davej wrote:
I have always used ATF or just motor oil to soak and pump them up before installation. I personally would "NEVER" install them dry.

OK, thanks. ATF is another thing that's been recommended to put in my "break in oil" to help clean up the sludge. I've seen something about actually pumping up the lifters and another thing that said not to. Is that necessary? I don't really understand what that means anyway because my old lifters don't "pump". I've tried pushing down on them (out of the bike) and they don't move like that.

Pump them up!! They old ones don't move because they are pumped up. Pumping them creates a hydraulic cushion instead of just a spring cushion. IMO starting with a dry lifter can damage the spring. If they were meant to be dry they would make them to drain after every shutdown.

+1 on pump them up! Some lifters can be installed without filling first But not ours.
Go by what the manual says. As for your oil, drain it anyway. Pour some oil into the crankcase while the lifters are out and let it flush through the open drain plug. Any debris from the cam will be caught up in the oil pump screen or if small enough to get past the screen won't make it through the filter.

OK, thanks. I guess my question was how do you pump them up? Does the entire lifter case pump up or is it just something internal to the case? Thanks again for the help!

texasscott1 wrote:
+1 on pump them up! Some lifters can be installed without filling first But not ours.
Go by what the manual says. As for your oil, drain it anyway. Pour some oil into the crankcase while the lifters are out and let it flush through the open drain plug. Any debris from the cam will be caught up in the oil pump screen or if small enough to get past the screen won't make it through the filter.


Will do. I was thinking maybe I could leave a trouble light on under the bike overnight so that it warms the metal up a little bit. (hopefully won't cause a fire). I'm trying to remember back what I've been told about the break in oil for the new cams and lifters. I think someone told me diesel oil because it has a high zinc concentration. I want to do it right of course, but I also can't afford to just throw away money so I want to use something as cheap as possible. After all, I'm just running some oil through to flush it out and I'm figuring on doing a total oil and filter change at about 500 miles and going back to my Amsoil oil and filter. BTW, you are talking about just pouring the "flush" oil straight into the open case where the camshafts are and not adding it through the oil tank, right?

Wouldn't be any reason to pour it in the tank unless you wanted to flush it out too. You can usually find the Shell Rotella T4 15W40 at Walmart pretty cheap. A lot of folks run it regularly instead of the more expensive synthetic oils.

Just don't forget the cam lube on the cams and lifters before installing. And take it easy for the first 600 miles so they can wear in properly.

OK, good. I just wanted to make sure it was ok to pour in straight into the open cam area once I have the cam cover back on after I've replaced the lifters. Good to know about the Rotella, I need cheaper oil to flush it with but still something that has a lot of zinc in it apparently. I guess another option would be to open the drain plug and drain everything. Then leave the drain plug out and pour a gallon of really cheap thin oil through just to flush crap out. Then I could put the 3 quarts of Rotella with 1 qt of ATF in for my break in oil for 500 - 1000 miles, then drain and go back to the Amsoil.

I'd forget the 1 quart of ATF. It's too thin for the engine and in 600 miles might do more harm than good. The break in is accomplished by the cam lube. Just add the regular oil and ride it easy for a while.

As far as pumping up the lifters the service manual describes the whole procedure.

texasscott1 wrote:
I'd forget the 1 quart of ATF. It's too thin for the engine and in 600 miles might do more harm than good. The break in is accomplished by the cam lube. Just add the regular oil and ride it easy for a while.

As far as pumping up the lifters the service manual describes the whole procedure.

OK, sorry for the 20 questions but this is the first time I have ever done this and I don't want to damage the lifters. As many times as I've read this section of the service manual somehow I missed the part that said to "pump the plunger side of the valve lifter with a press a number of times to let in kerosene.". I don't have a press and I've tried to push the plunger down by hand. Ain't happening because I can't even budge it even using my entire upper body strength and pushing down on it. And how do you use a press when they're immersed in kerosene anyway? So I need ideas on how to do this without a press or access to one. Thanks.

Do you have a drill press? That and an old push rod. Any push rod will do as long as the ball end fits the lifter properly. You should be able to push the plunger down by hand on a new lifter. I've had plungers out before and it wasn't that hard to push them down in order to reinstall the retaining ring.

Hopefully the plungers aren't stuck or cocked in which case they wouldn't move at all. Let the lifters sit in whatever you're using to bleed them for a while and see if they don't free up.