Im in the process of installing hydraulic lifters and pushrods on my freshly rebuilt 1976 350 Corvette engine. The question is how to it the right way. I went on You Tube and a guy has video on how to install the lifters AFTER soaking them in fresh oil and adjusting the intake and exhaust pushrods when installed. When my neighbor saw I was soaking the lifters he said no, no, no.. I should install them dry and adjust.. Now Im confused.. Please help me find a solution or better yet instructions/video, step by step on how to install lifters that have already been soaked in fresh oil. Im pretty good with a wrench and know my way around under the hood... but want to do this the right way w/o distroying the cam, bending valves and pushrods.. Mike
You only need enough oil in the lifters to lubricate the moving parts. Unless they've been sitting on a shelf for a few years, they're all set to go. If they have been sitting for a long time, I prefer to disassemble, clean, oil and reassemble each one at a time. Soaking the lifters isn't going to help, and pumping them up manually while soaking is really not going to help. All that does is have you fighting the oil inside while adjusting preload, when all you should be getting is resistance from the internal spring. If they've already been soaked, put them on a bench one by one and make sure you can depress the plunger fully, then they're ready to go. Some oil may escape while you do this. Devon
You don't have to soak them but I do. The idea is that they will pump up faster once the engine is started. There is no down side to soaking them. The most important thing is to adjust them correctly before firing the engine.
