2.9 hydro lifters QQ

[madclone]

Got a couple of questions First: how should I judge hydro lifters condition? I took them apart, flushed thoroughly all the inner parts with gasoline. Then I loaded them with kerosene and tried to squeeze them. By hand they definitely feel rock-solid, you know, like trying to squash a bolt with bare fingers or so. Then I used the thing on the photo (what’s a correct English term for it?). With this thing I squeezed them all right, but still they displayed huge resistance and I could do only one turn at a time, then wait a couple of seconds till it bleeds and make a turn more etc. For reference (just in case) Kerosine is heavier than gasoline and lighter than diesel fuel. I thought I could try using a mix of kerosene and motor oil to simulate the hot motor oil viscosity, maybe I’d get more evident results. Second: how do I reload them before assembling the engine back? Are there any tricks? If I just put oil inside #1, then insert #2 and using a thin screwdriver I can depress the valve #3. This makes possible #2 to travel fully in #1, with some oil still remaining inside #1. This what I did to test the lifters. For final assembly the tricky part is that we have to put thing #4 in place and lock it with a spring #5. Oil that remains inside won’t let do this. Any ideas?

[madclone]

imported text from Word and it gave all this...

[TigerDan]

I cleaned up the mess...

First, the thing you used to compress the lifters is called a C-clamp. Second, you would want to have them completely clean and free of oil before reassembling them. You want to look for free and easy movement of the piston inside the lifter when you depress it, and make sure it travels all the way back up by spring pressure when you release pressure. Then, put a reassembled lifter into a container that you've filled with clean motor oil and depress/release the inner piston a few times till it refills with oil and firms back up, then put it straight into the exact same lifter bore that it came from.

If you have mixed them up, you'll have to throw them out and buy new ones (which is what I'd do anyway).

[madclone]

Thanks!
Nope, did not mix them up. As for buying new ones - well maybe two or three of them. I want to assemble it, do some welding on body, a little paint and way it goes to some new lucky owner ))
I've started looking for a big Bronco, but here in Russia they are mostly in very poor condition and the price is usually over $7000, so I don't know. Anyway, if my B2 stays with me, it's better to find a "new" engine from European Ford Scorpio. Prices range from $200 to $500 for a rather fresh engine.