Adjusting Sifton Pushrods

[mcraeav]

OK I am going to adjust the Sifton push rods on my 62 and I have never done it before but read the manual and looks easy enough. I have a leaky Lifter Box gasket so when I adjust the push rods, can I just go ahead and remove the rod and the Lifter Box to get at the gasket? I guess that is where the oil leak is coming from that I see toward the back side of the rear Lifter Box?

[FlatHeadSix]

Mark
Before we get into this we need to know exactly what you have under the push rod tubes. Adjustable solid lifters and solid push rods? Solid non-adjustable lifters and adjustable push rods? Hydraulic lifters and adjustable push rods?

And yes, once you remove the push rods you can pull the lifter block and replace the gasket under it.

mike

[mcraeav]

They appear to be Sifton solid lifters, not hydraulic and they are aluminum or some material that is not steel. I see that there are cork gaskets at top and bottom; maybe this is where the oil is coming from?

[FlatHeadSix]

leaks from the push rod tubes are common but not hard to fix. If you were going to pull the push rods out anyway to replace the lifter block gasket you should replace the seals for the tubes at the same time, cheap insurance!

I just replaced a lifter block gasket on a friend's '96 Dyna-Slide, there was a chunk of the gasket completely blown out and missing from under the block, oil was literally pouring out of it when he was riding. When he asked how that could happen I asked him if he ever used a pressure washer to clean his engine? Be glad you don't have one of the new ones like that Dyna, they come with solid push rods and hydraulic lifters. That gasket replacement cost him about $150.00, fifty cents for the gasket and $149.50 for a new set of adjustable push rods. It is far easier to cut the original push rods in half with a bolt cutter and throw them away than it is to pull the engine from the frame and tear it down to finally get to the lifter block.

Clean everything up and run it again to double check the source of your leak. If it is in the push rod cover tube seals you still have to pull the push rods out to replace them but that is still easier than pulling the lifter blocks as well.

mike

[mcraeav]

So to pull the push rods out do I just run the adjusters all the way in and then I'll be able to take out the rods and blocks to replace the gaskets?

[FlatHeadSix]

yup, bottom out the adjustment and you should have enough slack to pull the push rod out. Some of the push rod sets came in different lengths for exhausts and intakes, front and back, so pay attention to which rod came from each location. You may also have to rotate the engine so the lifter you are working on is at its lowest point on the cam heel, otherwise you may not have enough adjustment to pull the push rod, same goes when reinstalling them.

Get a good set of gaskets, don't waste you money on the cheap stuff or you'll be doing it again. I use JIM'S

mike

[mcraeav]

Thanks Mike