How to Check Hydraulic Lifter Preload in a Ford FE Engine! 

I actually recommend using a thinner tip marker which I did use but I couldn’t get it to show up on camera very well. But measuring center to center or even the outside of the lines would have to be off more than .030-.040 to cause a significant change to the preload. I was shooting for .060 but according to Ford you can have more preload than that and still be ok.

I agree that the adjustable set up is much better but the pushrods are $$$$$ and I've heard that the adjuster screws won't stay tight in the made in china rocker arms. Someone emailed the supplier about it and they told them to loctite them. Like everything else I had a nice original adjustable rocker arm set a few years ago and sold them because I thought I would never build an FE.

@@BlackLabGarage I haven't checked what the cup and ball pushrod sets go for, but I ordered my ball and ball set through smith brothers pushrods. If I remember right, it was about $180 for the custom set and arrived exactly as I specified within a week. Probably not a bad route to go if one needs the cup and ball pushrods for an FE. I bought the Jegs brand non adjustable stock replacement rockers. They seemed on par with my old worn out originals as far as how it was constructed. I suppose one could take a hammer to the threads on the adjusters lightly and loctite them if using them with a hydraulic cam. I've heard of people having some of the OEM rockers not holding adjustment also.

@@MattsRageFitGarage I've always heard nothing but good things about Smith Brothers pushrods. At one time you could get oversize adjustment screws from Ford for the rocker arms. That might be the way to go for the aftermarket rocker arms if a man could find them. That or just have a good machine shop make some of them.

@bsagreg That makes sense.

I'm not that worried about it but it is a better set up. Adjustable rockers are a better set up on any engine regardless of the manufacturer.

Yes I talk about that in my videos. I bought an old F-100 once that had a 360 in it that someone had replaced all of the rocker shaft bolts with regular bolts and it had ruined the whole valvetrain

@@paulpruitt2776 it helps keep the oil off of the valve stems and redirects it to the oil returns

@@BlackLabGarage ever damned time somebody tries to tell you video maker something you try to shit on it like you know everything about everything I've forgotten more about fe engine than you'll know

@@paulpruitt2776 I never said it wasn’t a spacer and seal. I was just saying it also keeps the oil off the valve stems and redirects it to the oil returns

Thank You! Me and the pups greatly appreciate it!

You're welcome!

Thats just a standard feeler gauge set and I stack them together to get the right thickness that I need. That set I use goes from .008 to .026

Yes, I checked the preload and adjusted using different length pushrods when I rebuilt it and that was it. Technically you should be able to just bolt the new rocker assembly down and go but with offshore manufacturing like it is now a days, and the since it has been ran for years and valves recede and stuff...just to be safe I would check the preload with the new rocker shaft assembly installed and adjust the preload with different length pushrods if needed hopefully that won't be needed but I would rather check it now than just put it together and burn a valve down the road because it had too much preload. Of course I'm assuming you have the non adjustable rocker arms.

Rhx buddy yes I have the exact engine & rockerarm shaft assembly as you.. so thank you. Shes pretty much a fresh rebuild not even 1k mikes im sure. But I let it sit in my garage got condensation in the engine water in oil... heard some clacking when I revved it from the front of engine .pulled the crap chrome albeit nice & shiny perfect on thee outside. . But they freakn rusted on the inside ... couldn't figure where all the rust all over the rockets came from till I flipped the valve covers over✊👍 thx for your last input. .takes a load off ( or should I say IT TAKES A PRELOAD OFF)😅😂 I'm gonna also take the intake off to make sure I get all the rust out.. do you think it got into my bottom half ... cus I plan on dropping the oil pan as well 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ what a mess 😬🙄 thx again buddy .. last thing if u would ill need to pull my distributor as well so as long as I drop it back to its current position .. I should be fine correct. As long as I do not turn or rotate the engine correct 🤔🤔

I don't think the bottom end would be as bad rusty. They usually aren't. Yes as long as you don't turn the crankshaft then the distributor should drop right back in where it was.@@OGSHAKER2020

@@BlackLabGarage awesome my friend 😎😎 thanks my brother 🙏 🙏👍👍 last question 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️I'm probably gonna swap out the lifters..think I had comp cam lifters & cam...do I necessarily needa go with comp lifters...& is it better to stick with the same brand as a set🤔🤔 thank ya... I'm going at it as we speak

Comp doesn't make their lifters. They source them from someone else. So no you do not have to buy the same brand lifters as the camshaft. Now where you have to be careful is I have seen FE lifters with two different plunger cups inside of them which could change your preload.@@OGSHAKER2020

That's why I say don't soak them in oil like most people say to do. I know Ford offered the tool that hooked over the rocker arm and would let you compress the lifter after it was full of oil and pumped up but I haven't been able to find one for sale. I could make one but why bother when I can just use my hand if the lifters aren't pumped up?

@@BlackLabGarage doesn't matter if soaked or not. But it's important to have the plunger in the lifter free to watch for lifter preload. If you notice when reusing a good cam and lifters, that the lifter plunger can be stiff/ hard and compressed. It then is hard to check. Especially Ford roller lifters. Once they are "set " pumped up, they turn near solid. I've assembled an engine, using original used roller cam and lifters, they don't wear out. Positive stop rockers. Engine will not start, because lifters are not bleeding to set the valve on the seat. Same thing can happen with a used flat tappet. Sometimes the lifter will bleed if you manually turn the oil pump over. Rotate the engine. Do it again. Some will bleed. But not all of them.

@@jesse75 That's why I say don't soak them because they fill up with oil and you can't compress the plunger.

I guess you need to take that up with Ford since that is their method that I showed first.