Hydraulic lifter valve adjustment

[MikeL]

I just got done with a top end O/H on my 1980 shovel. I installed the andrews BH cam. When the oil is hot there is a lot of valve tapping. I installed another set of the hydraulic inserts same thing. Noisy at 3 or 4 turns although a little less at 4 turns. Can the lifter inserts take a BH cam? It's not too much off stock.



                                                                                        MIKE

[Tobias]

Andrews web site lists BH cam as bolt in hydraulic, but requires spring spacing on '80 and '81 stock heads.

Try adjusting the push rods exactly 4 complete turns (if you are running stock push rods)

What weight oil are you running?

[Ohio HD]

How's the oil pressure? Shovel hydraulics are marginal at best, everything has to be tip top.

[fourthgear]

How's the oil pressure? Shovel hydraulics are marginal at best, everything has to be tip top.

That statement pretty much sums it up.

[Hillside Motorcycle]

Any debris in those will bugger things also.
Scott

[MikeL]

I'm running HD 60 weight. The oil pressure on this engine has always been really high when cold like 100psi. When hot 15 idle 30-35psi run on highway. Ive had this bike for 7 yrs It was running ok had some good leaks between the head and the rocker boxes. The heads had to come off anyway so I O/H'd it. I did install cometic head gaskets and they are thinner than stock.



                                                                                        MIKE

[Brownbomber2]

I know this is going to sound like a question to a first grader, but are you adjusting the lifters when the bike is cold or warm. The engine needs to be completely cooled down before adjustments are made. I switched cams in my shovel from solids to velva touch years ago and got along great with them as long as I followed their instructions on setting them. I would rotate the engine until the lifter I was adjusting was top dead center, put a wooden closthspin on the pushrod and tighten the adjusters until I could just turn the pushrod with the clothspin. Then I would tighten the adjuster 1 1/2 turns and make sure the locking nut was tight. I quit running the straight 50 weight oil and went to 20-50 castrol syntec and got along fine. It also helped cool the engine, enough that I didn't have to spread my legs at stop signs in the summertime when the temp was up around 90.