THRILLSEEKER

My lifters (hyd,flat tappet) have been soaking in oil for several weeks. When I installed them today and tightened the poly locks some of the plungers on the lifters compressed down off of the snap ring, and went the additional half turn without opening the valve and some didnt, the ones that didnt started to open the valve imediatly(sp) upon turning the nut past snug. What do I do with the ones that will not compress????.......can I just lock them into place when they are snug??

blue thunder

What procedure are you using to set the valves? You need the lifters on the base circle of the cam to set the valves. I usually turn engine by hand until the intake valve just closes, than another 1/4 turn of the crankshaft. Do both valves on that cylinder, then go to next cylinder. If you start with cylinder 1 and go to 3, 5, 7, 2, 4, 6, 8 it will be minimal turning of the crankshaft.

On each cylinder tighten the nut until the pushrod just stops moving (resistance felt), or the plunger on the lifter just starts to move. Then I go another 5/8 turn. Sometimes it is hard to feel the resistance on the pushrod with new, unrun lifters, so being able to look at the lifter is a plus. I think you want the plunger to move about .045", but need to verify that dimension. You will not be able to move the valve until you bottom the lifter with new.

Hope I read you question right.... if not, never mind

BT

formula31

Well, i am not sure if they are totally full of oil what they do. But I had one out of my set from edelbrock that was siezed and wouldnt move and did exactly what you describe. They replaced it. Edelbrock says to not fill them first. You might crank one down a little so it opens the valve, go have a beer, and see if it bleed down later. I think you need to have the 1/2 turn preload though.

THRILLSEEKER

blue thunder, I am seting them on TDC of the compression stroke which is basically what you are describing, my problem is that some lifter plungers will compress to allow an additional half turn and some will not, I think that I soaked them for too long. On the ones that do not compress I think that I can just lock them down when the nut is snug (because if I go past snug the valve starts to open right away) I think that this will work but I want to hear everyone else's opinion first.

Vinny P

You can not soak lifters for too long. They will never overfill with oil. Personally, I don't soak lifters. I take an old fashion goosneck type oil can, fill it with motor oil. Take the lifter in your hand, push the oil can goosneck up to the oil hole in the side of the lifter and pump away until oil squeezes out of the top. Drop that one lifter in. Don't put the pushrods in yet. Do the same for the rest of the lifters. Then, get a lifter on the base circle of the cam, drop in your pushrod and adjust that valve. Then do the rest one at a time. If you do it this way, one valve at a time, you will never pump oil out of the lifters by turning the motor over before the lash was properly set. Perfect valves every time.

blue thunder

Oh, I see now. Comp cam recommends not to soak them like Formula said. I would go with the .045 measurement then. I don't have Dennis Moores book here, but I think it recommended .030-.060 off of static on the plunger. Doing it by measurement will work.

Good luck,

BT

THRILLSEEKER

Thanks guys F31's theory seems to be working, I cranked down the ones that wouldnt move and let them set for a while and they bled off some.

FloridianSon

I never prepump up a lifter because just what happened to you can happen.Did have a friend that did and had to let them sit three days to bleed down.In Dennis 's book it says over .020 and under .060.when I did mine took 3/4 turn on the nut and checked the between the snap ring and pushrod cup and it was .030 allthough .040 is half of the figures called for so 1 turn would have been better I feel.There is allways nextime

blue thunder

I knew I was close! Thanks Floridason.

BT