THRILLSEEKER

I installed new lifters recently and when I went to adjust rocker arm tension I noticed that on some of the lifters I can push on the pushrod and it will spring down noticably and others will hardly move even w/ a lot of pressure. Do lifters come from the factory (bled down) or (pumped up)? Will theese different lifter tensions have any effect on rocker arm adjuustment?

JUSTONCE

get a primer rod that you stick in your dist. hole and turn with a drill to prime the oil into your motor this will prime any collapsed lifters enought to adjust them. turn the engine so that you set each rocker when the lifter is at the lowest point of the cam lobe.
Adjust the rocker down until you can barely turn the pushrod. Different rockers may feel sloppier than others once you get them running you can make final adjustments if needed. That is the way i've allways done it.

US1 Fountain

iTrader: (1)

I like to adjust lifters with the intake off. This way I can see when the lash is gone, regardless of resistance to depress the lifter plunger. Some are tight, some are loose. At least my findings.

GregP

I agree with US1 Fountain. I have had trouble with new lifters using the normal "zero lash" method as it is impossible to get them adequatly filled with oil. With the manifold off you can see when the plunger just starts to move off of the stop. Once they have been run and oiled the "zero lash" approach will usually work ok (I've never been able to get them adequatly primed using just the oil pump primer).

-Greg

Vinny P

I have what I consider a good method for installing and adjusting new lifters. First get an old fashion pump style oil can. The one with the short gooseneck swirter. Fill it with oil. Then, take each lifter in your hand and pump it full of oil (with the swirt can) through the oil hole on the side of the lifter. You will see the oil come out of the top of the lifter. Drop each lifter into the bore in the block. Next get your first lifter you want to adjust on low lobe of the cam. Drop in the push rod, then adjust the rocker to proper lash. Follow this procedure with the rest of the lifters.

If you don't have the rockers and push rods on while turning the motor over to get the remaining lifters on low lobe, the oil will not sqeeze out of the lifter. It will be fully primed when you set the lash. Easy and foolproof method.

Truckin

When you shut off an engine some of the valves will be open and some of the valves will be closed. The valves that are open have the valve springs compressed. This will push down on the lifter plunger with the full valve spring tension (through the rocker arm). The tension (over a period of time)will eventually push some of the oil out of the lifter (especially with stiff high performance valve springs). When you go to adjust the lifters, the ones that have been under valve spring tension will have less oil in them (they will only have the lifter plunger spring tension) while the ones that haven't been under tension will still be full of oil.
As soon as you start the engine the lifters will pump up. This is the reason why it is better to run the engine before adjusting the lifters.
Hope this makes sense to someone!
Sincerely
Dennis Moore

formula31

But be careful, they all have to move. I found one from Edelbrock that was siezed and wouldnt move at all. Thank god I found it before I fired the engine up.