The joys of adjustable lifters

[Lynn Eades]

Back ground;
I have a long term plan to build two carrier engines. I have acquired two sets of adjustable lifters.
One set is an old set of solid bodied ones (no holes or depressions in the sides)
These I had the screws and cam faces refaced.

The second set is a current production set from Ebay USA. They are hollow with holes in the sides. The "lightweight" choice. (second lightest option after Fords original non adjustable push rods.

I selected my two best blocks (both C59a) and using a special long drill bit I bought for the task, drilled holes into the sides of the pushrod bores (at this stage I only owned the new ebay set of lifters) I tidied up the ports and de dagged the blocks to make them prettier. (this is going to be a racing bren carrier!)
Along with two crankshafts, I took my two blocks to the motor reconditioners and after a few days he phoned me to come in.
"I am sorry to tell you this" he said, "both your blocks and both your cranks are cracked" "Not usable!" "What else have you got?"

So I thought about a flathead coffee table (4 seconds) and then my wife (2 seconds) and took all four items straight to the scrap man, on my way home.

O.K. so at home I pulled out another block (C69a) gave it a visual, drilled holes again in the sides of the push rod bores so that I an hold my hollow adjustables,(with an Allen key through the hole) while adjusting them. I didn't bother about the ports or the dags this time,(a not so racey bren carrier) and with two more cranks, took them to town.
Each time each item had gone through the tanking process, before crack testing. This block had a small crack in the bell housing, and some serious pitting in a water pump face, but otherwise o.k. One crank was good.
So far I'd spent $1200.00!

Moving on:
I have the crank and cam fitted and it's time to fit the lifters.
I have been on the Fordbarn forum and learned from some of the wise ones that these modern adjustables are sometimes less than perfect. That each one should be Rockwell tested and that the odd one wont hold its setting.

So I have put the old ones in the engine. (because I haven't got off my a.se and organised the rockwell test)
I did by the way buy a couple of the Johnson spanners.
These are such fun to use!
This little exercise can test you.
One end has a right angle bend in it to go in a hole in the top of the lifter. The other end has a rounded hole in it that swings sideways to go under the head of the adjacent adjusting screw. (they come in a pair, one left one right)
The one you pick up first is nearly always the wrong one (it's a rule!)
This stops the one you are adjusting from rotating in its bore while you swing on your other spanner.
The fun begins when you want to adjust one and you have to turn the cam to lift the adjacent one to a height that is suitable to swing the "J" (Johnson)spanner into place. (the lifter body has to come up to flush with the top of the lifter bore)
This is fine and "do"able. It just means after you have made an adjustment, you have to remove the J spanner and turn the cam again, to the right place to check the clearance.
This is where I have run into trouble:
In trying to lock the J spanner into place, I have found that the adjusting screw is not out of the top of the lifter far enough to get the j spanner to slide in around the thread. So, clever me grinds the tiniest bit off the corners, of the rounded lock slot, so that the J spanner will slide side ways onto the hex.
But, the bloody thing wont stay there! Trying to jamb it with prybars, bent screwdrivers, vice grips, (nothing is the right shape!) It will hold in one direction, but not the other.
I ended up pulling the valve, then the lifter, and jambing it in the vice in softjaws and making an adjustment, and then putting the whole lot back in, for another measure.
This also is o.k. except that when the heads are finally on, I was hoping to put myself though the masochistic exercise of doing a final adjustment without pulling the heads.
I guess I should buy a new pair of J spanners from the USA and see if they now fit under all the screws.
What was Fords tool for these lifters before Johnson came along.
BTW. I wondered why guys ground scallops into the top of the lifter bores, but having nearly stuffed a new Stahlwille 7/16 R&OE spanner , I now know.
I still have about 6 left to adjust.
I would be interested to hear from others on their experiences with the various types of "Johnson" (and Ford) adjustables.
Some thoughts:
These old solid ford (9N?) lifters have thicker hexs than the Johnson adjustables that the J spanners were made for.
The depth of the valve seats, the state of the cam, (original, reground) and the lifters (new or refaced) all have a definite bearing on the results.
I would definitely grind the scallops into the top of the lifter bores in future.
I bought a set of Chev valves and a set of Ford stainless valves. I used the stainless ones in this engine. The Chev ones are 0.100" longer and with a std cam (not reground) they would need the 0.100" ground off the stems.
Because the keepers are further down, they would also need shims.
Suggestion; go with Ford spec valves.
I could have finished my valve adjustment by now