Pre-lubed Hydraulic Lifters

[krazykuda]

Factory did not soak them...got them out of the tray and they were pumped up when they test ran the engine on compressed air...

Where did you get that information???? I've never heard of a factory engine test using compressed air....


The lifter came in prefilled with fluid and then the factory installed them ..

They were sent down the line to a 'COLD TEST' stand where they spun the engine over by the crankshaft and measured different parameters... One of them was valve timing and they could tell if a lifter did not pump up fully... They called that a "soft lifter" and the engine would then be sent into the repair hole for the cold test, the offending lifter(s) replaced, and then the test was rerun...


In the old days they had a 'HOT TEST" where they fired up the engine and ran it for a few minutes....

 

[krazykuda]

In the old days of hot testing, the operators liked to install the distributor advanced and watch it backfire in hot test... The backfire would shoot flames out the center carb of a 440 6 pack to the ceiling....

They did that once in a while when they got bored and needed some entertainment....

 

[Gator]

DO NOT do that. they are filled with a light oil
so that they can be pumped down to the proper preload more easily, that's why you run the rockers down by hand, so that you don't bend pushrods. Years ago, we used to soak them in motor oil, but not anymore.

I have pre lubed my Hyd lifters in the past in both of my SB rebuilds and never had an issue..

 

[Dale Davies]

Friend and I were discussing small block hydraulic lifters. He said he thought that if hydraulic lifters were pre-soaked in engine oil, it would really lessen the time to get them pumped up on a new engine build. I thought it might be a recipe for bent pushrods. Neither of us are engine gurus, so what do the knowledgeable members say - pre-lube or not?

Use an oil can with pump. Put the oil output on the lifter oil.hole and pump it full.

 

[Don M]

George Jets idea has my vote with the addition of cutting the tops off of an old set of rocker arm covers to keep the oil from getting all over instead of using cardboard

 

[RustyRatRod]

It's been done both ways since the hydraulic lifter was invented and successfully. It's a non issue not worth arguing about. Just choose a way and do it.

 

[MOPAROFFICIAL]

No pre oil/soak/pump of lifters for me.
I like being able to set my pre load accurately...and its actually easier on the lobes, technically, because the cups are depressing and taking some of pressure/lift off...and they pump up just fine unless you have obstructions in the system.
Do it however you'd like on your own stuff. Figure lash/pr length 1st... then pump..im sure people are already thinking that as they read this...but it's on you if it doesnt work out or hurts parts, remember that.

 

[MopaR&D]

I prefer not pumping them up beforehand, my current 360 Mag has stock Magnum roller lifters which call for a lot of preload (.080-.095") and with my cam and stock Magnum pistons it's a bit tight on the P-V clearance. When I first assembled it some of the lifters had pumped up on their own somehow (probably from leaving them in the block for a long time with the rockers and pushrods removed) and I had to carefully rotate the engine slowly by hand until they pumped back down as some of the valves were contacting the pistons.

That engine is still going strong after 3 years and about 8-10k miles...