Date:         Fri, 11 Apr 2008 15:25:06 -0400
Reply-To:     Jake Beaulieu <jake_beaulieu@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jake Beaulieu <jake_beaulieu@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: Why are the lifters so hard?
Comments: To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>

On Sun, 6 Apr 2008 00:19:29 -0400, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>That is how they are supposed to work. Turn to take up the lash, then one
>to two turns more. Yes, that will lift the valve. Now walk away and wait
>an hour or two before starting the engine. They will settle and be where
>they need to be and finish adjusting after the engine runs.
>
>Dennis

Hello Dennis et al.

I have been having the same problem as Zoltan for a couple of years.  The
lifters are rock hard and every time I pre-load them the valves are forced
open and the van barey runs (AC Westy).  I always end up setting them back
to 0.006" as Boston Bob suggests.  Wednesday night I pre-loaded them to +1
turn and let it sit for 24 hours and got the same result.  So, just how
long do the the lifters need to "settle" after pre-loading them?  Surely
24 hours should be enough?

A follow up question is, just how do the lifters "settle" after pre-
loading them?  The only way the piston can drop further into the lifter
body is if some of the oil located in the valve body, but below the
piston, is removed.  As long as the check valve on the bottom of the
piston is working, the only exit route for this oil is between the inside
wall of the lifter body and the outside wall of the piston, ultimately
exiting the oiling oil on the side of the lifter body.

It is tempting to manually remove some oil from the lifter body so that
when they are adjusted to +1 there is enough give to prevent the valves
from opening.  Then run the motor and let them "pump up" to the proper
height.  I suppose this risks trapping air in the lifters resulting in the
performance problems Bob refers to in his "history of hydraulic lifters"
article.

Yeah, I know, beating a dead horse and all.  I have read the heck out of
the archives and I still don't get it.

jake
82 AC Westy