Loose Lifters

tdlmomowers

tdlmomowers

Senior Member
I have a friend that has a 35 roadster. He just had the engine rebuilt by a reputable local shop. Problem is, the lifter adjustment won't hold for very long. He has had the shop install another set of lifters, and now the valves are rattling again. The shop took the intake and heads off the engine and the lifter adjustment is out of wack again. Has anyone had a problem with getting these lifters to hold an adjustment. How was it fixed if so. I am not very well aquainted with the Flathead Valve Train, but I told him that I would check with you guys on here.
 
[" He just had the engine rebuilt by a reputable local shop"]
I think this shop may be losing it's "reputable" rating soon. Is this a 35 engine? Are you talking Adj. lifters? "out of whack"? How much did the settings change? How long is "won't hold for very long"? Need more specifics or you are just going to get guesses.
John
 
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Many of the modern replacement adjustable lifters are very poor in quality. If the shop is simply swapping one set for another of the identical manufacture, no doubt, changing poop for poop.
 
If he replaced the lifters with the same brand that may be the problem. Good lifters pretty much stay in adjustment. I don't know what brand OL'Ron used in my engine but are still in adjustment after 20,00 mi.
Don
 
Hi Don i finally figured out how to put my car in my Avitar, whatever that means.

Under Hope.
 
bite the bullet and find a shop that can butt grind the valves the old fashion way, why guys spend all that money on adjustables when you can have them ground the right way for the same price, but if you insist on adjustables call reds headers and ask him for a set, or check with ford tractor dealer dealer, the ford 8n tractors use the same adjustable lifter, heaver but unless your going to turn the engine 10,000 rpm they will work fine, jeeze, what some guys will go thru just to have bragging rights at the cruise inns, LOL
 
Don't feel like the lone ranger on this lifter deal. I had the same problem. I got my lifters from Red's Headers and they were the Johnson brand. Here is what I did to stop the problem. I adjusted the lifters. Then I took a small blade screw driver and hit the treads to put a notch on them to keep them from turning. That has worked for me and is the only thing I have found that did work with the adjustable lifters.
 
L78CHEVELLE, did you get the solid ones or the hollow adjustable lifters from Red's? I just ordered a set of the hollow adjustables. Ed
 
When i ordered adjustable lifters from Red's he carried the good high quality ones as well as the lower cost off shore versions. I bought the best he had to offer, put them in my '35 engine rebuild which now has 12k+ miles and no loose lifter problems. For the '35 coupe I am doing now...I bought a set of hollow adjustable lifters, made in the U.S.A., from Dennis Carpenter.
While visiting with Vern Tardel in 2010 he shared with me his method of making sure these adjustable lifters stay in adjustment for a good long time. You could FAX or email him and ask for details on how to do this.
 
Loosening is just a problem.
There is possibly real danger too...if more than the threads are junk, you could be having failure of the base of the things too, dumping lifter metal into engine and ruining the cam...
I would want to see the lifters that were removed and look over their lower surface, and also drain the oil and see if a magnet encounters unusual things.
If you feel tha lifter wear service is likely ok, you might want to try a simpler solution than major disassembly: Pull manifold, adjust, hose off tops of lifters several times with brake cleaner to get rid of as much oil as possible in that area. Then...green wicking type Loctite, made specifically to leach into assembled threads. Might cure the problem with very little work.
 
JM 35 Sedan said:
When i ordered adjustable lifters from Red's he carried the good high quality ones as well as the lower cost off shore versions. I bought the best he had to offer, put them in my '35 engine rebuild which now has 12k+ miles and no loose lifter problems. For the '35 coupe I am doing now...I bought a set of hollow adjustable lifters, made in the U.S.A., from Dennis Carpenter.
While visiting with Vern Tardel in 2010 he shared with me his method of making sure these adjustable lifters stay in adjustment for a good long time. You could FAX or email him and ask for details on how to do this.
Click to expand...

If he shared the method with you, why don't you share it with us???
 
Pete on the HAMB sold me a set of reconditioned hollow lifters as my machinist does not like the adjustable ones, he told me if I bring in the adj. ones he would take the nut all the way down and grind the valve stem any way. I used 1.6 Chevy valves because they were longer.
 
flathead4rd said:
If he shared the method with you, why don't you share it with us???
Click to expand...

Because this information may appear in Vern's "LET ME HELP YOU" printed booklet series that are sold in many places. If I post his material here it is considered as copyright infringement. NOT GONNA DO THAT! You can get this info from him at Fax# 707-838-6065 or email him at sales@verntardel.com His website is www.verntardel.com He does not do business by telephone conversations.
 
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No6, you have a good mechanic, he knows what hes doing, keep him, adjustables are junk and nothing but trouble waiting to happen, i refuse to use them, if the customer insists i send him to another shop
 
Makes you wonder how the 8N Ford tractors used them for all those years. I guess I am just lucky. Put mine in 25 years and 35,000 miles ago and have never had the least problem. Maybe they were making them better then?
 
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