NEVER AGAIN !! ...I replaced my Solid lifters with the Vulcan Hydraulic Lifter & Lifter Block Kit and it came with the Blue silicone pushrod seals and because I have heard good things about them I went ahead and put em in. Huge mistake, I didn't make it 10 miles and sitting at a stop light I could smell oil and look down, oil spitting, leaking everywhere, turn around go home and pop the covers off and the seals are up in the tubes and feel like mush. So after I clean the mess up I put the cork seals back in and all is back to normal. What a pain that in the butt that was !! Live and Learn I guess...lol



And by the way, this bike will not be seeing solids again, the hydraulics are way quieter and make the ride much more relaxing

 

I've heard that before and only use the cork type. Not sure on shovels but my knuck relies on vacuum to pull the oil from the rocker tins. If the corks are old or stiff air seeps in. I always take a good look at them when adjusting the push rods.

 

After I went for a long ride with the cork seals back in I googled it and sure enough i'm not the only one it's happened too.

 

had the same problem with my ironhead. I went back to cork too.

carl

 

Could be a mix match on the tubes maybe I've seen a couple that was the issue with, haven't had a problem with the rubber ones yet myself. Thing I do know is all the parts have to clean and dry on the mating surfaces when you assemble, any oil and the silicon ones will move on you.

Aside from that how you liking the lifters ? What cam you running ?

 

I am loving the lifters..nice and quiet

I am running your favorite cam the Andrews BH...lol...My inner cam bearing went and the bike ran really good with that cam and figured I'll keep it simple and put the same cam(a new one) back in it. And I'm getting to be quite good at wrenching on this old dog...now I sound like my wife... lol

 

like twisted said about rust and being clean - the tubes springs over 30 plus years loose their tension - adding another cork in the front exhaust makes it as tight as the rear intake

it is a crap shoot on the seals with the black or blue rubber < and they again are different then each other - or using the original cork all will and can leak

adding spring washers and or a second OLD flattened cork to the tube set does work as well as fresh springs