Do lifters 'pump up' and give more lift after engine running

[ccpanel]

I am getting a wee bit frustrated/worried.

4.6 stroker with MC809 cam its the stock 89 cam(brand new with all new lifters and such)

I had to order new pushrods to go with the decked block.
I installed head, torque to specs, installed measuring pushrod and one pair of rocker arms loosely. My machinist told me to use his pushrod length checker by torque down rocker arm to spec with cam at "base" of lobe for the rocker I was checking. Then to slowly lengthen the checker until it contacted rocker without pushing down on lifter.

I then took the pushrod in to him and he ordered based on my measurement and added .050 for preload.

I got the pushrods and installed. I am blueprinting motor so I measured with dial indicator every preload amount on every pushrod. I got a range within the .040-60 like spec(differences I accounted for pilot error and differences in rocker stand length)

I cranked the engine over by hand 12 times to make sure I got every valve to open once.
as I was doing it-I noticed the valves didn’t look to be opening a lot.

I went forward with painting engine and stuff but couldn’t sleep last night thinking about it. went out today and put dial indicator on top of rocker directly over valve stem and inline with valvestem travel.

I read 0.150 lift on number 1 intake and about 0.130 on exhaust. rough measurement...

cam spec is gross valve lift of 0.397/0.397

will those numbers change once engine is running?

Is that enough lift to even get engine to fire off?

[ccpanel]

okay-so Im over-dramatic and worried.

Ive invested so much time/money that I over-thunk stuff...

I pulled one set of rockerarms and got the dial indicator directly on the side of the lifter and measured the correct .267 lift(at the cam)

so... nevermind....

[6TIME]

They will pump up with oil and compensate for the slack. Have you primed the system by spinning the oil pump til you get oil out the pushrod? I would assume they aren't completely filled with oil yet, but they should quickly fill after start up or priming the system for a bit.

[SilverXJ]

Yes, your new lifters are soft because they aren't filled with oil. They will become harder as they fill on the first run

[ccpanel]

They will pump up with oil and compensate for the slack. Have you primed the system by spinning the oil pump til you get oil out the pushrod? I would assume they aren't completely filled with oil yet, but they should quickly fill after start up or priming the system for a bit.

yeah, I'm just kinda " " if we are talking about SBC I am a little better having built a few but this one I put so much time into in spurts and drizzles that I forget the basics. The original 258 failed in May? and its almost there again.

I have NOT primed the system at all-in fact, motor is upside down with pan off. =) wanted to install pan but had to wait till purchased timing cover rub block and didnt want to mess with pan gasket to install timing cover. I WILL prime using an old 258 distributor and my drill with valve cover off.

I paid good money to buy the AWESOME blue fel-pro gasket... it and the timing chain are the only things left over used from my 258. timing chain is cloyes double roller and has 162 miles on it. gasket same age.

and (silverxj) i pre-saoked the lifters in oil overnight a month ago before installing but its just not enough.

[SilverXJ]

Presoaking is one thing, but they need to be pumped up by oil pressure and piston movement. You don't want to install an already pumped up set in.

[gonridnu]

Your machine shop did exactly right by you as correct preload on a hydraulic lifter is in the .020" to .050" range. U really should prelube the engine and turn it over by hand at the same time until you see oil coming out of each and every pushrod. We have built many race engines where a lifter bore was a little tight and wasn't getting oil to the topend. By doing this U will assure your lifter clearances are correct, there is no obstruction in the pushrod, and the lifter is full of oil. To measure gross valve lift with a hydraulic lifter cam you will need to use a solid lifter, but it sounds like you are fine. Definitely prelube though, it makes all the difference when you fire it up.

[ccpanel]

Your machine shop did exactly right by you as correct preload on a hydraulic lifter is in the .020" to .050" range. U really should prelube the engine and turn it over by hand at the same time until you see oil coming out of each and every pushrod. We have built many race engines where a lifter bore was a little tight and wasn't getting oil to the topend. By doing this U will assure your lifter clearances are correct, there is no obstruction in the pushrod, and the lifter is full of oil. To measure gross valve lift with a hydraulic lifter cam you will need to use a solid lifter, but it sounds like you are fine. Definitely prelube though, it makes all the difference when you fire it up.

Thanks
My dad was a airplane and farm mechanic in the 60's and has so many brain cells devoted to basic old(right) school mechanics that I am in good hands with the basics. We both "overthink" things since this isnt somthing we do every day. =_)

I fully intend to pre-lube using an old(cleaned) distributor and a drill. My dad has reminded me of the 'slowcrank' while priming.

Im also using Jo Gibbs oil for initial fire/break-in(high zinc) and then will switch to mobile 1 full synth with EOS additive(sold by summitracing.com) I m getting ready to fire. I have my engine coming off the stand prob wed and I have my fire ext and extra stand-mounted cooling fans and so forth... pics will be posted in my build thread.

Thanks again!

[gonridnu]

Before you switch to Mobil 1 with E.O.S. right away I would consider running Joe Gibbs Hot Rod Oil for the first 5K or maybe even more. The HR oil has all the additives that your cam/lifters and distributor gear/cam gear need to live a long and healthy life. Also it is good to get some miles on the rings before switching to Mobil 1. Just my opinion, but the Gibbs oil is awesome and priced not a lot different from synthetics.

[IH 392]

I don't know how many thousand hydraulic lifters I've installed, and each and EVERY one was pumped up before being dropped into the lifter bore, NEVER bent a pushrod, NEVER bent a valve, and didn't have to listen to them beat the crap out of the cam until they pumped up.
If you don't want o pump them up that's ok, I'll keep right on pumping mine up!

[gradon]

[SilverXJ]

I never pumped mine up prior to install and I never had valve clatter on the first start. Maybe its because I prime the engine while turning it over slowly by hand and make sure every pushrod is getting oil. On these engine I don't think we have to worry about valve collisions from a pumped up lifters. On other more interference type engines I would. I did have a lifter that stayed pump up for a minute or two after I pulled a rocker and put it back.

[gonridnu]

I think I'm more confused than before I sarted reading this thread...

Maybe its because I prime the engine while turning it over slowly by hand and make sure every pushrod is getting oil.

Soaking them is fine, but the procedure Silver outlines is the only correct way to assure all the lifters are full of oil and that the oil is making it's way to the valvetrain.

[ccpanel]

I think I'm more confused than before I started reading this thread...

Maybe its because I prime the engine while turning it over slowly by hand and make sure every pushrod is getting oil.

Soaking them is fine, but the procedure Silver outlines is the only correct way to assure all the lifters are full of oil and that the oil is making it's way to the valvetrain.

I just primed my motor yesterday. I took an old distributor and took the gear off. I welded a nut to the top of the shaft so I could spin it with a socket instead of wrangling my 1/2" drill in there.
With the valve cover off, I spun the drill clockwise. In about 4 spins the drill motor bogged down and I really had to pour on the juice! A few pushrods started blowing bubbles which finally settled down to a nice steady stream of oil. About half were not showing any oil so I cranked the motor by hand about 30 degrees in each direction while still spinning drill. I did not crank 360 degrees. I went back/forth 1 time each and then all the pushrods had a steady stream of oil.
BTW-this is with a Joe Gibbs Racing break-in oil.