OT - Hydraulic Lifter Pre-Loading - OT

[randroid]

Gents,

A few of you may recall some of the posts I made last summer about a Ford Ranchero 400 ci engine on which I was changing a head. Fairly cut-and-dried, or at least I thought so when I began the job, and now it's all back together and running okay, but I needed to replace a hydraulic lifter and a push rod and those two sound like the second coming of Jerusalem at idle.

The 400 ci engine is a 351 Cleveland with the piston decks extended an inch, so the basics have been around for awhile, like non-adjustable rocker arms, and this "better idea" is compensated for by pre-loading the lifters with .020"-.060" of engine oil. Ford's recommended method of doing this is to submerge the lifters in oil for 24 hours, which I did to no avail. The other thing is to buy a new push rod .060" longer than stock, and I was able to find one in a Ford racing shop just south of Denver (Blue Oval Performance; they deserve a plug) and since I was going that way I spent $2 and brought one home.

(A quick aside: I'm eye-balling .060" and you can do it too because .060 is only .0025 less than 1\16, and we all can come pretty close to 1\16.)

Anyway, the .060" longer push rod quietened it down quite a bit but it isn't right for it to still clatter the way it does, if at all, so I've come to be of the opinion that Ford's better idea of soaking a new lifter sucks swamp water through a Flavor Straw. Probably a chocolate Flavor Straw, considering what's doing the sucking, but I digress.

Who really knows how to do this, or, better yet, is willing to let the secret out? A friend once told me that he used to pump them up with an oil can but I'm worried about over-loading them, not to mention it didn't work when I tried it.

The cars belongs to a friend and he was making work for me when he gave me the job, so I feel an obligation to do it right.

Thanks in advance,

-Randy

[Plymouthy Adams]

is the oil galley to the lifter plugged up..these are fairly bullet proof rail rocker/hydraulic system

[kencombs]

I've done several lifter installs on engines without adjustable valves. Most Mopar, Ford and GM (other than chev) don't have adj. But All make provide procedures on measuring for proper clearance after milling or valve work. Usually this involves collapsing the lifter and measuring the clearance. Then selecting a longer or shorter rod to work.

All that I have worked on advise submerging the lifters in oil and pumping the plunger to fill them.

Using a longer pushrod on a collapsed lifter could create problems if the lifter ever does fill with oil, it could hold the valve off its' seat and possibly damage the valve and piston.

I would pull the lifter, and fill as mentioned above.

[randroid]

Ken,

Thanks! I read in a Motor's Manual about using a drill press to compress the lifter; were I to compress it while it is in an oil bath could I expect it to properly fill itself or is there a more precise method?

Thanks again.

-Randy

[kencombs]

Randy, a drill press does make it easier. But, just compressing is not the right technique, you need to pump it a few times to expell the air. You can tell when it's full of oil as it becomes really hard to pump, almost impossible. When they are full of oil, the piston becomes hydraulicly locked and can only be compressed as the oil leaks past the piston/body.