Hello, I have a 1965 F100 4x4. The guy I got it from has Alzheimer's and doesn't remember a lot about it but he did say it has a 410 out of a Mercury station wagon in it. I measured the stroke via the dowel method and it did measure just over 4". The valve train is very noisy. From what I've read about the FE engines they do not have adjustable lifters, but mine appears to. I've attached a picture. Is there any way to tell if it possibly has solid lifters without pulling the intake? If it does, or if it has hydraulic lifters that can be adjusted, how do I go about doing it? Thanks for any help!

 

Pull a rocker shaft assembly and try pushing one pushrod down, it it's got solid lifters, you won't be able to depress the center of the lifter at all. The factory adjusters worked with interference fit threads in the rockers which works ok most of the time, but after several adjustments the threads work loose and the adjusters will back off and loosen the lash in service. Only way to fix this is to replace the rocker with a new one.

 

You can also try fishing a lifter out a magnet if you're still in doubt. Solids have full diameter bodies with a half diameter center section with no oiling holes. Hydraulics have a reduced diameter center that's about an eighth inch less than the body with an oiling hole. Also has a plunger in the top retained by a C clip.

 

Is this a stock setup, then?

 

Yes, but not on a 410. I would do a little more exploring on this engine to see what it's assembled with. Block casting and head casting numbers would be a start. And look at the flywheel/Flexplate to see if it has a counterweight to verify it's a 410/428 crank. Looks like possibly a painted factory aluminum intake there too. Casting numbers on that will tell you what it is

 

Get a socket that fits the adjuster nut, put the socket with a 6" or longer extension on one of the adjuster nuts and pry back toward the intake,(not real hard) a hydraulic lifter will bleed off and collapse giving a good size gap between the rocker tip and valve, a solid lifter will not collapse.
410/428 stroke is just under 4", 390 is just over 3 3/4", your measurement does indicate a 410/428 stroke.

 

Today I pulled the valve cover to see if I had solid or hydraulic lifters. I was not able to push the lifter down at all. I'm not sure how much pressure is needed, though. I first tried putting a long extension on a socket on the nut as someone said but could not move it that way. Then I loosened the adjustment nut and tried pushing down on the lifter directly. I could not get it to move. The pushrod is cupped on the nut end and a ball on the lifter end. Also, the intake manifold is not aluminum. I have attached pics.

 

Look at fe specs at Ford "FE" engine specifications
The 410 cuin has a 3.98 stroke almost a 4" in stroke according to chart shown. Your engine apears to be a 410cuin.
All other engines have a .200 shorter stroke -almost 3/16" less. those engines have different bore diameters making their cuin.
Appears your engine is supossed to have a SOILD lifter and having a Intake & Exhaust valve lash setting at 0.028" cold engine OR a 0.025" setting on a "HOT" normal engine running temperature.
Check valve lash at valve stem & rocker tip end on Intake & Exhaust. The lash is checked/measured after INTAKE valve has fully opened & is then fully CLOSED. This puts the Lifter on cam lobe at the base surface where LASH IS MEASERED. Intake & Exhaust are measured At this Point BOTH valves are closed On thet cylinder being adjusted. The adjustment Screws are supposed to TIGHT to turn OR they will back off when running. SOLID Lifers ARE NOISY. Your engine looks fairly clean, Look for excessive wear & SLOP in rocker Arms and shaft if & when you take it off !
May you do well, good luck
13mm

 

More'n likely a solid lifter cam then. A hydraulic lifter setup would use the same pushrods. The solids are somewhat noisy and do need to have the lash settings checked periodically, depending on how much it's run. In daily service, about twice a year. If not then at least once a year. Or more often if they loosen up and get noisy. If you hear any getting noisier, check them asap or you'll end up with bent pushrods.

 

Thank you, 13mm! I guess the pics didn't upload before. Can you tell from the pictures what I have?

Lifter with pushrod removed.

Intake number

Head date code?

Head number

 

hard to determine by pictures, hydLifters will depress the prod seat & solid willnot depress. Look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_FE_engine. good info

 

They're solid. The engine is likely a 390 someone rebuilt to a 410 with a 428 crank. Intake and heads are 64 pieces.