Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

Top End (cylinders pushrods etc.)
Post Reply
Motorcyclemike
Member
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:25 am
Bikes: Knucklehead and a Triumph
Location: North East Kansas
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#1

Post by Motorcyclemike »

I have some old Hydraulic lifters and If i completely clean them Of all oil and hold them vertical and press down on the piston....and do the count to 6 and immediately
remove my finger from the piston assembly.....Question is this :

Just how far in the Pop UP of the piston.....is acceptable ? i have some that really almost Pop clear out in the tests !
Then thos that don't jump up at all......i know that they are worn out after doing both tests on them !

Do they all have to "almost jump out of the clylinder body"..... to pass the test?
And should they "all be replaced"..... at the same time , or can i replace Only that one thats weaker......like only jumping UP about half way ?

If one fails to pop out......then i cover the lower tube and retest to see If Its a check ball not seating good.

S u c k-squeeze-Bang-Blow !

Mike n Kansas
NightShift
Senior Member
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:20 pm
Bikes: Two Schwinns, a Hercules, and a Hiawatha
Location: Underground in Illinois
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#2

Post by NightShift »

Dear Mike,
First be sure you use a toothpick to work the ball check when you wash them out.
Then use a small screwdriver to press the spring tight into the body when you put them back together and then they wont pop back out.
Listen for leakage when you squeeze them. Then they should pop back out to the end of the spring.

And I was taught its "Suck, squeeze, pop, phooey".
All my girlfriends treat me like that.

Sigh,
steinauge
Inactive member
Senior Member
Posts: 521
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:05 pm
Bikes: 1938U,1949FL,1961FL,1968XL,1979FL ,1958 FL, 1965 BMW,1975 Honda CB750
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#3

Post by steinauge »

You can replace the lifters singly.We were told at service school in 1980(During the "when EVERYTHING went wrong" period) that if a clean dry lifter will hold pressure for 10 seconds and pop up at all it will work.Seemed to work OK.Shifty you are SO right about the toothpick! (or a plastic straw from a spray can). I dont know how many people I have seen digging around the check ball with a nail or paper clip or other implement of destruction.
Motorcyclemike
Member
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:25 am
Bikes: Knucklehead and a Triumph
Location: North East Kansas
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#4

Post by Motorcyclemike »

Thanks for that information.....about only "replaceing" the weaker ones and By the way.....i ordered a set of them "Made in japan" hydraulic lifters from a well known company as Crane don't supply them No more and Sifton has sold the bike side of their parts to S&S and still dont have any thing for sale yet.....well thats the latest word any way.

i cleaned ever Brand New Hydraulic unit of all the very light oils and Tested them......EVER One Failed to even hold the slighest pressure when shoved in the clylinder and allowed to Pop UP...........none even popped Up the very slighest even after a few seconds and when i lightly chucked one in a vice straight UP ! and installed the piston half way....I could actually feel the slight play side to side as they were machined way out of spects !
Today i will send them all back with a explanation and try four more.
Any ideas and recomendations will be great......Thanks all.

MotorCycleMike



steinauge
Inactive member
Senior Member
Posts: 521
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:05 pm
Bikes: 1938U,1949FL,1961FL,1968XL,1979FL ,1958 FL, 1965 BMW,1975 Honda CB750
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#5

Post by steinauge »

Dont worry about the new lifters. As soon as they run for a few minutes they will work normally.Yeah,I know that sounds nuts but it is true.sometimes a new unit wont pump up for 5-6 minutes real time.Occasionally I have run one around the building and all the lifters but one will pump up,shut it down,come back a few minutes later and all 4 pump up immediately.I reckon the check balls have to work in.Those jap lifters IME arent bad,its the chinese or korean ones you have to watch.
Bosheff
Senior Member
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:23 pm
Bikes: 65 FLH 82 FLH
Location: Michigan
Been thanked: 60 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#6

Post by Bosheff »

If there's a sure fire way of testing hydraulic lifters short of runnin them, I'd like to know the method. I've had em test good and not work when runnin em and vice versa. I have yet to find a 100 percent accurate test....bosheff
NightShift
Senior Member
Posts: 534
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:20 pm
Bikes: Two Schwinns, a Hercules, and a Hiawatha
Location: Underground in Illinois
Has thanked: 3 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#7

Post by NightShift »

You are scaring me dear Steinauge!

