Adjustable lifters? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

T-bird 1968 · 09-28-2007, 12:07

Hi

I have restored a ford 429" for my thunderbird 1968 years model.
In my Workshop manual there is two sorts of lifters described, fully adjustable hydraulic, and non adjustable hydraulic. The question is, wich kind do i have?!

I suspect that I have the non adjustable, but I´m not sure. According to my opinion there should be a lock-nut on the rocker stud, but there wasn´t.

Here´s two links with pictures of the rocker arms.

pici.se - Dina bilder p� n�tet

pici.se - Dina bilder p� n�tet

Best Regards Gustaf

thefonz · 09-28-2007, 16:05

My limited experience tells me those are non-adjustable.

cjperformance · 09-28-2007, 17:17

hi, those are most definetly the early adjustable type rocker arms. the non adjustable later ones are the pressed steel just like a cleveland engine. if you have a hydraulic cam a real quick adjustment is, when on compression stroke for the given cylinder, back adjuster nut off till pushrod is just loose, then while turning the pushrod backand forth with your thumb and fore finger, slowly tighten the adjuster nut till the pushrod stops turning easily, then tighten the lock nut a further turn and a half. repeat for each cylinder following the firing order. 1,5,4,2,6,3,7,8. for the 429/460. hope that helps. cheers

Paul Kane · 09-28-2007, 20:45

Whoa, not so fast.

First of all, I have never heard of adjustable LIFTERS. So I assume we are talking rocker arms here.

Second, the rocker arms that you show are the 1968-1970 cast iron rail rockers that cam on base model (non-CJ) 429/460's. They are non-adjustable. To confirm this, you would need to remove a rocker nut, fulcrum, and the rocker arm itself. You ought to find a rocker stud whose shank is tapered/stepped. If so, then the valve train is of the non-adjustable type and the rocker nut is tightened down until it bottoms against the stud (against the tapered step in the rocker stud).

Lastly, the stamped steel pedestal-type 429/460 rocker arms like those on the Clevelands and the 1972-up 429/460 cylinder heads were available with either a bolt-down non-adjustable pedestal OR an adjustble fulcrum (that came only on the 429 Cobra Jet engines).

Paul

T-bird 1968 · 09-29-2007, 02:05

Thank you very much for your quick answers.

Of course we are talking rocker arms here, and not lifters! I´m situated i Sweden, just a faulty translation.

As I suspected, my rockers are non adjustable, the rocker stud is tapered.
I post a link with a picture of the stud

pici.se - Dina bilder p�*�䴥t

/Gustaf

Paul Kane · 09-30-2007, 13:54

Gustaf,

Based on the above image, yes, you have non-adjustable valve train.

Paul

cjperformance · 10-01-2007, 16:32

!disregard my last transmission, yes they are non adjustable studs for sure. unfortunatly my x ray goggles wernt seeing thru the rocker arm in the pic! ha ha. cheers guys, i'll take my foot out of my mouth now!!

thefonz · 10-01-2007, 17:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by cjperformance

!disregard my last transmission, yes they are non adjustable studs for sure. unfortunatly my x ray goggles wernt seeing thru the rocker arm in the pic! ha ha. cheers guys, i'll take my foot out of my mouth now!!

Weave all maid mistrakes four sure. Personally, I've only been wrong once, but I ain't been right since!!

cjperformance · 10-02-2007, 14:30

oh such is life! ha ha. "i hate being rigth, it just makes you look worse whenever you're wrong."

cjperformance · 10-02-2007, 14:31

now i cant even spell!!! rigth!! right. time to turn the kompuuuta off! cheers.