I'm setting up my hydraulic roller 350 and thinking ahead I have a few questions about finding pushrod length. I will be using one of the comp adjustable rods for this too.
1)My biggest question is do I really need a solid lifter to do this? I really don't want to spend that much money on a lifter i'll use for 5 minutes.

2)Are solid lifters lengths different from the roller to the cup than a hydraulic?

3)Can the hydraulic lifters be disassembled and put back together with dimes or something stacked inside to make it soild?

4)Also what are checking springs really for?

Any help is appreciated!

 

You can buy springs from a hardware store and just install them in palce of the valvesprings. Otherwise you can use checking springs....

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/80523...FQ8GnQodZisAqQ


Checking springs dont provide enough pressure to control the valvetrain when the engine is running and they dont provide enough pressure to depress the cup in the hydraulic lifter. That's their point. They merely hold up the valve while you check geometry.

 

You don't need to use a solid lifter if a checking spring is used. Depending on your spring pressures, you normally don't want to use the adjustable pushrod with the valve springs you intend to use anyway. Too much spring pressure and you'll bend the adjustable pushrod.

When using a lightweight checking spring, it's only purpose is to keep tension on the valve so that it will close on it's own as you rotate the engine to get a witness mark on the tip of the valve stem. Since there little to no spring pressure pushing back on the rocker/pushrod/lifter, the hydraulic plunger in the lifter won't be pushed down.

 

I've done it both ways, with check springs or a gutted old lifter filled with washers. Works either way, but check springs is probably easier.

 

Rather than concentrate on "how to get there", concentrate on the "why" of what you're doing.

One way or another, you have to keep the lifter consistently at the height that it will be at, while in operation. That means, the plunger can't plunge.

Either: the entire plunger function has to be disabled; OR, the plunger spring must be stronger than the force trying to make it plunge. Which is of course, the valve spring.

So there you have your choices. Use a solid lifter (no plunger in the first place), disable the plunger somehow such as for example stacking washers underneath it to replace the spring, or use very weak valve spring substitutes.

 

Alright guys thanks for the help. I think i'll try the checking springs and go from there