Date:         Tue, 22 May 2012 16:35:10 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: hydraulic lifter adjustment questions (sorry)
Comments: To: pickle vanagon <greenvanagon@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <CA+n284MAr+Ht9+BxjCNyvo6tGUqXDZ2Orht1b2PmEdFE3uJEzg@mail.gmail.com>
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re :
> When you adjust the lifters to some number of turns in, how do you know the
> lifters were already pumped to their full length before you did the
> adjustment?  Isn't the whole point of the lifters (assuming they work as
> they were intended) that they can pump up to a partial length?  It almost
> seems to me that you would have to adjust them way out, run the engine to
> pump them up, and then adjust them in.

I'll just tell you how I see it in my mind. The lifters are either
properly pumped up, or they are not.
First step is back out the screw until you are sure you have rocker arm
play or clearance ( I find I have to turn the screw a few turns before I
can wiggle the rocker loosely a little ) ...
then I turn down to screw contact on the valve ..
and  next bit of turning will be either quite firm. or pretty soft.

if it's soft .it means the lifter is not pumped up.
if it's very firm ...the lifter is pumped up and I do 1/2 turn then.

if the lifter is not pumped up ( you can push on the rocker arm and feel
the spring in the lifter and there isn't much resistance to pushing
there ) ..
then I just turn the screw in just a tad ..so I think I am in the
beggining of the lifters cushion range.
When they are quiet and pumped up ..then I do them again, to one half turn.

I also did this on an engine that sat a while....all lifters were not
pumped up.
I could see that the lifter has spring loaded piston travel allowing 1/4
inch travel at the screw..
like I could rock the rocker that far against just gentle spring
pressure in the lifter. .  I set them so there was just a small
clearance at the screw to the valve stem.  Like 1/16th of an inch.
That seemed to work just fine after they filled up and got quiet.

scott