Maxville Truck Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Looking to be a "cheap Bastard"..........I need a lifter and Camshaft for an 88' E-9 in a superliner the exhaust lifter on #6 wore the "mushroom" off. and did a little groove into the cam lobe... What in your guy's opinions are my options... My local mack dealership quoted me about a grand for a new cam, about 140 per lifter, and said I have to change out the puchrods at the same time, to the tune of about 26 a piece all total about 3700 plus gaskets yet. the truck hauls silage about 600 hrs per year. I don't really want to take it apart twice. should I bear down and go all new or can I mix and match a used cam (if I can find one) with a used lifter. Any advice would be appreciated!!Chris :SMOKIE-LFT: :SMOKIE-LFT: Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
rad45 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Looking to be a "cheap Bastard"..........I need a lifter and Camshaft for an 88' E-9 in a superliner the exhaust lifter on #6 wore the "mushroom" off. and did a little groove into the cam lobe... What in your guy's opinions are my options... My local mack dealership quoted me about a grand for a new cam, about 140 per lifter, and said I have to change out the puchrods at the same time, to the tune of about 26 a piece all total about 3700 plus gaskets yet. the truck hauls silage about 600 hrs per year. I don't really want to take it apart twice. should I bear down and go all new or can I mix and match a used cam (if I can find one) with a used lifter. Any advice would be appreciated!!Chris :SMOKIE-LFT: :SMOKIE-LFT:Hi Chris,I'm writing from Australia so my suggestions may not totally fit with your situation in the US. I would start by talking to any Engine Rebuild companies around your area. You do not need a Mack specialist but rather an engine rebuilder to see if your old cam can be refurbished. The same companies that grind cams for hot rodders often grind cams for trucks and big marine diesels also. I would defiitely put a new set of lifters in. If one has died the death, there is a good chance the others are on their way out also.Which ever way you go on the camshaft, you are going to need to flush out the oil ways through your engine to get all of the gunge, that was parts of the cam lobe and the lifter, right out of the engine lube galleries. This muck could already be killing your big end and main shells. If you have not pulled the engine right down, when you get it running again, I would be changing the oil and filters every two hours or so maybe four or five times. It will cost you in oil and filters but could save you a block and crankshaft.Hope this helps,Russell DunnPerth, Western Australia Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38175 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjh Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Looking to be a "cheap Bastard"..........I need a lifter and Camshaft for an 88' E-9 in a superliner the exhaust lifter on #6 wore the "mushroom" off. and did a little groove into the cam lobe... What in your guy's opinions are my options... My local mack dealership quoted me about a grand for a new cam, about 140 per lifter, and said I have to change out the puchrods at the same time, to the tune of about 26 a piece all total about 3700 plus gaskets yet. the truck hauls silage about 600 hrs per year. I don't really want to take it apart twice. should I bear down and go all new or can I mix and match a used cam (if I can find one) with a used lifter. Any advice would be appreciated!!Chris Are you doing the job your self?If I were you, find a used cam buy the the new lifters and skip the push rods unless there real damaged!The new lifters will not do what has happened to your old ones there made diffrently and will outlast you. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38176 Share on other sites More sharing options...
rw613 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Are you doing the job your self?If I were you, find a used cam buy the the new lifters and skip the push rods unless there real damaged!The new lifters will not do what has happened to your old ones there made diffrently and will outlast you.pay it now or pay it later out come the same Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38192 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxville Truck Posted July 27, 2009 Author Share Posted July 27, 2009 Hi Chris,I'm writing from Australia so my suggestions may not totally fit with your situation in the US. I would start by talking to any Engine Rebuild companies around your area. You do not need a Mack specialist but rather an engine rebuilder to see if your old cam can be refurbished. The same companies that grind cams for hot rodders often grind cams for trucks and big marine diesels also. I would defiitely put a new set of lifters in. If one has died the death, there is a good chance the others are on their way out also.Which ever way you go on the camshaft, you are going to need to flush out the oil ways through your engine to get all of the gunge, that was parts of the cam lobe and the lifter, right out of the engine lube galleries. This muck could already be killing your big end and main shells. If you have not pulled the engine right down, when you get it running again, I would be changing the oil and filters every two hours or so maybe four or five times. It will cost you in oil and filters but could save you a block and crankshaft.Hope this helps,Russell DunnPerth, Western AustraliaWe pulled the cam and lifters and took them to a local rebuild shop they are reconditioning the cam and good lifters.... Thanks Russell!! Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38477 Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjh Posted July 27, 2009 Share Posted July 27, 2009 We pulled the cam and lifters and took them to a local rebuild shop they are reconditioning the cam and good lifters.... Thanks Russell!!The last part of his advice is important . >I would defiitely put a new set of lifters in. If one has died the death, there is a good chance the others are on their way out also.{new lifters} the old style lifters tend to break after time the new style rarely had a problem. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38481 Share on other sites More sharing options...
B8136 Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 I had the same problem as you have. I only drive maybe 5000 miles a year and I did not want to go with a new cam, lifters, and pushrods. I bought one new lifter from Mack. I sent my cam and lifters to a cam grinder in colorado and he welded up the bad lobe and reground it. Then he reconditioned my lifters. Best I can remember is was about $450.00 for the labor and shipping. I have had my truck back together for 4 years now and no problems, maybe I was lucky, I don't know. The hardest thing about the whole job was getting the lifters to stay up while I inserted the cam. I used some telescoping magnets and clothes pins to hold the lifters up. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-38505 Share on other sites More sharing options...
you can call me al Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I had my E9 crunch a lifter about 12 years ago.It seems there was a problem in the manufacturing process of the old type (flat head) lifters.I was told that the tungsten carbide on the face of the lifter used to break away in layers and the surface that was left would chew up the lobe.When it happened you could hear a pop in the exhaust and an occasional light tapping noise coming from the general area of that cylinder.I put in a new cam ,new style cam followers,and new inlet pushrods which are longer to match the new style lifters.Pretty expensive exercise as i recall.Some owners got lucky and never had an issue.It seems the manufacturer was aware of the problem because i was told they used to test batches for the problem and stamp an X on the side of the head of the lifter.Some of mine were stamped (about 1/2)and some were not. Guess which one failed.I can remember seeing a barrel full of camshafts at the workshop when i drove tankers for Shell in the early 80,s.They were poking out like needles in a pin-cushion,At the time Shell had a large fleet of R-models,and they had a lot of lifter failures.The 6 cylinders had the same lifters.I haven't heard of any failures with the new lifters,so maybe the new round head design works,wish they could've worked it out ealier though. Quote Link to comment https://www.bigmacktrucks.com/topic/10076-e-9-cam-and-lifter-advice/#findComment-46840 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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