Just got a set of 8 ITR LMA's to replace my 1st gen B16 head's worn as hell lma's. I was cleaning them all up and inspecting them, all look fine except...

I pick one of them up, and the "piston" falls out and the spring falls out as well. Nonee of the other LMA's will come apart even with the force of me using my hands, so why did this one just fall apart basically? When the "Piston" is put back into the housing and the spring back in position, it feels just as springy as the other LMA's, but this single one just can come apart if i slide the piston out of it even by turning it up side down.


Is this safe to use in my engine? It assembles back together and looks 100% just like the others, im asssuming since these will have pressure against them that this wouldnt matter, but ive gotta be sure. The guy I bought them from didnt respond when i asked him about it, so im wondering now...

Thanks in advance

 

eeeek, stuff like that makes me nervous. I personally, would replace it, I'd rather not take that chance.

 

Yeah but i bought them used from ITR heads parted out, they all are very stiff still with no sticking, just that 1 will come apart easily if you persuade it a little bit, i would think the rocker arms putting pressure against it will be plenty anough assurance it wouldnt come apart, but theres always that chance i suppose.


I know alot of people rebuild LMA's, so im trying to figure out how they get the "piston" to stay in there tight once they put them back together, if they even do..

 

Made a video showing what i'm talking about

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BkYAm2TolA

 

it looks very unlikely that the top piece would ever come out. It has a long way to go before it can pop out.

 

You should be fine, like said, it would have to travel up pretty far for the piston to come out of the case. When the rocker arms and all are assembled in the head, the piston won't even have the room to raise that high... there's only about a 1/4" of travel with the head assembled that the whole LMA can move.

 

Thanks for the responses. The seller is replacing the one that is shady with one comparible to the rest of the set he sent me, since he has more of them laying around. So now I wont have to worry about it anyway

 

Is there any difference in the relaxed height? It is good that he is willing to replace it.

 

No difference in the relaxed height, and yeah im satisfied if hes willing to replace it for sure. He told me they were all in "great condition" and that doesnt really fall under the great condition category, so i'd expect him to really since he has a few more sets of the same ITR lma's