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Valve/lifter covers

Started by Dudley Dorite, February 19, 2019, 08:50:06 PM

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Dudley Dorite

Adjusting lifters on a 1942 45 Flathead. All went well until lowering and screwing on the last (frnt exhaust) lifter cover.  Lower cover turns easily and slides up and down about half an inch but won't lower far enough to start to screw on lifter block. Upper cover also turns.  Acts like its caught on the valve spring.  Any ideas would be appreciated or do I have to pull the head and cylinder.   Thanks!    Dudley

PC_Hater

It's been awhile since I last adjusted mine so I'm going to ask you a series of 'obvious' questions!

How long have you had the bike?
Have you adjusted the lifters before? Did it go well?
Was the bike running OK?
Is it nice and clean around the push rod tubes?
What happens when you take both spark plugs out and try to turn the motor over?  (gently! gently!)

A bit of muck on the threads can make them difficult to get started.
Sometimes things just aren't lined-up properly so the threads won't engage.

Good luck!
1942 WLA45 chop, 1999 FLTR(not I), 2000 1200S

Dudley Dorite

Thanks for the reply to my issue.  Haven't adjusted the lifters on this one before but have worked in H-D shops for a number of years (just not so much on anything this age).  Everything seemed to go well with the minor valve adjustment except lowering the front cover.  I had the exhaust off and thought it would be a good time to adjust the valves and touch up the covers. The bike was running OK previous to this.  It is very clean around the push rod tubes.  The problem is that I can't pull the lower pushrod tube back down to the threaded spigot. It stops about an inch away from the threaded spigot and yet moves up and down from there freely.  If I try to 'gently' force it down it acts like it is trying to pull the valve spring down and the top cover starts to come down with it. The motor turns over normally with the plugs out and all the lifters seem to be moving up and down like they should. Upper and lower cover each rotate easily and move smoothly for the 'top' half an inch or so.  Not the first time a simple job has turned into........?    Thanks again!