Hello all
I have been Re-doing the lifters preload and after researching the zero lash, i have found a couple of lifters which show resistance when i going to add the 1/2 turn preload.
On the others,the adjusting screw turns very loose when i,m adding the preload.

The cam and lifters are new(Lunati).
I,m using the up and down pushrod method for the zero lash and adjusting the intake when exhaust starts to open and exhaust when intake is fully open.

Is it usual that some lifters keep the pressure?The engine has not been running for a couple of weeks..

confirm that you are on base circle. You might need to open the lifters and clean & reassemble but wait for further input. if you do be careful not to bend the snap ring & always keep each lifters' innards together with the lifter body they came out of.

If your saying your using the up and down method make sure you know exactly where zero lash is and then don't worry about the amount of preload resistance I like to use 1/4 to 1/3 turn preload on 3/8x24 adjusters (24 threads per inch equal .0416 per one full thread so 1/4 turn equal .0104, half turn =.0206 and so on) Not all hydraulic lifters like or need the same preload Play with the amount preload on yours to find what you and your motor like

I would think that lifters of the same brand/type would be close on how they act, that one or two of em would not be way off from the others, that is why I am thinking that one might have an issue, poor tolerances (assy line mistakes happen) or a bit of debris. Just sayin (might be a non issue) but I would want to know for sure.

They are the intake 1# and #3 lifters.
In fact there is not preload because they are solids.What happens is the valve starts to open when i,m giving the 1/2 turn wich was giving me a false preload sensation.
I have checked it with a dial gauge .When i tight the 1/2 turn the valve opens 0.020 or so,then it backs to its close position very slowly.

If it is a hydraulic camshaft and you have adjustable rockers, it will need two turns to get plunger in center of travel. With a new lifter, no oil in it, from zero preload it takes a little over 4 turns to bottom out plunger, so center of travel is 2 turns. If you don't get the plunger near center of travel they sometimes have trouble filling with oil, you will have a noisy couple for the first bit of driving for the day. If it is a solid lifter cam you will be using a feeler gauge, .016 to .032 depending on camshaft, recommended lash is on the cam card.

If you are readjusting hyds. the ones with spring compressed eventually bleed off. The lifters with valves closed hold the oil and will feel solid. When you adjust them, the springs will push excess oil out. Give them a minute or two to bleed off before rotating engine to make sure you don,t have a piston hit a valve. You have seen oil bleeding out watching the valve close on your dial indicator. Unless you have short travel lifters you will need way more than a half turn to center the plunger in its travel, more like two turns.

Solid lifters DO NOT get preload, they get LASH.

The easiest way is put the appropriate feeler gauge between the valve stem and rocker tip and spin the pushrod as you tighten the adjuster screw. When the pushrod won't spin you're done. Tighten the nut.

If you put preload on a solid lifter the valves will never seat and the engine will run like CRAP - if it runs at all !!

Listen to Stanton on this one..... You need lash, not pre-load with solid lifters

What i did mean is that they are stuck.The plunger does not move.
I mention that it is an hydraulic cam in the title and the first post.
Regards

Is it possible that the ones that appear to be solid in nature are actually bottomed out?

Ok, I guess we're missing something because of the language difference.

The plunger WILL move but when adjusting preload do not be surprised if the valve spring moves first - lifters do not bleed down fast.

I have never heard of a hydraulic lifter being adjusted so the plunger is in the center of travel. Before doing this I suggest you read what the manufacturer's suggested preload is and go with that.

I still suggest spinning the pushrod to find zero as in my previous post. You spin the pushrod as you tighten the adjuster screw. When you can't spin the pushrod then you are at zero preload. Now turn the adjuster screw the recommended amount and tighten the nut. Done ... move on to the next.

If you've been playing with these for a while and you aren't sure where you are, back them all off and prime the oil system by hand. Remember to rotate the crank so both sides get pressurized. Now start adjusting using the above method and the manufacturer's recommended preload.

The following is from Lunati's Race Hydraulic Lifters:
The Hydraulic Race Lifters have a pre-load that can be set to .000"-.030" and are the best option for racers looking to go beyond a stock replacement lifter.

The problem is with today's hydraulic lifters there is no load with a bleed down lifter and you might not feel any resistance with the spin test. You need to watch the plunger for fist signs of movement to first find zero preload. I've seen guy do the spin test and run the lifter to fully collapsed and not know it.

I like to wiggle the pushrod up and down to get to zero clearance. On preoiling go to #8 on TDC & preoil then go forward 3/4 of a turn to #6 with the dampener slit on zero (TDC) & preoil again (Big block) then you can back up to 15 BTDC to set the dist. on a SB go to 90 BTDC #1 compression (might be partial slits on dampener every quarter turn for this) & preoil then go to 20 ATDC #6 compression (use the tab as a ruler) & preoil again then back up the dampener to 15 BTDC & set dist magnet dead even with the tooth with the rotor under #6 plug wire.

1) back off all adjusters
2) prelube engine by hand - rotate as mentioned
3) zero lash using up-down method
4) add 1/4 turn and tighten nut
5) once you have adjusted them all, look at the length of the adjusters - they should all be very close in length. If not - you have a problem !!

If you can prelube the motor that's fine, you should still be able to feel "zero" with your up/down method - just use a gentle touch.

It is very common to adjust lifters without removing the intake and valley tray.

Also, and this may sound dumb BUT make sure the pushrod is in the lifter.

What brand are the rockers?

On adjustable hyd lifters, the way I was taught was to rotate the engine and do one cylinder at a time.
I believe the proper sequence is to adjust the intake valve when the exhaust starts closing, and the exhaust when the intake begins to open.
Each lifter may feel tighter or looser because of previous leak down from being compressed.
What you are looking for is when the pushrod first meets resistance while tightening the adjuster, then it a half to 3/4 turn past that..
I keep turning the pushrod while making the adjustment to be certain when contact is first made.

Thanks for all the replies

The rockers and the shafts are from Hughes engines.

I primed the engine prior to installing it in the car.
I even bought the Mopar shaft that goes in the place of the distributor gear.I used it with the drill in reverse and turning the crank.

Yesterday i removed the rocker shaft to watch athrough the pushrod holes but is not
easy to see anything on that way.

Then should to prime the engine with all the rockers adjusters loosen all the way off?

Thanks again

The Lunati cam sheet says adjust intake when exahust just starts to open and adjust exhaust when intake is fully open.
For the zero lash i,m using the up and down method because i don,t have the touch of a trained engine builder and twisting the pushrod may result into a excesive lifter preload.

Sure. Rotate the crank as you prime (see RapidRobert post: On preoiling go to #8 on TDC & preoil then go forward 3/4 of a turn to #6 with the dampener slit on zero (TDC) & preoil again (Big block) . Also keep in mind that not all lifter oil holes will be exposed to the oil galley each rotation as there will be some at max lift. Therefore, you want to rotate the engine enough times to fill all lifters. I would rotate the crank 8 revolutions. This may be the reason you had some hard and some soft lifters - not all were filled.

There are some comments here about lifter "bleed down". My opinion: once the system is primed the lifters should NOT bleed down BECAUSE there is no pressure on them until you adjust your preload. The only thing to cause a lifter to bleed down is the valve spring pressure.

Is this a big block or small block ??

install lifters dry,adjust valves,then pre-lube engine.If your valves are
close to the piston,don't try to adjust with oil in the lifter.I don't know how primeing lifters with oil before adjustment became the standard,but it is wrong!I think it is a chevy thing.