What is the best way to prep new lifters?

Rusty Scout

Member
I seem to be having trouble pumping up my new epwi ha855 lifters. I am doing it by hand with a pushrod submerged in a cup of oil. First I tried using 5w20 oil that I had on hand. After 5 minutes of pumping no bubbles and bottoming out. I tried another one and same result. I tried another one and it gave a steady stream of bubbles on the first stroke. Another steady stream on the second stroke and beginning to pump up. Fully pumped up on the third stroke.
 
Seems ok to me -- though I have never personally performed the task.

For the "problematic" lifter(s), you might want to check the hole in the side of the lifter to see if it is "obstructed".

I do not know the diameter of the hole...
 
Nevermind, I finally found a technique for pumping up lifters on the bench that won't pump up easily in a cup of oil. I found that laying them on their sides for a soak in mineral spirits that they would begin to release bubbles on their own. Then I would shake them one at a time and soak them again on their sides and more bubbles came out. I repeated these steps a few times. Then I would very slowly apply even pressure with a pushrod and hold. Some of them would release a nice steady stream of bubbles after just a few slowww plunges. Some took a little longer and I just repeated the earlier steps a few more times. All lifters on the bench that I thought would not pump up did.
 
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