Lifters being installed in an engine should enter the guide holes in the block freely without requiring any forcing. If a lifter is tight in a guide hole, try it in several other ones.

The initial adjustment of any hydraulic valve lifter must be made only when the lifter is on the cam­ shaft base circle (off the cam lobe).

  1. Crank engine over slowly until distributor rotor indicates that affected cylinder is in firing position, which places both lifters of this cylinder on the camshaft base circle (off the cam lobe), so that either lifter may be adjusted.
  2. Turn adjusting ball stud as required until all play of push rod between lifter and ball stud is just removed, and there is no lash clearance in the valve train.
  3. Turn adjusting ball stud down exactly 2 turns. This is required, as was explained in Section 1d, to place the plunger in a position where it can move up or down to make automatic adjustments without striking the plunger retainer or the bottom of the body. Check to make sure that oil groove on ball stud is at least half way down in rocker arm so that it connects with the drilled oil passage in rocker arm, then tighten the lock nut.
  4. If oil groove on ball stud is not at least half down in rocker arm, turn ball stud down one additional turn (total 3 turns) and tighten lock nut. If oil groove is still too high, it will be necessary to install another push rod or lifter.
  5. When it is necessary to adjust all valve lifters in an engine, time may be saved by aligning the “U.D.C. 1-8” mark on flywheel with index mark in timing hole in flywheel housing, first with No. 1 cylinder and later with No.8 cylinder in firing position as indicated by position of distributor rotor.