It looks like Crane is not the valve train component for me!
 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]530119[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530120[/ATTACH]:picard1:My short boating season ended with a clang Saturday afternoon, cruising upriver @3000 rpm, rolled on the throttles & at 3500 the noise started. I shut down immediately and investigated the problem. Limped back on 1 engine & loaded up. Back home I pulled a valve cover & found this.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]530121[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530122[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530123[/ATTACH]Pulled the engines today & dug deeper. This is where the Crane part comes from. So now after a little over 100 hrs I need new cams, lifters, pushrods, & at least the 1 rocker arm. That is IF there is no other damage, I haven't torn it down any further yet.

Man that sucks.

Just curious, how many hours on them?

In the post he said a little over 100.

Any chance that one got a little loose and beat itself to death.

Dude, your luck f'ing sucks!

When I did the cam conversion on my motors there were 2 components Bob M insisted on, Morel lifters and Isky springs.

Looks like you have yet another full tear down ahead of you. Hopefully you didn't send too much stuff through the bearings and gall up the crank.

Recent lesson I had in a conversation with bob, what were your spring pressures? And what wall thickness pushrods? If the pushrods flex, and can let the lifter "hop" and will beat the wheel and bearings to death. On the engine I was working on it was worse, it had a solid roller.

Sold off Crane components and went with:
 

Isky springs, Morel lifters, Scorpion rockers, ARP hardware, .120 wall Trend performance pushrods, spring oilers

Had the exact same looking lifter in my hp 500 this summer, the roller dropped down the lifter bore, stopped the cam dead in its tracks and sheared the bolts off the front of the cam. I ended up with a sleeve in the lifter bore and a new valve train

That just friggin sux bro , better have the high priest of horsepower Bob M. conduct an exorcism !!

Mr.Nielsen is lucky the valve stayed in!!!!!

There are a lot better components than scorpion and crane. TD, Jesel, comp stainless, that sucks...I have comps on one motor and cranes on another.

First ride this spring I had a lifter (like above) for lack of a better term "fattened out" in the bore, getting stuck and holding an exhaust valve open. Cam, lifters, pushrods, rockers..... man it added up fast but the block was fine.

Man that sucks , now you got me nervous !

randy,crane lifters are not what they used to be.morell is the only lifter to use.sorry to see you having such bad luck buddy.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]530180[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530181[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530182[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530183[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530184[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530185[/ATTACH]At this point I am just dumbfounded at how much silicone was used and they still leaked oil!!! I think I found all of the pieces that weren't ground up but I still have to pull the rod & main caps to check the bearings. To be fair about the build if there had not been a component failure these engines would still be running. For what I paid I am extremely pissed about the quality of the work done. These engines look like a kid painted them trying to cover up the excessive use of silicone.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]530186[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530187[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530188[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530189[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530190[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]530191[/ATTACH]some pics of the heads, pistons, & valves. No contact between the valves & pistons but there are 2 styles of head bolts, some with washers & some without. I just don't understand why someone would build like this.

Bullet?

I have been researching engine builds myself and it seems like this is all to common....

And even with the best of the best valvtrain there are still many having pre mature failures.....

I have no clue what the answer is but I feel your pain

Stability is the key to valvetrain life.

If your not going to do a complete tare down take a close look at the piston skirts to make sure the lifter pieces didn't embed them self's into the skirts. Will wreck the cylinders.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]530198[/ATTACH]I will be tearing it down completely, I can't see only going half way just to save a buck. To answer a previous post, yes they are Bullet 650.

See where it says .080 wall pushrods.... If you have spring seat pressures in the 160-180 range and 450+ open they could be dancing around like the inflatable guys outside used car lots. Add that to a mediocre lifter and you have your failure.

On average what does it run to freshen a 500efi ? Top to bottom with quality parts?

Before you blame Crane parts for failing you might want to find out what actually happened. This could be a "Bullet Engines" problem and not a "Crane" issue.

I guess I'll find out! Lol

What's with the build sheet? They don't recall which brand rods or crank they installed?

Randy, weren't you questioning that engine builder at the time of purchase? I vaguely remember that. Sorry for the luck.

Yes I was, 454capiva. If & when I ever buy a brand new engine I will not go by pictures &phone calls. Please note, this isn't a b@#ch thread! I am documenting what I am finding after a failure has occurred. These engines ran good for 100+ hours, idling, cruising, and wide open. My philosophy with engines is when it breaks build it better. My suggestion to Bullet is that if they are charging the prices that they are, take the time on the outside of the engine that they do on the inside. My boat isn't a million dollar show piece but has my blood, sweat, & tears poured into it and when it goes back together it will be even nicer.

That's not a build sheet. Not by any stretch.
Build sheet would have clearances, valve spring set height / lbs / etc,etc,etc, and much more etc.

That's a Sales Brochure Sheet.

I've had good luck with Crower severe duty lifters.
Scott

Thanks for drying out that spot behind my ears lately. :)

LOl. Wasn't meant that way.....even though I haven't heard that saying before. So I'm not totally sure what it means. LOL. It's all good.

Means thanks for helping out the new guy.

Why don't people run valve train stabilizers on marine engines?

You referring to stud girdles ?

I hear ya Randy I had a motor built and the guy used the wrong break in oil set the timing at 40 and did not break the cam in right. I need all new bearings a cam and lifters and after 1 hour all my cylinders look like this . He won't rerun my texts and told me I got a really good deal , that is why he won't stand behind his work I guess. I am going to do it all myself , like I wanted to in the first place, he kept saying , let me do this let me do that , now I'm out about 5 grand, **** people ![ATTACH=CONFIG]530218[/ATTACH]

i think he means rev kit..the little spring doohickys that go between the lifters and cylinder heads..

If that's the case it's because we don't spin them 7500 rpm