Ive made it home myself on a stuck lifter but every smack is a chance at a cracked case. The bossman lost big money on a fresh stroker cause of one but I know it was really the cola king on the throttle in a frenzy.
EATONDUD.jpg
Scares me even when they clack onest or twicet on start up,
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Motorcyclemike
Member
Posts: 227
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 6:25 am
Bikes: Knucklehead and a Triumph
Location: North East Kansas
Has thanked: 36 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#8

Post by Motorcyclemike »

Question :

Is running "Solids" really that hard on the cam / lifters / valve seats ?
I have the newer valve seats for un leaded fuel !
Steel push rods !
The good almost like stock "Andrews" cam !

I have the conversion kit to replace the Hydraulics with the solids !
Thinking about trying it again before long.
Thanks all that have answered here above ^
Mike n NE Kansas.
Bosheff
Senior Member
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2009 8:23 pm
Bikes: 65 FLH 82 FLH
Location: Michigan
Been thanked: 60 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#9

Post by Bosheff »

There's nothin wrong with runnin solids as long as ya keep em properly adjusted....bosheff
steinauge
Inactive member
Senior Member
Posts: 521
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:05 pm
Bikes: 1938U,1949FL,1961FL,1968XL,1979FL ,1958 FL, 1965 BMW,1975 Honda CB750
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#10

Post by steinauge »

Shifty since the lifters go in dry it seems like it is likely to take a couple minutes for them to fill up and equalize? :D
Cotten
Senior Member
Posts: 6937
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2002 2:30 am
Bikes: -
Location: Central Illinois
Has thanked: 112 times
Been thanked: 310 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#11

Post by Cotten »

Steinauge!

I have always found that most washed-and-dried units will fill merely by kicking the machine through several times.

One exception is my wife's warhorse '65 with no overhead oil screen.
After sitting for a few weeks, a unit bleeds down and will let out a "clack" or two on start-up, but you can hardly hear it over the piston slap.

The worst scenario I have encountered (without cracking a case) was a fresh '60 I completely overhauled, but re-used an Andrews A that came in it.
The machine started and dialed in fine.
But when fully warmed up and brought to an idle for about 40 seconds, the hydraulics would all start hammering like Hell.
After much angst, the solution was merely to toss the A in a scrap bin where it belongs.

Solids carry the responsibility of extra maintenance along with their performance advantage. The lack of hydraulic cushion affects the lower portion of the valve train much more than the vavle seats. The lives of tappet rollers are shortened, and should probably be replaced with every top end.
And the lobe life expectancy of of certain aftermarket cams is compromised as well.

Especially if the adjustment is loose as a goose.

...Cotten
steinauge
Inactive member
Senior Member
Posts: 521
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:05 pm
Bikes: 1938U,1949FL,1961FL,1968XL,1979FL ,1958 FL, 1965 BMW,1975 Honda CB750
Been thanked: 14 times

Re: Checking / Testing of 56 FLH Hydraulic Lifters ?

#12

Post by steinauge »

Cotten,I dont doubt you are right,but I have seen a LOT of engines that would have to run for 4 or 5 minutes before the last lifter would pump up.You may recall that this was a very common problem in 70s and 80s shovelheads.Now that you mention it I dont recall seeing that problem as much on generator engines.Might be the iron oil pump and 5\25 gearset.On shovels the front exh tappet was the common offender and there was a service bulletin telling us to loctite the front lifter into the follower----
Post Reply

Return to “Top End / Cylinders / Pushrods / Lifters”