works?  You've got a lifter, that has a
spring in it, that as it's pushed by the cam, the spring compresses, pushing
oil up thru the push rod, to the rocker.  So, you're not supposed to get as
much lift at the rocker as the cam is capable, w/o solid lifters.  But how
much is too much?

With the rockers still installed, before the heads cam off, I was barely
getting .175 on several of the exhaust.  The instakes seemed okay, but only
around .260.  I did notice, that as I put pressure on the lifter, I could
see them bleed down, rather quickly, on the dial.

Are my valves not opening enough due to the lifters?  The valve spring is
obviously a lot stronger than the lifter spring, and it seems it SHOULD be.
When the lifter bottoms out, then, and only then, does the valve move.  

How do I test what's happening, short of throwing money at it, and just
buying new, Corvair specific lifters?  I don't mind doing that, as long as I
*KNOW* that is the issue.

I'll continue reading, too.

Thanks,

Barry Ellison
Corsa SC
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