Weird flathead lifters

J

jailhousebob

Senior Member
Ok, so i recently bought a 39 ford out of long storage. Has a 59 ab flathead.
Showed no compression in 2 cylinders so i thought it had the typical stuck valves. I pulled the intake and the lifters are like nothing i have ever seen in a flathead and i have taken apart many of them . The top of the lifter appears to be seperate from the cylindrical sides. It has a raised button in the center that is the diameter of the valve stem. The button is round , no flats like an adjustable would have, and sits on a seperate top that seems to be held in place by a wire type snap ring. It looks very much like a hydraulic lifter (?) . I haven't pulled the head but will tomorrow and get a picture of this wierd lifter. Hope my description makes some sense. Bob
 
I once saw a set of lifters that were made in Australia that the adjustment was done by the the whole top unscrewing. I would guess by increasing the surface area of the threads it would stay put better than the small adjusting screws on the Johnsons was the reason for this but that is just my guess I am no engineer.
 
cas3 said:
Here ya go.... https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ad-lifters-in-59ab-now-with-pictures.1263415/
Click to expand...
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20220507_134119-jpg.5394769



20220507_134110-jpg.5394770
 
There is a flathead for sale on the Mpls Mn Craigs list that claims it has hydraulic lifters. I assumed that that was incorrect and that the poster meant adjustable lifter. Now I'm not too sure.
 
sure look to be hydraulic don't suppose there are any photos of the lifter bores themselves ??this could be some real trick engineering getting oil pressure to the lifter gallery [never say it cant be done/ there's always a way you just haven't thought of it yet ]
 
dont suppose theres any photos of the lifer bores this could prove to be one real trick engine [they told Ronnie that rollers wouldnt work in a flathead he proved they do !] so could be someone found a way to make hyds work and if they did that just opens up a whole new world !! [the say it cant be done because they dont have the will to make it happen thank god there are those amongst us that say why not ]
 
My guess is that it is a hydraulic lifter, but the engine is not plumbed to provide oil pressure to the lifter bores, so the lifters are just collapsed and they ran it that way.
 
38bill said:
There is a flathead for sale on the Mpls Mn Craigs list that claims it has hydraulic lifters. I assumed that that was incorrect and that the poster meant adjustable lifter. Now I'm not too sure.
Click to expand...


I saw that add too and was tempted to email the guy but didn't.
 
Those look like the hydraulics out of a Lincoln V12. I had one years ago and those lifters sure look like what what I remember. Don't know how they would work in a V8 as I dont see any way to get oil pressure to them. Tim
 
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