[Healeys] Rude awakenings

[WILLIAM B LAWRENCE]

Hi all,
I returned from the 2009 Rallye Glenwood, which was held last week and have a
couple of discoveries to relate.
A while back I was having a problem with sticking exhaust valves (mostly #2)
which was solved by making sure the cooling system was topped up.
In the process I managed to bend one of my OEM pushrods and so acquired a new
one from Moss Motors (there! I said it.) The pushrod I got from them was
different in configuration, being tubular instead of solid, and didn't seem to
fit quite right, but I installed it and the engine ran.
During the rallye I was required to traverse a 33 mile transit zone in 40
minutes, and of course I pulled out the checkpoint, on a winding two lane road
in the bottom of a mountain canyon, behind the biggest, slowest RV ever made.
When I got the opportunity to pass I had about a quarter mile before the
yellow lines started again, so I hit second gear and accelerated, perhaps a
bit too enthusiastically. This action resulted in a loud tapping noise and a
slight miss through the rest of the event.
What I discovered after tearing apart the left side of the engine, because the
pushrod and tappet had become solidly attached to one another, was that the
spherical end of the replacement part has a diameter of 7/16" while the OEM
part has a diameter of 3'8". The pushrod had never really been seated properly
and the force placed on it during my flirtation with red line had caused the
pushrod spherical end to snap into the lifter socket end where it was firmly
held.
I managed to get home by re-adjusting the valve lash, but having the lifter
and pushrod as a solid piece just doesn't seem like a good idea.
There is some (kind of) good news though. Since I was up to my elbows in
grease anyway I decided to inspect the wear faces of the lifters, not
expecting to find much because they only have about 20,000 miles on them, To
my dismay they are all beginning to break down and need to be replaced. The
cam is undamaged (the good news) and I caught it in time because of the
aforementioned circumstance.
I need to replace the lifters and would like to know others' experiences
because I'd like to get it right. I'm considering a set from Denis Welch
because they claim increased cam lube and lighter running weight. are there
any better options?
I'm wondering if I am a victim of the legendary ZDDP famine or maybe too
infrequent oil changes or both. I have been using Castrol GTX 20W-50 and my
oil pressure is consistent at 55 psi hot and 30 psi at idle. I'm thinking of
changing (more often) to Valvoline VR-1 because the ZDDP levels are said to be
higher.
All comments appreciated
Bill Lawrence BN1-554