1968 Olds 455 lifters -- .010 oversize

[58buick]

Hello everyone.

I am hoping someone can help me.

My 1968 Delmont 88 has the 455 2bbl engine.

I want to change the lifters. The 1968 shop manual makes note that some 455 engines will have both standard and .010 oversize lifters. The manual also says the oversize lifters are marked along with the stamp "10" on the block by the lifter bore.

My problem is I have not been able to locate a supplier of the .010 lifter for the 1968 Olds 455 engine.

If anyone has the GM part number for the .010 lifter or knows a source for this lifter I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

Gary

[Oldsfan]

I should be able to get you a GM part number Monday morning.

Paul

[58buick]

Thank you for helping me Paul.

Gary

[Oldsfan]

'65-'70 V8 exc. '66/'67 400 eng. or Toro .010 o.s. #5232895. Discontinued 7/2000 or 2/2001 (GM gives conflicting information - imagine that). No dealer stock available. No obsolete stock available. How 'bout someone like Kanter or Egge?

Paul

[58buick]

Thank you for the information Paul. I really appreciate it.

I will try both sources you mention and also Napa. I tried Fusick but they don't stock them.

Take care,

Gary

[RocketDude]

Have you checked your engine to see if it is one that is stamped as being oversize? You are probably worried about nothing.

I worked for an Oldsmobile dealer building engines for years, and never encountered any engine with oversize lifters.

It is my understanding that there were a number of engines that were screwed up in the manufacturing proccess. By the time the quality control guy discovered the problem, they had a stack of blocks with oversized lifter bores. It was easier, and cheaper, for the factory to build special lifters for those few problem engines than to scrap the blocks. In comparsion to how many engines that were built, the number with oversized lifters would be extremely small, and you would probably never encounter one. But someone, somewhere, sometime, will! Do you feel lucky?

I once build a 427 in. chevy engine for a corvette. I sent the block to the machine shop to have tanked and new cam bearings installed. The new cam bearings slide right in! The holes were to big, by .006, to hold the bearings tight. The old bearings were marked oversize. It was another case of GM solving a problem by making a [@!#!$] size. I'm sure all manufactures do the same thing, to save cost, when neccessary.

Try as we might, we could never get any bearing to fit the 427, and had to scrap the block. It was really fun to explain that one to the customer..!

I also had a similiar situation with a four cylinder chevy engine in a boat. The rod bearings were odd sized. That time I was lucky enough to still have the bearing I took out. They were still good, so they went back in. The factory wasn't even nice enough to go to the next standard size, just make some odd size which couldn't be replaced.

With the four cylinder, we could have ground the grank and gone to .010, but on the 427, there is no such thing as oversized cam bearing.

If you live long enough, you will run into everything..!

[58buick]

Thank you for this information. I was wondering what possibly happened to cause GM to produce oversized lifters.

As yet, I haven't pulled off the intake manifold, I was preparing myself to to find at least one .010 lerking in there.

Here's hoping I have no oversized.

Gary