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Just work the lifter back and forth with a spray of carb cleaner to get them out. Much more effective than penetrating oil. Don't forget to change your engine oil when you are done before starting it.
Posts by 2001Blazer4x4
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Based on post #42 video that cam is quite flat and the lifters are quite worn. I wouldn't drive it unless your're planning to just drive it until it won't go anymore and never fix it. It needs the cam and lifters very badly at this point. You may be able to save this engine for a while if you do the cam and lifters, but metal particles from your camshaft are circulating in your oil. I say fix it if you're going to drive it at all. That top end kit is the least of your worries - not much help. Pretty soon (if not already) you will wear through the bottom of the lifter and into the internal oil passage - then the lifter collapses completely. This kind of lifter cannot be adjusted correctly, since it is always collapsed and will never self-adjust to zero clearance. This may be your problem all along in trying to adjust them.
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The oil is pooling in the center of a lot of the lifter faces, indicating they are quite concave. If the lifters are concave, the cam is also worn to fit the concave area. Remember it is called a flat tappet cam, not a concave tappet cam 
Not sure why anyone could tell you a cam is OK when lifter faces are junk - there is no way to look at a cam lobe through the lifter bore and tell anyways.
IMHO the engine swap will be your best bet if you drive this engine a normal amount for a couple of months the way that it is. Circulating fine metal particles will trash it completely!
Putting a cam and lifters in should hopefully stop the carnage and save it for a much longer time, however this engine's days are numbered in any case - damage has been done to cylinder walls and bearing surfaces too. This is done by super fine metal particles that you can't see, unless a lot of them settle in the oil (try putting used oil in a glass jar and let settle for several days - then look at the bottom). It will eventually need fully repaired or replaced, but hopefully should last you much longer than a couple of months until you can save up enough money to get a nice 350 or 383 as a crate engine (that would be the least expensive). I would hesitate to buy someone else's used problem - good used SBC engines are very rare these days - too old. Kind of like if you was to take yours out and sell it to someone just like it is! Would you want to buy it?
Can you borrow the $200 it would take (from your parents or someone), to fix this one for now? Get the cam and lifters coming - then do the job on a weekend when you have time off? Hopefully you have a place to work inside. If so, be sure to use good cam lube (cam should come with some) and High ZZDP oil or ZDDP additive - then do a proper cam break-in procedure. Personally I like the "Joe Gibbs Driven" engine assembly lube for the camshaft because it is kind of a gel and stays put - but admittedly there are lots of choices that will work.
But if you have to wait I understand. Many of us have been there...... I once had only $20 to feed my family for a week. You do what you have to do.
Good luck and best wishes
Not sure why anyone could tell you a cam is OK when lifter faces are junk - there is no way to look at a cam lobe through the lifter bore and tell anyways.IMHO the engine swap will be your best bet if you drive this engine a normal amount for a couple of months the way that it is. Circulating fine metal particles will trash it completely!
Putting a cam and lifters in should hopefully stop the carnage and save it for a much longer time, however this engine's days are numbered in any case - damage has been done to cylinder walls and bearing surfaces too. This is done by super fine metal particles that you can't see, unless a lot of them settle in the oil (try putting used oil in a glass jar and let settle for several days - then look at the bottom). It will eventually need fully repaired or replaced, but hopefully should last you much longer than a couple of months until you can save up enough money to get a nice 350 or 383 as a crate engine (that would be the least expensive). I would hesitate to buy someone else's used problem - good used SBC engines are very rare these days - too old. Kind of like if you was to take yours out and sell it to someone just like it is! Would you want to buy it?
Can you borrow the $200 it would take (from your parents or someone), to fix this one for now? Get the cam and lifters coming - then do the job on a weekend when you have time off? Hopefully you have a place to work inside. If so, be sure to use good cam lube (cam should come with some) and High ZZDP oil or ZDDP additive - then do a proper cam break-in procedure. Personally I like the "Joe Gibbs Driven" engine assembly lube for the camshaft because it is kind of a gel and stays put - but admittedly there are lots of choices that will work.
But if you have to wait I understand. Many of us have been there...... I once had only $20 to feed my family for a week. You do what you have to do.
Good luck and best wishes
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And that is the other way to look at the problem. Only question is will this engine last long enough ..... no one knows for sure.
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