<VV> Lifter Priming.

[Andy Clark]

Just as an FYI. An old trick for priming lifters is to chuck up an old
pushrod in a drill press. Then place the lifter upright in a container of
oil deep enough to cover said lifter. Place the container/lifter under the
pushrod, and use it to "pump" the lifter by placing the end in the lifter
dimple and, using the drill press down drive handle, move the pushrod up and
down, alternately compressing and releasing the lifter plunger. Do this
until no more bubbles exit the lifter and it's primed (both cavities) and
ready to go. This also addresses the "trapped air" due to the lifter
operating on its side, that someone mentioned as a possible problem.

Personally, I don't like a new lifter clattering for 10 minutes or so until
it gets pumped up. Where there's noise, there's wear.

YMMV.

Andy Clark
Camano Island, WA.
1966 140/4 Monza Sedan
1966 140/4 Yenko Clone
1966 180/4 Cord 8/10 #60
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "mnoakes" <mnoakes at utk.edu>
To: "fastvair" <fastvair at yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 3:02 PM
Subject: [fastvair] lifters latest...


> After all the counsel both ways between VV and fastvairs and noting that
old
> school and shop manual insisted that lifters should be primed but that the
> lifter fabricator (besides Clarks) said that it was not necessary, I ended
up
> starting the lifter unprimed...one particular trustworthy fastvair builder
> suggested it...and also because it turns out that I didn't really have a
good
> way to prime it anyway.
>
> I did find some moly assembly lube at a local speed shop...been looking
for an
> excuse to go visit their new building anyway.  My biggest concern wasn't
the
> priming issue; it was the new lifter on the old cam and potential wear
damage
> issues.  Lotus restorers have been reporting weird and fast cam lobe wear
when
> putting new flat tappet lifters on old cams when following factory
> installation procedures that have been good forever, and no one seems to
be
> completely sure what it going on yet so I was a little spooked...something
> appears to have changed in lubrication.
>
> I did put a generous amount of moly on the foot of the lifter and a film
of it
> on the lifter body before install. I also pulled the coil wire and did a
> handful of short 20 second cranks but didn't pull the distributor or
anything
> to pump oil up into the engine...after all, this wasn't an engine
rebuild...it
> was just a lifter replacement. After starting which was pretty easy, per
the
> fastvair builder comments, the unprimed lifter settled down in about 10
> minutes of idling...it did take longer than I was thinking it would
though.
>
> Since I went ahead and adjusted all the valves while I was at it, it
appears
> that I will now need to readjust the timing...idle was quite a bit faster
than
> before with no other changes.
>
> By the way, the original lifter appear rather mangled internally; I have
no
> idea what happened to it, but it was the problem...if anyone rememebers me
> stirring this up a while back.
>
> Lessons Learned
>
> 1--An anon engr saying that is a favorite comes to mind..."In theory,
there is
> no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is
usually a
> difference." Whatever the lifter theory says should be done, starting them
(or
> at least one) unprimed worked just fine though it was a bit noisy for a
few
> minutes...no big deal.  Apparently some major builders have been doing
this
> for years.
>
> 2--One five year old helping makes everything take twice as long.  Two
five
> year olds helping makes everything take ten times as long.
>
> 3--The rear deck of a vintage Lotus Europa adequately protected by a
cardboard
> tray makes a nice work table for light weight Corvair parts during minor
> rebuilds.
>
> Thanks for the assistance,
>
> Mark Noakes