Re: 1951 288 Lifters Not Spinning

Posted by TxGoat On 2023/5/1 20:34:22

I've had a number of older engines that have shown some lifters spinning and some not. Also pushrods on OHV engines. I never had any problems with them.

I would not put either new lifters or used lifters from another engine on a used cam.


If you remove any lifters from a used engine, keep track of where they go and put them back exactly where they were.

If the engine runs well with minimal valve train noise, it's probably best to leave it alone, unless an adjustment is clearly needed.

Valve lash adjustment on older engines can be complicated by wear on lifters and valve stems, which can make using a feeler gauge difficult.

In such cases, you may have to adjust by ear, which involves loosening each valve lifter adjustment and decreasing clearance just to the point of eliminating any noise, then backing off another fraction and locking the adjustment.

A little excess clearance is better than too little. Make adjustments hot as directed by the shop manual. Too little clearnce will burn valves.