I was looking at the jpr tool at TR to keep the lifter up while doing a cam swap and the price is insane for 2 metal rods. Has anybody done it with something like a custom made rod or something like that.

 

I think several people have used dowel rods from home depot. I don't know the exact diameter right off hand.

I used the JPR tool, and it got stuck halfway into the passengers side. I returned it to thunder. I ended using up the "hurry up before they fall method". But with such low miles on my truck, the lifters were well seated in the cups.

 

go get a handful of those extendable magnets. you know, the ones you use to get that "damn bolt that fell behind the water pump!"

 

We always used the ext. magnets as well. Any other enthusiest intown. A group of us just share.

 

My friend used wooden dowel rods, and he said that *he thought* that they were 1/2". He didn't seem like he remembered too well though.

 

I had problems with 5/16" rods, which were supposed to be the correct thickness. I did some lousy maching to them, and actually forgot to try them with this last swap.

I used pen magnets - just make sure that the magnets are in the little 'cups' good before you use them. I had two that popped out. I crimped the cup a little with some pliers to get them to stay.

The best way to test them is probably magnet to magnet. You'll get the most "pull" on them doing it that way. If they survive that, they'll be fine.

 

The rod thing only works somtimes
I think there is issues with the irons blocks
The one slide slide right in I can't remember but the other side had no chance going in
so i ended up using some brake line 3/16" and just hurried up and put the new cam in

 

I wouldn't worry about the lifters falling, inless you have high milage. When I had my 6.0L on the stand, with the heads off, the lifters were up for 2 weeks and never fell. It takes a bit of pressure on the pushrod to push the lifters back down too. Both my motors were low k's 6.0L 2000km, 5.3 55000kms.

 

Anybody know what length these dowel rods need to be?

 

I did the "let them hang" method with 73,000 miles on the motor.. no problems