Ok people just completed my stage 2 107 build using the S&S 475 cam S&S premium lifters, Fuel Moto adjustable pushrods with PV tuner and target tune. Also the Fullsac head pipe and TBR slip ons.
Bike sounds good but loud at the rocker boxs.
Fuel Moto guys said give it some miles and should get quiet, they did not.
Wrote back and another tech says there should never have been noise??
He Suggested I check my adjustments of 4 complete turns + 2 flats, I know I adjusted them right but I'm going to double check.
My question is this, do I bring all the lifters to zero lash and let them rest a while before adjusting again or bring them to zero lash and tighten right back again?
Hopefully this makes since, thanks.

 

The only time you need to wait is after you've done the preload (4T+2F).

 

Just curious. Where do you hear the noise? Idle / running down the road / at high Rs/ always?

 

 

I would say either you got a bad lifter or they are adjusted wrong.

 

 

 

The instructions should equal 1/2 the lifters plunger travel. In other words the lifter has a plunger in it that has a travel length, the idea is to have that push rod adjusted so the plunger in the lifter is mid-stroke. So first step is to find the length of the stroke of the plunger in the lifter. The second step is to find how many threads per inch the adjustable push rod has, then after going through the proper procedure adjust the push rod to obtain the proper location of the plunger.
Chuck

 

So to expand on this a little, unless you are using hi-performance limited travel lifters, the standard travel for lifters is .200". So you want to depress the plunger .100" when your doing the adjustment. Count the number of threads in an inch of length on the pushrod. Multiply that by .100 and that will give you the number of turns to move it .100". Now, I usually go to .120-.130" depression because it seems to be a little quieter. I got used to doing this when chasing the valve train noise on TwinCams. Remember that? That was finally solved with Rockouts. In this situation it won't hurt anything. So if you have 42 threads per inch and want go .125 multiply 42 by .125. You get 5.25 or 5 turns and 1 or 2 flats. It's not an exact science. When you tighten the lock nut sometimes it backs the pushrod off a little, but the tightening nut lengthens it a little. I usually use three wrenches when locking them, but even then things can move a little.

 

I believe some forum members are have problems adjusting their M8 pushrods because they are basing their adjustments off of “inaccurate data.”

And they may be following the wrong instruction sheet for the pushrods they have. For example, you cannot used S&S adjustment procedures for Bender Cycle pushrods or vice versa because the tpi is different.

There are two major keys to lifter adjustment: lifter design and pushrod design.

You need to verify the specs of your lifter and pushrod to get a good starting baseline for adjustment.

Lifter design is important because it determines the total travel of the lifter’s plunger. Stock TC & M8 lifters usually have a total plunger travel of approximately 0.200” plus or minus roughly 0.020”.

For an average street motor, you want to adjust the preload about in the middle of the total lifter plunger travel, or roughly 0.100” preload. But this is not an exact science, so the middle is only a good “starting” point.

You can check lifter plunger travel by installing the pushrod spin-free in the engine, then crank the pushrod down until the lifter’s plunger bottoms out. Then count the number of turns of total pushrod travel you applied. Now set the lifter preload at one-half of the total turns of pushrod travel.

The next thing you want to know is how many threads per inch (tpi) your pushrod has. S&S and several other manufacturers use 32 tpi. I “believe” the SE M8 adjustables use 24 tpi (not sure).

The last time I checked, Fuel Moto was selling Bender Cycle pushrods (Eastlake, OH), which use the oddball metric M8 x 1.00 thread, which is 25.4 tpi (0.0394” per turn). Cruiser40, you need to verify this!

You can also verify tpi by measuring the number of threads in one linear inch. Another method is to spin the pushrod adjusting nut 10 turns and measure the distance it travels. Ten turns on a 25.4 tpi pushrod should move the nut 0.394”.

Following are the distance per turn for some common tpi:

32 tpi = .03125”/turn

25.4 tpi = .03937”/turn

24 tpi = .04166”/turn

Cruiser40, you said you have FM pushrods and someone suggested adjusting them 4 complete turns + 2 flats. If you have FM Bender Cycle pushrods with the M8 x 1.00 thread, that means 0.03937” preload per turn or roughly 0.170” total preload for 4-1/3 turns. Yeah, I know, some racers adjust their pushrods with this much preload so there is less chance for the lifter to collapse under high spring pressure, but you might want to start closer to the middle of the plunger travel and see how that works.

If the lifters tick after 20 or so miles of engine running, add another ½ turn or even 1-turn of preload to see if that quiets the lifters down.

For reference, 3.2-turns of preload with the Bender pushrod (assuming 25.4 tpi) “should” be equal to 4-turns of S&S Quickie preload at 32 tpi.

When adjusting pushrods, always make sure the lifter is on the heel of the cam lobe (lowest part) while the engine is on the compression stroke.

Good luck!