Okay,
So I had some issues with compression today and I found out that my lifters (hydraulic roller) were pumping up too much and holding the valves open so I decided to take it upon myself to clean the lifters. After taking off the retaining clip and pulling out the pushrod cup, I cleaned out some burned up gunk inside two of the lifters and then when I pulled the hydraulic unit, I cleaned more "gunk" from the bottom of the lifter and then re-installed the unit in it's bore with the compression spring and replaced the pushrod cup and the retaining clip. Each time something got put back together, I filled it with oil.

Now on reassembly, the compression spring would push the hydraulic unit as well as the pushrod cup out of it's bore and wouldn't allow me to put the retaining clip back on it without putting the lifter back in it's bore and, using a spare pushrod, squish the cup back in the hydraulic lifter and then put the clip on.

Now when I push on the lifter with the pushrod, there is some give to the pushrod cup. Is this normal? Other lifters I have yet to service are hard as a rock and I can't tell that there's any give at all to the pushrod cup. I pressurized the system with a oil pump primer and bled oil out of all the lifters so I'm guessing any air in the lifters has been bled out.. Is it safe to assume that?

If any one has any ideas, please let me know..

Thanks.
-Bruce

 

I've got a brand new set sitting in my basement right now that I can push down with the fingernail on my pinky.

By cleaning them, you cleared the isle for them to be able to move like they should. The only problem would be if they didn't return to the clip.

 

Is that set pre-filled with oil? I'm thinking if the lifter isn't pumped up, it shouldn't be difficult to push the cup in.. I was thinking there should be some movement.. I'm just not sure how much.

Thanks for the reply,

-Bruce

 

A stock lifter will have around (just guessing - I never measured it) 0.300" of travel of the plunger with no oil in it.

EDIT: O.K. I couldn't stand it. I disassembled and drained a Crane 99277 and measured it. I got a total of 0.168" of plunger travel. That would translate to 0.252" of valve travel with stock rockers. So, in some respects I guess I was close. Not buying it, huh? Oh, well - I tried....

Hope that helps.