need to know how to adjust pushrods with new dry lifters.

 

I will tell you what I did. It's basically the same as a pumped-up lifter. I adjusted the pushrod to take out the lash buy "barely" letting it press on the top of the new lifter. It will be easy to take the rod to far down if you are not careful, since there is hardly any resistance in the "empty" lifter. I just made sure I had the rod in the rocker arm recess and sitting on top of the lifter....barely snug with no side-to-side slack. Then, I cranked-down the specified number of turns for the particular pushrod. Mine happened to be the S&S, which was 4 turns. In other words...about the same as you would in a pumped-up lifter...only more carefully when you take out the initial lash.

I can also think of another way that I have read about. Just adjust the pushrod down until it bottoms out at the low end of the lifter travel...and then back it up midway between the bottom and the relaxed position of the lifter. I did the #1 above and mine runs fine, but I am sure that I will go back and adjust them again here in a day-or-so on the pumped-up lifters.

If you err...you want to err on the loose side and not the tight side. You can go back and readjust them after they are pumped-up.

 

one sentence .......self adjusting hydrolic lifters

 

You have to adjust the pushrod length to any lifter...solid or hydraulic....if you are talking about adjustable pushrods. All hydraulic lifters ARE self adjusting (within a range). I may have missed the point waynemags was making, but I assumed he was talking about hydraulic lifters that have never been pre-soaked, or pumped-up. If he was talking about solid lifters....that's another story altogether.

You can pre-lube hydraulic lifters which have never been pumped-up and adjust to them....just be a bit careful with the initial lash setting, or use the "bottoms-up" method. Now, if you are replacing lifters and have the correct solid pushrod...then I agree, and you can stick them in there and listen to it rattle for a little while until the lifters pump-up.....if the noise don't make you wet your pants until they do pump-up.

 

Why not soak them in oil for a while before installing? In any event, adjusting lifters dry or pumped up is the same. More important is having the piston at or near TDC on the compression stroke to be sure the lifter is sitting on the heel of the cam lobe. Second most important thing is, if adjusted pumped up, waiting for the lifter to bleed down before rotating the crank to adjust the other cylinder. Most lifter's have about .200" of travel and setting the preload at .100" travel is the goal. If travel is set to .105", .110", etc. all is OK. Some run lifters one turn off the bottom to eliminate valve train noise; not for me but some do. One full turn of the adjuster is about .030" of lifter travel depending on the TPI of the adjustor. You should get at least the recommended number of turns and maybe an extrac flat or two just for a little more preload. Sometimes the extra preload will reduce that annoying tick, sometimes it won't.

Be wary of the "bottom up" method, you can hit bottom and know really know it because there is only the resistance of the valve spring. There is no hard bottom, you can start opening the valve and not know it. Stick the the standard procedure.

 

I would only use the "bottom up" method if I had the rocker covers off and could see/feel the rocker arms to make sure they were in the neutral position. I agree...the best way is the way the instruction sheet reads for the particular adjustable pushrod being used.

 

Two sentences.......... The lifters are self adjusting and that's not what he's asking about. He's asking about adjusting the pushrods that are actuated by the hydraulic lifters.....

 

Three sentences.......................We all understood that Wayne is working with adjustable pushrods, but the hydraulic lifter itself is in fact "adjusted" by pre-loading it to a certain depth with the pushrod....sounds like I am going in circles here. What on earth made you think we were not talking about adjustable pushrods?

 

I was actually talking to the new smart *** among us since he contributed so much with his "one sentence" that wasn't even relevant since we all (well almost all of us) use hydraulic lifters. I know all about adjusting pushrods and preloading the lifters.

 

i had no idea it would stirr up this much. i installed brand new never run lfters. they werent soaked. i adjusted the pushrods 3.5 turns from lightly seated. just a hair from zero lash. no up and down, but easily spun. from there 3.5 turns. rolled it over for a bit with plugs out. seemed god. finally fired it up and all sounded good. bike goes in tommorow for dyno tune. just put in the lifters an new cams and tensioners. also new power commander. thanx for the help.