Lifter Adjustment procedure for Ultima
®
Engines
When performing any service work always disconnect the battery!!!
Remove the spark plugs and pushrod tube clips to access the pushrods. With a stable lift get the rear wheel of the bike off of the ground and put
the bike in 5th gear. Use the rear wheel to rotate the engine slowly.
Never rotate the engine with the Starter motor while adjusting pushrods.
1. Rotate the engine until you are on the compression stroke for the cylinder you are adjusting. This occurs after the cylinder to be adjusted has
had its
Intake
lifter go to full lift and back to Zero lift during forward rotation of the engine. At this time the piston will be coming up and both
valves will be closed at Top Dead Center. Put the piston at the very top of its stroke ( TDC). You can now adjust both pushrods for that cylinder.
2. Loosen both pushrods until there is play between the lifter and pushrod.
3. With your Fingers rotate the adjuster until there is no play between the lifter and pushrod (zero lash) but with no load on the lifter.
4. Extend the adjuster another
3 full turns
beyond zero lash and lock the jam nut tight. (This applies to pushrods with 18 threads per inch. If the
pushrods are not the stock Ultima
®
pushrods use the manufacturer’s recommended setting.)
5. Wait until you can turn both of the pushrods with your fingers (30 seconds to 15 minute wait). You can then roll the engine over and repeat
the process for the next cylinder.
Do not roll the engine before you can turn the pushrods by hand or you can cause damage to the engine.
The engine should rotate and not want to stop at any point when adjusting pushrods. If the engine wants to stop at any point do not force
the rotation. Stop and reset that pushrod or you can cause damage to the engine.
6. Repeat this procedure for the remaining pushrod for that cylinder.
23
Excessive lifter noise
Common causes:
1.
Engine was not properly primed prior to start-up.
2.
No oil feed to lifters.
3.
Improper pushrod adjustment.
4.
Oil lines are not connected properly.
If you have excessive lifter noise at start-up
shut the engine off immediately and go through the priming process described earlier in this
document.
Ultima
®
engines are primed from the factory but if no oil is being fed from the oil pump the lifters will lose their prime quickly.
Engines that are run with dry lifters are at risk to bend pushrods and can have permanent damage. Always check the pressure when
diagnosing this with a quality pressure gauge reading from the oil-sending unit feed hole located behind the rear lifter block.
Refer to Figure 3 and 4, in the “Oil Line Routing” heading earlier in this booklet, or your oil tank’s manufacturer regarding oil line connections to your
tank if you are unsure. If you hook the oil lines up wrong you can damage the engine!! A good rule of thumb is the feed line is the lowest fitting in the
oil tank and will pick up oil from the bottom of the tank. The vent line is the highest fitting and oil should never be able to reach the line inside the
tank. The vent line has to be in airspace in the tank and never immersed in oil. The return line is also a fitting mounted high in the tank and can work
in or out of the oil in the tank but should also be in airspace.
