Pushrod Adjustment Too Tight

[1957flhchop]

I have been fiddling with my recently acquired '73 FLH chopper and somebody suggested to me that I should check the adjustment on the pushrods(don't recall specifically what we were talking about that got to that point). I'm glad I didn't run it any more than I had. One is not loose, but will rotate. The other 3 are quite tight.

lifters 1.jpg

So, I have 2 questions. 1) I have watched a few things on youtube with people that certainly appear to know what they are talking about and they said to adjust the pushrod so there is no play/slop but so that it will still rotate(with the lifter at the lowest point). Is this correct?
2) Is there anything I could have potentially screwed up by running it with the pushrods improperly adjusted?

Thanks

[Mongrel505558]

Looks like solid lifters with aluminum pushrods in the picture. The pushrod should spin easily between two fingers when lifter is at bottom of travel and motor is cold, with no perceptible up-and-down movement. If adjusted too loose the top end will be noisy. Too tight and the motor will run poorly or not at all because of very low compression (valves not allowed to seat all the way).

[panheadrider1961]

what cam cover and pinion shaft is on your motor? 70 to 73 was amf years for development , side oiler pinion, after 73 end oiler if you have wrong cam cover on and newer shaft you will not have good oiling thus the solid lifters to keep down clatter of hydros, and until development of evolution engine that was designed to shut up the EPA for noise compliance and oil leaks ,tight tolerances in engineering design was the first v twin from the MOCO to idle with 10 lbs of pressure or failure to engine would result, the dry sump system developed for the v twin by the MOCO until EVO was a low pressure high flow design , Manual tells how to check oiling system, apply gauge part number 96921-52 to oil pump and road run or simulate road running until engine is completely warmed ,a full operating temperature is essential for accurate gauge reading Oil pressure should be 12 -35 psi at 2000 rpm at normal operating temperature , 1970-1978 service manual part no #99482-78 Electra Glide Super Glide FL/FLH- 1200 FX/FXE/FXS 1200, section 3-3 ,oil light goes out at 2.5 -3.5 psi of pressure and if flickering while road running you have a problem, oil pump threaded for pressure switch 1/4 hole thread, switch nipple has a 1/8 hole to diaphragm inside restriction from the step downs of hole sizes and length of nipple on switch maintains the 2.5-3.5 lbs of pressure, the oil gauge was from CHOPPER days when 5 wire harness was used and what good was it at night with no light in background of gauge? if you have the suggested PSI from test put gauge in box and back on shelf for later testing purpose

[panheadrider1961]

and a solid lift cam profile and ramping are different from a hydraulic cam is that a solid lift cam or did they put solid lifter roller bodies in it to keep it from being noticed with low pressure feed to lifters? you have a lot of discover to do if you didn,t build out the engine good luck

[RooDog]

Looks like solid lifters with aluminum pushrods in the picture. The pushrod should spin easily between two fingers when lifter is at bottom of travel and motor is cold, with no perceptible up-and-down movement. If adjusted too loose the top end will be noisy. Too tight and the motor will run poorly or not at all because of very low compression (valves not allowed to seat all the way).

Do this on a cold engine, otherwise if done on a hot engine it will hurt your little fingers. But more importantly, once the engine cools the cylinders will contract, you will lose your PR clearance and be too tight, some of the valves will be unseated, and the engine will not start. Or as Jim says it may start but run very poorly. OK, so adjust your PRs cold, no need to be anal about it, if they are a little loose that's OK because they will loosen up some more as the engine comes up to temp, and cams are designed to account for this. Believe me, it's true. Other than being hard to start & running poorly, too tight can also lead to burnt valves, and then you'll have a mell of a hess, OK?

Any time you buy into someone else's use machinery, a complete tear down and inspection is advised, there are just too many things that can be wrong, and the engine still run....for a while.....

[nmaineron]

I think being able to spin them freely is too loose. I take them with my fingers till I can't turn them anymore and lock it down. I don't believe I can take a valve off it's seat with just my fingers. They are quieter also.

[PanPal]

Too loose and they can hammer on those aluminum pushrods.

[nifty]

what cam cover and pinion shaft is on your motor? 70 to 73 was amf years for development , side oiler pinion, after 73 end oiler if you have wrong cam cover on and newer shaft you will not have good oiling thus the solid lifters to keep down clatter of hydros, and until development of evolution engine that was designed to shut up the EPA for noise compliance and oil leaks ,tight tolerances in engineering design was the first v twin from the MOCO to idle with 10 lbs of pressure or failure to engine would result, the dry sump system developed for the v twin by the MOCO until EVO was a low pressure high flow design , Manual tells how to check oiling system, apply gauge part number 96921-52 to oil pump and road run or simulate road running until engine is completely warmed ,a full operating temperature is essential for accurate gauge reading Oil pressure should be 12 -35 psi at 2000 rpm at normal operating temperature , 1970-1978 service manual part no #99482-78 Electra Glide Super Glide FL/FLH- 1200 FX/FXE/FXS 1200, section 3-3 ,oil light goes out at 2.5 -3.5 psi of pressure and if flickering while road running you have a problem, oil pump threaded for pressure switch 1/4 hole thread, switch nipple has a 1/8 hole to diaphragm inside restriction from the step downs of hole sizes and length of nipple on switch maintains the 2.5-3.5 lbs of pressure,

This is all off-topic, but I felt compelled to reply

Yes, mismatched parts can destroy your engine.
No:
1. The side oiler actually does the same job as later "regulator" i.e. with side-oiler, when pinion bush and shaft holes not aligned, ALL the oil goes to lifters/top end, which is enough to keep the Hyd lifters happy (and momentarily can rise above 3.5lb), next time around the crank gets another squirt, which is also sufficient for stock engine & intended use (Lifter oil supply reduced while crank feed occurs). The side oiler mechanically "splits" the oil flow to give priority to hyd lifters (for most of each rotation of crank). The L73 up "regulator" * hydraulically "splits" the oil flow to hyd lifters.
* the regulator was previously just a pressure-relief valve, L73 up it became a multi-function valve.
2. Any L73 or later pump is capable of 10psi at idle.
3. The design of oil pressure switch plays no part, the 2.5-3.5lbs is controlled by the spring of ball check-valve (when stretched, shimmed, or replaced with stronger spring, you merely delay oil getting to engine)
4. Apples and oranges, the 10psi idle of Evo is "regulated" pressure and measured at lifters, not "unregulated" pressure measured at pump.
i.e. the late shovel & Evo crank gets NO oil, until after lifters get approx 10psi
All assuming good condition of engine & pump
Nifty

[1957flhchop]

If adjusted too loose the top end will be noisy. Too tight and the motor will run poorly or not at all because of very low compression (valves not allowed to seat all the way).

That's why I only rode it up and down my block once after I got it going. It started surprisingly well. But, it ran kind of like my old '57 FLH used to when the ignition was retarded.

[1957flhchop]

In response to several of the other comments... I don't have any idea about the internals of this engine as the previous owner put the bike together and I have just been trying to take care of the few inevitable things from having been dormant for 10 years or so. The story I got from the previous owner was that he had partially disassembled it to replace some gaskets/seals and in the meantime his business and buying a full dress Harley for he and his wife had kind of sidelined this bike so he reassembled it and pushed it into the back room of his shop.