I milled the heads, so I had to adjust the valves - I have the procedure for it, and I've followed it as well as I was able, but two of the valves on each side (#1 intake, #3 exhaust, #2 intake, and #4 exhaust) feel "spongy" is the best way I can describe it. When there is no load on the valve (valve closed) I can compress the spring in the lifter and get about 1/8" of play between the rocker arm and the valve. The other valves are always rock hard. It's seems strange to me that it's symetrical in this way, and why should those valves be different? Did the bleed-down procedure (I waited the full 15 minutes) not work on the other valves, or am I doing something wrong? Will the "spongy" ones pump up when I prime the oil system by dead cranking the engine after assembly? Any assistance or experience would be appreciated......

 

GD

Those spongy ones have air in them. If you get get them out of the motor, take them out and submerge them in clean oil, and pump them under the oil. Should expel the air. If you can't get them out, just set the valves the best you can and fire it up, it will clatter until they pump up.. I dunno if just dead cranking will generate enough oil pressure or not...

I figure I'll dead crank without the plugs in. That will get it going fast enough I hope. I was under the impression that the procedure called for a 15 minute waiting period in order to cause the lifters to bleed down.... so which ones are correct - the spongy feeling ones or the hard ones? Seems like they both can't be right.....

 

GD

Bleed down refers to the ones that feel stiffer. Adjusting hydro lifters can be a real pain at times, atleast for me anyways.

 

With the plugs out, you'll spin the engine fast enough to pump some oil pressure up. Also puts less strain on starter motor with plugs out. They don't like a whole lotta cranking, tends to get them a bit warm.

 

To tight on the lifters ain't good. I'd rather have them a bit loose, and adjust them in after engine is running. But that is on "V" and "I" engines, haven't done a "H" engine yet, so not sure on how difficult it would be to adjust them with engine in car..

Well - I dead cranked (no plugs) for about 30 seconds and nothing - then suddenly the oil pressure shot up to over 50. I pulled the valve cover and the spongyness is almost gone now so hopefully I'm good. We'll see later today when I start it. I'm meticulous about following procedures, so I think it will be alright unless some of my lifters are worn out. Seems unlikely tho since they were fine before, and only have 130k on them.

 

GD

Well - on start up they ticked pretty loud, and after the first 30 seconds or so got quiet pretty quick. There was still a tick till I test drove it, and after returning home it was gone, and hasn't returned. Looks like the adjustment procedure worked!

 

GD