soaking lifters prior to installation

[35chevcoupe]

Question for you guys that assemble your own engines . When putting in a new cam and lifters do you pre soak your lifters ? Do you pump the plunger to get the air out ? this is on hydrolic non roller lifters .

[TrunkMonkey]

No. You need to be able to set the preload without them being hydraulic locked.

They will pump up within a second or three when you start.

In the old days, I "dipped" them in oil before poking them in the bores, but not soaking or depressing the plunger on them to fill them.

Now, I put assembly lube on them and install them.

[35chevcoupe]

Michael ,
I think thats what I,ll do . I normally soak the lifters on some other brand engines ( mainly sbc bbc ) but because the nailheads use a rocker arm shaft and have no valve lash adjustment i will leave them empty so the plunger can go down as i tighten down the shaft stands . I,ll just put break in lube on them and then prime the engine prior to start up .

[TrunkMonkey]

I like the Joe Gibbs assembly lube.

It has high amount of Calcium sulfonate, (good when extreme pressure is encountered) and it is dissolved quickly with oil and suspends well so it does not clog the filter.

And it stays where you put it if you are slow on getting it assembled or extended time before break in run.

Their break in oil is high in ZDDP but not friction modifiers.

You need the ZDDP for wear properties on flat tappets and cams, (and it is good for rollers) and not the friction modifiers for friction areas of cylinder walls and rings to seat correctly.

[cwmcobra]

I use a bottle of the concentrated ZDDP.  Soak the faces of the lifters and pour the remaining ZDDP on the cam lobes before installing the lifters.  ZDDP is absolutely the most critical element of preventing premature cam/lifter wear with flat faced lifters.

Chuck