Well, my reconditioned #22 head is on the engine. Currently waiting for my injured index finger to heal (7 stitches from an angle grinder accident - my own stupid fault). I am ready to install the cam again but was thinking about replacing the lifters, but am really out of money. The lifters I have look good, they aren't dinged up, but I really don't know what to look for (the flat surfaces look smooth, but I haven't wiped them off yet to be really, really sure). I have two sets of lifters, all used, none of which were in the car. There is a third set still in my #14 head which is crack-less and ran pretty quiet (will those fit - or should I leave them in the head)?

Other than cleaning them off with diesel fuel before I install them, is there anything else I should do? I know with the hydraulic chain tensioner has to be primed with oil, but do the lifters need anything?

I get my stitches out on the 21st, but I'm probably going to start putting this all back together this week since I am tired of waiting. Klause (my 300TDt) has been sitting way too long.

Oh, oh - lastly - lubricaion of the cam - I have read that the cam should be pre-lubed. Do I just slather it with engine oil, or use a thicker grease?

Thanks to everyone for the advice !

There's really not much you can inspect on a lifter. You can do the visual for the obvious defects, but what ails lifters is inside. They get clogged from particulates in the oil. Then they don't pump up with oil, and they "tap"
There may be a way to clean them out with solvent, but it's really a roll of the dice with used lifters.

My son and I just replaced all 12 of the lifters on my car last week. Had 2 lifters that I could not get to stop tapping. Rather than try to locate which ones they were, I decided to just do them all.

Changed the oil at the same time and replaced the 2 o-rings on the filter bolt as well. Fired it up, and all I hear now is the injectors ticking. Sweet!

As far as the cam goes, and others may disagree, I just poured liberal amounts of oil all over the entire assembly.
After everything was re-assembled, I held the stop lever while my son cranked the engine. Didn't take long to show 3 bars on the oil pressure gauge. Good enough for me.

Good luck

Take a drill press and a tray of engine oil. Try to see if the lifters will pump up equally in it. This with a push shaft in the drill press.

Those that will not or are too slow to pump up or are far less able to sustain the slow bleed off replace. Technically used lifters should go back into their original positions. You are doing a direct comparison between lifters incidentally.

Also make sure any of their feed passages in the head are not gunked up with sludge.

This may locate a really shakey lifter or two if present. If nothing else it is easy to accomplish.

Well - after reading the FSM link provided in another posting here, I worked out a deal with my wife, we found the money and I am now just going to buy a new set of lifters from PeachParts. I was concerned that with my lack of experience dealing with testing old lifters, that I might now read them correctly, ending up replacing them later (and hating every minute of it too).

So, my assumption from reading the other postings is that I will not need to "reset" the new lifters, I'll just drop them into the head and be done with it....sound right?

The lifters are quite costly and odds are that most or all of them are fine. Every so often, one or two can make some noise, but rarely will they make the noise consistently.

If you did not have ongoing issues with the lifters in the past, the expense isn't warranted.

Whatever you do...........don't toss the old ones. I'm sure they are valuable to someone.

For what its worth Brian the machine shop that inspected the head said he didn't see any irregular wear on the lifters but he never did any kind of "test."

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The test in reality is easy. I would not solvent clean old lifters as any sealing bore varnish may be removed. Or if cleaned retest. They are so simple a component they can respond well to testing.

Basically a chamber that admits oil and a valve to stop it bleeding off too easily is all they are. If the lifter bore is still pretty tight and they are not gunked up internally too bad they should test fine. Or you have only a couple of substandard ones perhaps if any.

You can compare them to one brand new one if it makes you feel better. They are a hard lifter to get to when dealing with only one bad one for example after installation on that engine.

Basically they are either partially worn out, Worn out or still reasonably serviceable. Some or the majority may even be as good as a comparison new one. You do not have to involve rocket science to test them either. Believe it or not on an engine of that design where they are not the easiest to get to. I would precheck even new ones before installation. New duds are not unknown.

Yes, the lifters should be primed.

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1995 E420 Schwarz
1995 E300 Weiss
#1987 300D Sturmmachine
#1991 300D Nearly Perfect
#1994 E320 Cabriolet
#1995 E320 Touring
#1985 300D Sedan
OBK #42

10-4 on priming! At the very least, soak them in engine oil overnight. I haven't messed with Benz lifters but I've done a ton of "conventional lifters in American engines. Most camshaft companies (Comp, Isky, etc.) offer a moly-based lube (sort of a paste) that will lube the cam until engine oil gets to it. Well worth the $$. I have a little container (looks like a Carmex container sort of) that I've done MANY cams/lifters with. Not all that expensive, especially compared to the cost of a cam.

Dan

I felt that since the cam was off I might as well replace em. I recently bought a second 87 300tdt with a #17 head, I will keep all the old lifters for when I start on that car.

My order went in last night for new ones, hope they make it by this weekend so I can start closing this engine up. I am really looking to hearing this one run!

I will per soak the new ones in oil overnight for sure.

Also bought a box of 25 M8 x 55mm hardened Allen head bolts for the front two bolts that fit just in front of the timing chain galley. My bolts from the old #14 head were way too short. I stuck a depth caliper in there and measured 60mm including the head. Now I have spares for another 12 engines!

Forget the while I am in there mentality as the sky is the limit to fix an old banger, especially when money is tight. I reused everything when I replaced the head gasket on 3 OM60x engines. I even reused 1 HG after it had been torqued down, 1 ran for about 10 minutes, the other 2 did not run. All 3 engines run perfectly after the repair.

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Not MBZ nor A/C trained professional but a die-hard DIY and green engineer. Use the info at your own peril. Picked up 2 Infractions because of disagreements. NOW reversed.

W124 Keyless remote, PM for details. http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/mercedes-used-parts-sale-wanted/334620-fs-w124-chasis-keyless-remote-%2450-shipped.html

1 X 2006 CDI
1 x 87 300SDL
1 x 87 300D
1 x 87 300TDT wagon
1 x 83 300D
1 x 84 190D ( 5 sp ) - All R134 converted + keyless entry.

Lifters can be sourced for barely $16 each for originals (INA) brand, I would replace them.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Yup, got mine from Pelican Parts for $12.50 each (they are an OEM supplier brand). The Mercedes brand were nearly 4 times to price. Should have them on Monday. Since this will by DD car for a 110 mile round trip ride very day, I reply want a smooth running engine. There are plenty of other parts that I am reusing, the lifters are the last new part I'm installing. So far the new parts list use pretty long though.