The V8 Owners Forum -

I am replacing my current heads with a new set modified with a skim cut to allow the use of composite gaskets. Having run the engine already I need to set up the lifter preload for the new heads. What is the accepted best way to empty the oil out of the lifters? Can I pull them out and just leave them upside down overnight?

Cheers
Gregor

You could be waiting a long time for them to bleed due to gravity and you can not be sure that they are empty.

I did mine by gently clamping each one in a vice so that the part that is in contact with the cam is in contact with the face of one of the vice jaws. Place an allen bolt or something similar against the other jaw so that it is in contact with the part of the lifter that is held in place with the spring clip.

You can then apply enough pressure with the vice to compress the lifter enough the flick out the spring clip. Remove the lifter from the vice and it will come apart, you can then pour out the oil and re-assemble the lifter.

(It takes very little pressure as the internal spring in the lifter is not very strong).

It is a good idea to place a bit of rag between the face of the lifter and the jaw of the vice to prevent marking it.

It will take you around one and a half hours to do all sixteen.


Hope that helps,

Regards,

Pete

the way i did mine was,
I carefully removed the snap ring in the top of the lifter and dismantled it bit at a time, noting how it was dismantled, then cleaned the lifter body out and rebuilt it reversal of how it was dismantled, fit the snap ring and fit back in engine.

hope this helps, someone may have a better way of doing this.

Gregor
I did mine as per thev8kid but just pushed down on the centre of the lifter(set on a flat piece of wood) with a phillips screwdriver and prised the spring up. It usually sits around the screwdriver blade when loose.
Dave

Thankyou gentlemen. It looks like I'm in for a fun weekend.

Cheers
Gregor