Re-use lifters

[63comet]

Heh everyone, I am installing the 200 motor back into my comet, I have a question for you, I pulled the engine out and replaced the rope seal that was leaking and sent the head away for a rebuild, when I tried to adjust the valves for start-up, the adjusters would not take the slack out of the pushrods, the lifters and pushrods have been out for almost 1 1/2 years and sitting in a piece of wood in the proper sequence to go back in. Is it possible that they need to be pumped up by the engine running, or should I replace the lifters? These have only been in the engine for about 2000 miles, it is a cliffords cam kit I purchased 3 years ago when I was rebuilding it. (264* cam with lifters and valve springs and retainers) I tried to adjust like I did on original startup, but no matter how much I tightened the adjusters, I could still easily spin the pushrods with my fingers.

 

[Asa]

i believe that lifters have to have oil in them to start up, i think i've heard that they need to soak in a thing of oil for a few days to let it seep into them, and that helps
but i would think that they'd need to have oil in them to work correctly

 

[Anonymous]

When you say you can't get all the "slack" out, it makes me thing you are compressing the lifters way too much. Basically, you just want to adjust the rocker arms to that they have no free play and the pushrod doesn't wobble/clank around. If you can compress the lifter by pushing down on the pushrod that's normal considering the lifters haven't seen oil pressure in a long time. As soon as you start the engine, the lifters will pump up - that's their job. Adjust the rocker just enough that you have no free-play in the pushrod then had 1/2 to 3/4 turn.

 

[Falcon62]

I prefer to set lifter pre-load without prelubing or pumping the lifters up. That way, IMO, you can detect zero lash (the point where you begin to depress the lifter plunger) easier and then go 1/2 - 3/4 turn more. Another benefit is I don't have to turn against oil pressure and wait for it to bleed off. I just apply cam lube to the base of the lifter, squirt oil all over the outside of the lifter, and then a final squirt on top after I drop the lifter in it's bore. Besides, your lifters will be fully pressurized within seconds of oil pressure coming up and if you pre-fill your oil filter and pressurize your oil system prior to start up, then you don't even have to wait.

Like Inliner, I think you've gone too far with your adjustments. Back all the adjusters off until you have vertical movement between the pushrod and rocker. Now, carefully tighten the adjuster while spinning the pushrod. When you detect the slightest amount of drag on the pushrod, you've reached the zero lash point and can now tighten the adjuster another 1/2 to 3/4 turn. I like to use 1/2 turn.

Make sure you are setting pre-load with the lifter on its respective lobe's base, you don't want to set pre-load with any lift at all. There are many variations on the sequence for setting pre-load, and I'me sure you can find them by doing a search here or in the hardcore tech forum. 8)

 

[63comet]

Thanks for the responses guys, I set them the way it was reported in this forum, I turned them down until I felt drag and then tightened a little more until I could no longer spin them with my fingers and then I tightened it another 1/4 turn. My problem is only with 2 of the lifters, I could not get them tight enough to stop them from spinning with my fingers, they actually spun very easily, and even cranked all the way down they spun easily, almost like there wasn't even any pressure at all.

 

[Anonymous]

I put mine in a container standing upright then cover them with oil
i let them soak for 24hrs then with lifters still in oil I press the inner part down to bleed out any air

Then there good for cookin