milling lifter bosses on 2.0 head for solid lifters/roller cam

[borlax]

Some of the lobes on my 2.0 flat tappet cam are worn, I've lost 2-3 mpg city and cold starts idle rough. It drives okay warm and the ticking quiets down, I've been told the ticking is a valve lash issue. I replaced the followers and it's a little better warm but since the cam is worn and flat tappets wear easier than rollers I'd like to replace it with a stock 2.3 roller. I would tag the followers for cylinder # and intake/exhaust and there are plenty of applicable junkyard rangers to choose from where I live. What's an okay mileage range to go with, say at the most? Some of the odometers don't have the digit to show hundred thousands. My main question is about the solid lifters I'd like to use so i can adjust the valve lash, since for one - the roller cam and followers have a wear pattern specific to engine and I'm using a different one, and for two - if after some mileage it starts to tick, I can further adjust it. From web searches I've found that there are both flat tappet and roller style solid lifters so I assume pay the extra $10 and get the roller style. Needhp.com doesn't specify their style but they are trusted. I read on a ford 2.3 solid lifter eBay listing that the inserts need to be pressed in first, then the inserts and bosses have to be milled until they are 1/2 inch above the valve cover gasket surface. I don't know if that's correct, needhp.com only says the bosses need to be milled. If anyone can help me understand what needs to be done to install these lifters so I can take the head to a machine shop I would really appreciate it. Every reply has gotten me through my troubles so far. Thanks again

 

[Mikel89us]

You do not need solid lifters. You actually won't want them. Stock cams are really noisy with solid lifters because they don't have clearance ramps to take up the valve lash. The rollers are NOT wear specific. You can put any roller out of any motor with any roller cam on any cylinder, and any valve. Flat tappers are swear specific. Use stock lifters if you are using a stock roller.

 

[borlax]

Awesome thanks for the reply. As for the ticking noise and rough cold starts, since I've replaced the followers all that's left to tick is the lifters right? What I'm wondering is if new lifters will fix the ticking and rough cold starts.

 

[Mikel89us]

Most likely, but sometimes when the followers wear too far the flat spot the cam love. Check for.that.

 

[Kenneth S]

Most likely, but sometimes when the followers wear too far the flat spot the cam love. Check for.that.

cam love?

On a serious note find a 1989 - 1994 ford ranger with a 2.3, and grab the roller cam, and roller followers. If you are mechanically inclined you can take the hyd lifters out, take them apart, clean them, then put them back together if the engine has a lot of gunk on the inside. On these engines it takes a little bit for the lifters to get oil pressure, on my 86 with a roller cam the lifters tick a little until the some oil pressure gets to the lifters on cold starts (but it doesn't really bother me, it's been doing that for years, and I haven't seen any ill effects from it besides the little tick).

 

[scotts90ranger]

The lash adjusters are under $10 each (closer to $5 if I remember right) so just grab 8 of those, and put in the '89-94 roller cam, while you have it apart throw a dime under each lash adjuster to add some extra preload to help with the ticking cold, they make special spacers for that but they're like $.15 or more each and are the same dimensions as a dime...

Done deal, as far as mileage, I wouldn't worry about it on a roller cam, the one I'm using had 200k on it before I put it in my turbo motor...

 

[TheKhemist]

cam love?

On a serious note find a 1989 - 1994 ford ranger with a 2.3, and grab the roller cam, and roller followers. If you are mechanically inclined you can take the hyd lifters out, take them apart, clean them, then put them back together if the engine has a lot of gunk on the inside. On these engines it takes a little bit for the lifters to get oil pressure, on my 86 with a roller cam the lifters tick a little until the some oil pressure gets to the lifters on cold starts (but it doesn't really bother me, it's been doing that for years, and I haven't seen any ill effects from it besides the little tick).

Bumping this thread as it looks like my 1985 2.0 carb truck needs a camshaft. If i find a 2.3 I can just swap the valve train over to the roller follower? Bolt on affair?

Thanks for the help all, perhaps I just put the cam in it but I figured once i found a junk yard motor i might as well update some other pieces as well

 

[Mikel89us]

Yes, bolt on swap.

 

[Kenneth S]

Yes, bolt on swap.

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^