Adjustable lifters keep backing off - what do u do?

L78CHEVELLE

L78CHEVELLE

Senior Member
I put a set of adjustable lifters in one of my 1940 Ford engines.
Started the car and it sounded great. Two days later lifter noise has increased and the more I drive it the louder it gets. Is the red Loctite stuff the only answer for this problem or is there something else? Lifter screws are very tight to turn until you screw them way down to their bottom for the adjustments. Johnson lifters
 
toss them in the trash and have the valves set the right way, valves stem ground till the right clearance is achived, ive had more trouble over the last 50 yrs with those worthless adjustables, no matter who makes them
 
I had one that kept backing off also. What I did was bumped the threads with a punch then readjusted it. That was several thousand miles ago and havent had anymore trouble with it.
 
I'm glad you guys have sent me this information. I thought I was having this problem because I had done something wrong during the adjustment of the valves. The further down I turn the adjustments on the lifters the less resistance they have. Common sense would indicate to me there could be a problem later on.
 
Ok so I have Johnson Lifters in my new engine but no noise yet (about 600 to 700 miles on it. Other than noise what should I look for as far as adjustment problems,etc.?
 
Well, here goes:
Ford put adjustable lifters in all their rebuilt/remanufactured engines. What in the world were they thinking???
I rebuild quite a few engines. If you wish to pay me per hour to set valves "the old fasion way" then I will gladly do so. However, if the adjustable lifters are correct there will be no problem with them backing off. I test them before they go into the engine and rarely I find one which doesn't tighten to my satisfaction so I DON"T USE IT.
This old arguement has been going on forever and probably won't stop right away. Kind of fun answering anyway.
 
I have found that exchanging the screws between lifters will tighten them up. You have to hunt to get good combinations.
 
Straightpipes said:
Well, here goes:
Ford put adjustable lifters in all their rebuilt/remanufactured engines. What in the world were they thinking???
I rebuild quite a few engines. If you wish to pay me per hour to set valves "the old fasion way" then I will gladly do so. However, if the adjustable lifters are correct there will be no problem with them backing off. I test them before they go into the engine and rarely I find one which doesn't tighten to my satisfaction so I DON"T USE IT.
This old arguement has been going on forever and probably won't stop right away. Kind of fun answering anyway.
Click to expand...

I am in the process of rebuilding my 1953 Ford Flathead for my next project and reading all of the comments should I use the solid lifters and adjust them by taking away from the valve end to have the proper gap to the lifters or is there a company that has the better style lifters to use. I did rebuild a V8 60 a few years ago and this is what I had to do.

Thanks
Frenchy
 
I too have read over and over the arguments for or against using adjustable lifters. To have a shop grind the valves for clearance is expensive.

Being someone that likes the feeling of doing everything I can myself and don't care how long it takes, I did the following.

Used set of johnsons resurfaced at $48. Set the gap then took each lifter out and miked the total length of the lifter. Wrote it down and a pad. Took all the screws out and super cleaned the whole piece inside and out to remove the hidden grease and grime in the threaded hole. (kept screw and lifter as a unit)

Put each piece back together setting the length as recorded then using green locktite to keep everything in place.

Saved a little money but have the satisfaction of doing it myself.

Once again, not the only way to do it but the way I have found that works for me.

Fourdy
 
Fourdy said:
I too have read over and over the arguments for or against using adjustable lifters. To have a shop grind the valves for clearance is expensive.

Being someone that likes the feeling of doing everything I can myself and don't care how long it takes, I did the following.

Used set of johnsons resurfaced at $48. Set the gap then took each lifter out and miked the total length of the lifter. Wrote it down and a pad. Took all the screws out and super cleaned the whole piece inside and out to remove the hidden grease and grime in the threaded hole. (kept screw and lifter as a unit)

Put each piece back together setting the length as recorded then using green locktite to keep everything in place.

Saved a little money but have the satisfaction of doing it myself.

Once again, not the only way to do it but the way I have found that works for me.

Fourdy
Click to expand...

I am with you no problems for me to do it as I am use to build V12 Lincoln engines and all of them have hydraulic lifters so no adjustments are needed. Doing it the right way if it will take time to set them no problem here Thanks for posting your experience on this.

Thanks
Frenchy
 
41panelmark said:
Ok so I have Johnson Lifters in my new engine but no noise yet (about 600 to 700 miles on it. Other than noise what should I look for as far as adjustment problems,etc.?
Click to expand...
Mark, where did you nget your Johnson lifters? I understand thay haven't made them for years. They were good lifters back in the day. After they stopped making them I went back to butt grinding. The out of the country ones are junk. The only good ones that i know off that you can get today are made in Aostrailyer (spelling) but that are expensive. The only trouble with butt grinding (besides finding someone that can do it) is with reground cam the bass circle is so low that you have to have longer valves or weld the stems up. Walt
 
I hate to make this post is it possible to put a drop of locktite in the threads of the adjusters to keep them from backing out would it help any.

Frenchy
 
Walt Dupont--Me. said:
Mark, where did you nget your Johnson lifters? I understand thay haven't made them for years. They were good lifters back in the day. After they stopped making them I went back to butt grinding. The out of the country ones are junk. The only good ones that i know off that you can get today are made in Aostrailyer (spelling) but that are expensive. The only trouble with butt grinding (besides finding someone that can do it) is with reground cam the bass circle is so low that you have to have longer valves or weld the stems up. Walt
Click to expand...

Walt

You are right it takes time to adjust the solid lifters I had to do this on the last V8 60 I had done. I had to weld a small bead on the end of the stem to be able to get the proper clearance to set the valves never had a problem after that. Only time consuming.

Thanks
Frenchy
 
Frenchy,

If you put locktite on the threads while the lifter is in the engine, the locktite will not penetrate the threads if the threads are oily or greasy. Also, if any of the locktite dribbles off of the lifter to the block, you will find it very difficult to get the lifter out. Please don't ask how I know. LOL

Fourdy
 
You guys and your Loctite.
Do you remember how you get parts apart that have been assembled with Loctite?
You warm them up.
Internal engine parts get way above the release temperature of any loctite.
If the parts are not coming loose with Loctite on them, it is NOT because of the Loctite.
 
Pete,
I have always been told by shops that engines do not get hot enough to dislodge green lock tite but needs heat at least from a propane torch or hotter. Not arguing, just curious

I have so much to learn.

Fourdy
 
Just went to the Locktite site and found this tech info as was kind of going by this info.

"For Disassembly
1. Apply localized heat to the asssembly to approximately 250
°C. Disassemble while hot."

I'm hoping not to let my engine get up to 250C.

Fourdy
 
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