I am adjusting the valves on a 540 I have. It's a hydraulic roller. I took the motor apart 14 years ago and put everything in bags. The lifters and all the parts have maybe 15 miles on them. I have the intake off and usually just adjust them on the heel of the cam. But this time I am using the Lars method that I found in the archives. I have adjusted valves to 100's of times. I twirl the push rod until some drag and then go 1/4 more. I have noticed some pushrods turn in my fingers after adjustment and a couple didn't. I don't ever remember that happening. I don't think it's a problem.

 

Depending on who your roller mfr is, they may have a recommended preload. I am running a Howard's retro roller and they instruct you to go to zero lash (no slack between pushrod and rocker, maybe very slight drag if you twist the rod) plus another 1/2 turn.

 

My question was after I do the adjustment some pushrods turn and other don't.

 

are you adjusting them on the base circle of the cam or just going from one to the other. If you adjust them all on the base circle then turn the rod shaft I would think they would be the same. If you adjust them without getting on the base circle then when you turn the crank the cam will go from a high of the lobe to the base and it will be loser because you took the load off the spring.

 

Some will be loose after adjusting, it's normal. Depends on how much oil is in them.

1/4 turn is not enough on a hydraulic roller lifter. Spec is 1 full turn. I've checked on my comp cams roller lifters and they get noisy at 3/4 turn or less.

You also need to collapse them all the way and then loosen to make sure none of the adjustment plungers are sticking. Just had that happen to me. Noticed one poly lock was adjusted further down than the rest (rocker stud stuck out on that one, not the others). Reason was the plunger inside the lifter was stuck almost all the way down. I left it loose and ran it on the starter with no spark plugs and it popped loose. After that it adjusted the same as the rest.

 

I am doing it according to the Lars outlined in his write up. When it's on TDC I do one, rotate 90 degees do the next one in the firing order until it is done. Yes I am doing it on the base of the cam.

 

Odd. Does it make noise when you run it?

 

did you soak these 14 year old lifters in oil before installing them?

 

No the intake is off.

 

No. From Cranes website.

Do Hydraulic Lifters Need to be Primed with Oil?

Many people mistakenly believe that hydraulic lifters must be soaked in oil overnight and be hand pumped up with a pushrod before installing into a new engine, however this is not necessary. In fact, this could cause the lifter to act as a "solid" and prevent obtaining proper preload. What is very necessary is the priming of the entire engine's oil system before starting up a new engine for the first time.

 

^^^^This.

 

Making sure theres no up/down slack rather than the spin method always worked well. Sometimes those plungers can sink easy and fool you.
I never soak them in oil anymore...some do.

 

Thanks

 

I did this as well. Rather than rotate I moved in an up down motion until no slop was noted then gave the final preload 1/2 turn.

 

Some lifters will hold oil. Some will drain back down. Pretty sure they pump back up when running.

 

Quite simply the plunger in the lifter is not hydraulically preloaded.....you are only feeling the tension of the little spring inside. It is ok.....when the engine starts pumping oil....it will be preloaded immediately.

I just want to add something that I found out 20 years ago and I still do to this day because it works and is sound thinking. When doing hydraulic lash, I will turn the polylock with my finger to zero lash....but with my fingers.......you can just feel the resistance in the thread the second you start plunging the piston down......do this while keeping an eyeball on the lifter you are on in the valley (intake off).......spin back and forth in your fingers to verify zero and then 1/2 turn then lock. Now the Polylock has to be nice and free on the stud.....no resistance or boogers in its spin.
Why 1/2 turn you say? Well.....it will plunge the piston in the lifter about .035-.040.......1/4 is not enough as stated earlier in this thread....too noisy and a chance of bouncing around.......the 1/2 turn is the least amount you can lash without issues........why do you want the least amount? Because after 6000 rpm or so...hydraulics like to pump up.......1/2 turn give the piston less room to hold a valve open......lash it with the piston plunged .100....and there is .100 potential to fill up the inside of the lifter.
NHRA Super Stock and IHRA Top Stock hydraulic cheater lifters are solid once plunged .025...and this is the reason why

Thanks for listening and feel free to comment

Jebby

 

Why poly locks? they're not solid lifters. You're not adjusting them constantly. Why not just the factory jam nuts that last for hundreds of thousands of miles on every stock engine? And they also fit under the valve covers a lot better.

 

Doesn't matter......the low profile polylocks fit under stock covers....and it is impossible to do the method I described above with jam nuts....in fact it is a total pain to get correct zero lash with pinch nuts.....not to mention they booger up the studs. Polylocks last forever too if you tighten them right....I use nothing else. With new studs and new polylocks that spin freely, you can determine the exact position when the pushrod starts plunging the spring inside the lifter.......try it!!!!! I dare ya!!!! It works!!!!
I think some people get locked ( no pun intended) into thinking that using polylocks on hydraulics is wrong........but why not? It just gives you more control over what you are doing.
I have polylocks and Harland Sharp rockers under stock LT-1 covers on my own 406........and run a hot hydraulic flat tappet that is lashed exactly how I describe.......I have assembled dozens this way and for me...it is the only way.

Jebby

 

Good stuff Jebby!

 

Good point. I think 1/2 to 3/4 is more like it. Many yrs ago youd read the mags saying barely any preload made it like a solid lifter, gave it more power, etc couldnt be farther from the truth! Good chance of damage, too.
If you want a Hyd then keep it. If you want a solid dont fool with goofy lifters just get the real thing. Or if you want a hyd with the solid sound use some Rhoads lifters.