If you're using older lifters and adjusting it properly, and afterwards can still spin the pushrod, but the engine runs fine, the lifters are prolly leaking down quickly after adjustment, which is fine since they'll pump up when the engine starts and there's oil pressure. Newer lifters that are very slow leakdown and also anti-pump-up won't have that problem. The lifters I have would prolly take several days to leak down to the point where I could spin a pushrod freely. It's just how the lifter is internally. That's also why older hydraulic style valvetrains would sometimes tick in the morning for a couple of seconds then go away, the lifters would leak down overnight on the open valves and have cold startup clearance that would get taken up by the oil pressure a second or 2 after startup

 

so a "tick - tick" on startup is ok, as long as it onlylasts for a second or two? if everything else is fine.

 

Yeah, if it ticks at startup then goes away after several seconds that's normal for hydraulic valvetrains

 

Mine will tick tick occasionally on start up but not allways. A lot of it has to do with which oil filter you are using. Those that allow the oil in them to drain back in the pan are the worse. Filters like Fram for instance. Get a wix or Motorcraft filter.

 

may I chime in on your thread??
I'm about to pull the valve covers off for new gaskets....just to tidy up a non loved 100k mile engine, should I bother with any adjustments if everything is running okay?

 

No. "If'n it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

+1

 

+2

 

Absofreakinlutely +1. Hydraulic when working properly shouldn't require any adjustments, and if it's fine, don't risk messing with it

 

There is a sidebar in Murphy's Law that says: When in the process of fixing somthing that does not need fixing, you will invariably break somthing else that will cause huge issues.