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Got lucky with a failed lifter

Got lucky with a failed lifter

Benno
4 years ago

Found this little retaining clip wrapped around the push rod, floating up and down while doing a cam upgrade last week on the wide glide, I'd say I got
very lucky.

Krash Kinkade
4 years ago

Very lucky Benno !
over the years I have been lucky in that area.
are you using aggressive cams? or High valve seat pressure?

Benno
4 years ago

The cams that came out with these lifters are stock 96 units, replaced the cams with Andrews 48H and S&S lifters, nothing radical at all.
Added the Bassani 2:1 and the S&S intake all at the same time.
Plenty of pull, shit eating grin difference, thanks for all the advice GM.

Jay-Dee
4 years ago

While it certainly looks bad and shouldn't have happened, realistically while the lifter had preload and as long as the gap in the circlip was smaller than the pushrod neither of them were going to go too far.
It's still better that you found it though, it must have been a Friday afternoon lifter.

Edit, good looking bike too Benno.

Hoodeng
4 years ago

Not as bad as it looks, but still a little untidy.. that clip is there for pre assembly to hold the lifter together before assembly into an engine. It's captive where it is, it can't get under anything or catch on anything and would take forever to rub through something. Chances are it was not in its groove properly before installation,it is also complete, there is no running condition that will release it.

Once it is in the engine its there for the ride and nothing else as the lifter is preloaded with either a set length or adjustable pushrod compressing the lifter pushrod button and inner piston below the clip, you could even assemble an engine with the clips out, the only thing you wouldn't have is a starting point when adjusting pushrods.

Cheers.

Benno
4 years ago

Quoting Hoodeng on 07 Sep 2020 08:38 AM
Not as bad as it looks, but still a little untidy.. that clip is there for pre assembly to hold the lifter together before assembly into an engine. It's captive where it is, it can't get under anything or catch on anything and would take forever to rub through something. Chances are it was not in its groove properly before installation,it is also complete, there is no running condition that will release it.

Once it is in the engine its there for the ride and nothing else as the lifter is preloaded with either a set length or adjustable pushrod compressing the lifter pushrod button and inner piston below the clip, you could even assemble an engine with the clips out, the only thing you wouldn't have is a starting point when adjusting pushrods.

Cheers.

Thanks Hoody, so the lifter assembly would stay together anyway. It could’ve been that way for sometime, bike has 50k on the clock.

Benno
4 years ago

Quoting Jay-Dee on 07 Sep 2020 05:59 AMedited: 07 Sep 2020 06:05 AM
While it certainly looks bad and shouldn't have happened, realistically while the lifter had preload and as long as the gap in the circlip was smaller than the pushrod neither of them were going to go too far.
It's still better that you found it though, it must have been a Friday afternoon lifter.

Edit, good looking bike too Benno.

Cheers JD

tussuck
4 years ago

Quoting Hoodeng on 07 Sep 2020 08:38 AM
Not as bad as it looks, but still a little untidy.. that clip is there for pre assembly to hold the lifter together before assembly into an engine. It's captive where it is, it can't get under anything or catch on anything and would take forever to rub through something. Chances are it was not in its groove properly before installation,it is also complete, there is no running condition that will release it.

Once it is in the engine its there for the ride and nothing else as the lifter is preloaded with either a set length or adjustable pushrod compressing the lifter pushrod button and inner piston below the clip, you could even assemble an engine with the clips out, the only thing you wouldn't have is a starting point when adjusting pushrods.

Cheers.

Quoting Benno on 07 Sep 2020 11:31 AMedited: 07 Sep 2020 11:34 AM
Thanks Hoody, so the lifter assembly would stay together anyway. It could’ve been that way for sometime, bike has 50k on the clock.

Yeah..its when the other end of the lifter lets go that your wallet knows all about it!

Hoodeng
4 years ago

I wrote my reply some hours before posting it,, then i look at the posts afterwards to see Jay-Dee was on the money already!

I reckon it's the best looking Harley,, i have one exactly the same 07 model as well.

Cheers.

Jay-Dee
4 years ago

Quoting Hoodeng on 07 Sep 2020 08:38 AM
Not as bad as it looks, but still a little untidy.. that clip is there for pre assembly to hold the lifter together before assembly into an engine. It's captive where it is, it can't get under anything or catch on anything and would take forever to rub through something. Chances are it was not in its groove properly before installation,it is also complete, there is no running condition that will release it.

Once it is in the engine its there for the ride and nothing else as the lifter is preloaded with either a set length or adjustable pushrod compressing the lifter pushrod button and inner piston below the clip, you could even assemble an engine with the clips out, the only thing you wouldn't have is a starting point when adjusting pushrods.

Cheers.

Quoting Benno on 07 Sep 2020 11:31 AMedited: 07 Sep 2020 11:34 AM
Thanks Hoody, so the lifter assembly would stay together anyway. It could’ve been that way for sometime, bike has 50k on the clock.

Possibly since first start up.
You could push the plunger down, reinstall the circlip in the lifter (double checking it clips in properly) and use the lifter again if you wanted or need to.

Grease Monkey
4 years ago

Quoting Benno on 07 Sep 2020 01:52 AM
The cams that came out with these lifters are stock 96 units, replaced the cams with Andrews 48H and S&S lifters, nothing radical at all.
Added the Bassani 2:1 and the S&S intake all at the same time.
Plenty of pull, shit eating grin difference, thanks for all the advice GM.

Hey Benno, not been on for a bit, she came up ok aye, good stuff mate.
That clip would of given you a surprise though :)

Benno
4 years ago

Quoting Benno on 07 Sep 2020 01:52 AM
The cams that came out with these lifters are stock 96 units, replaced the cams with Andrews 48H and S&S lifters, nothing radical at all.
Added the Bassani 2:1 and the S&S intake all at the same time.
Plenty of pull, shit eating grin difference, thanks for all the advice GM.

Quoting Grease Monkey on 08 Sep 2020 10:33 AM
Hey Benno, not been on for a bit, she came up ok aye, good stuff mate.
That clip would of given you a surprise though :)

Spot on Hilly, that clip gave me a surprise, Jay Dee and Hoody’s description of possible scenarios makes plenty of sense though.
Install went well, no dramas, Fred mentioned he was a little worried about cylinder pressure, he mentioned the intake opening duration, I don’t think he done a pressure test, but he was happy with the tune, they way it rode and the end result.
I was little ho hum about the change on the freeway ride home from the dyno run, Friday arvo traffic, on the gateway motorway, usually cops and dramas.
Took it for a run over Mt Mee Saturday, it wakes up after about 2800 and pulls like a mule, I need to go out a bit further west, to crank it, but it gets from $1.00 to $1.60 very fast and I was grinning all the way.
Dyno shows plenty of torque but it drops away a little earlier than I expected, not that I got to that point yet, Happy days mate, once again cheers, take care Brutha
Benno

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