pushrod adjustment

o.k bikes back together and mot'd. but i got a significant tappet noise, that i'm sure wasn't there before? gotta take the bike a hundred miles to my new residency, so wanted to see if i can cure it before io go?

anyway i've studied the manual and read the archives/articles on the net regarding the subject.

but in my pre adjustment tinkering recon mission i developed some uncertainties.

once i've re installed the freshly cleaned (oil free) tappet back into it's lifter and i extend the pushrod back into the tappet cup. when do i stop?

i'm assuming i stop the intance i can see the spring starting to contract? then back off the turn and a half and tighten it all up.

am i thinking right?

any tips on this subject before i go ahead with the adjustment tomorrow are much appreciated.

thanks in advance.

[kiwidave]

it depends purely on the kind of pushrods you have.

Each brand has different tpi (threads per inch) and thus different tightening advice. Two and a half, three or four flats etc...........

If you are unsure, with the pushrod very snug in place, an extra THREE FLATS turn on the adjuster screw should be fine. But a fact is better than a guess. Websites like Crane have the adjustment on them.

Hydraulic lifters? As you know, it's *****mega-critical****** for your sanity, bank balance and your motor that you wait about 10-15 minutes for each pushrod (or each cylinder's pushrods if you do both at once) to BLEED DOWN before you even turn the rear wheel (raised off ground, and in 4th or 5th gear) to test everything. It's bled when you can turn it by hand. Sorry, suck-eggs stuff.

BY THE WAY........''oil-free'' tappets? *ARE* they hydraulic??? If so errr....I always SOAK THEM IN FRESH OIL before installation!!!!!!!!!!!! As per the factory manual.

well i'm assuming they're just the stock ones. when i got the bike nothing was said about crane, ss etc etc pushrods. so i read they're 1.5 turns. how can i tell what sort i have? can i count the threads as a check?

in my clymer manual it states that pushrods are to be adjusted with clean oil free tappets. whether they mean simply the 'bleed down' time. or unpressurised oil free tappets if you know what i mean?

thought this was gonna be quite straight forward :/.

looking at my first post i can see that i had completely got the methodology of this adjustment wrong. but i can see now whats going on. nothings been done to the bike. it's waiting there till the morning for the job.

o.k just been back to hdcycles and read their article on adjustment again. picked somehting up i didn't before. on rod to be adjusted. extend rod till lifter is fully compressed (thinking this is why no oil wanted inside, bleed down or cleaned out). then back off 1.5 turns.

if anyone knows the tpi of a stock rod, would be usefull .

[kiwidave]

http://shovelhead.us/forum/showthrea...hlight=pushrod

[Simon_A]

Shovel hydro. tappets need to be completely clean before adjusting. The therory is to totaly compress the tappet by lengthening the push rod until any more adjustment would start opening the valve. Then back off the adjustment 1.5 turns or 9 flats. This sets the tappet to the correct point of its travel. When the tappet is backed off, it will tend to suck some oil back from the lifter block, and stop any further compression, hence the reason for doing it 'clean'
Very important to adjust each tappet with the valve in the closed position.
I think the small spring on the tappet is just to help the tappet position correctly.
The main difference in adjustment between shovel and later tappets is that Evo and up are adjusted by compression and the earlier ones by lengthening (I dont know why)

thanks for all the info guys and the link too, great. totally comfortable with the procedure now. let you know how i get on and if things are improved?

laters.

all sorted and much better .

[Simon_A]

Nice one