How do I tell if I have solid or hydraulic lifters/pushrods

[Panhead_Bobber_11C]

Hello I'm fairly new to panheads i got a 59 pan with some mismatched harley parts. Heads are mismatched years so idk what else is mismatched. And want to know if there's anyway to see if I have solid pushrods/lifters or hydraulic. Is there anyway to identify them without pulling the pushrods out? If I have to its whatever but if I can simply id by looking at them let me know. Thanks I included pictures

[T. Cotten]

Hello I'm fairly new to panheads i got a 59 pan with some mismatched harley parts. Heads are mismatched years so idk what else is mismatched. And want to know if there's anyway to see if I have solid pushrods/lifters or hydraulic. Is there anyway to identify them without pulling the pushrods out? If I have to its whatever but if I can simply id by looking at them let me know. Thanks I included pictures

Your pic of the bottom of the rod is too tiny and blurry, P_B!

And it would be nice if the lifter was up instead of down in the block.

It might be hydraulic, but just doesn't look OEM.

....Cotten
PS: Solids on left, solid replacement for hydraulics second from right, and hydraulic on far right.

LIFTERS.jpg

I have no pics of modern performance hydraulics..

[Panhead_Bobber_11C]

Your pic of the bottom of the rod is too tiny and blurry, P_B!

And it would be nice if the lifter was up instead of down in the block.

It might be hydraulic, but just doesn't look OEM.

....Cotten
PS: Solids on left, solid replacement for hydraulics second from right, and hydraulic on far right.

LIFTERS.jpg

I have no pics of modern performance hydraulics..

Thanks. They actually are solids. I overtighten one and waited about 30 mins and then checked it again they were still stiff. Not sure on OEM or not. Idk how to tell if there OEM vs aftermarket. Motor is a little mismatched. It's got a 59 FLH bottom end with mismatched heads. Front head date code is f8 and says 1948 rear is a c0 and says 1950. So didn't want to assume the VIN would tell witch push rods since it's a Frankenstein motor. Appreciate the help.

[T. Cotten]

That's not a conclusive test, P_B!

And can be dangerous: Please back it off before you turn the motor through, or you may need to straighten a pushrod.

Please take a better pic for certainty...

....Cotten

[Panhead_Bobber_11C]

That's not a conclusive test, P_B!

And can be dangerous: Please back it off before you turn the motor through, or you may need to straighten a pushrod.

Please take a better pic for certainty...

....Cotten

What do u mean? I did as the manual told me and determined them to be solids. The method your saying is dangerous was done with an older friend that I called after posting this for some more advice. who was a harley mechanic in the 70s-90s. Valves are perfect now. Just got back from a 45 minute ride. We did the overtighten method to determine if they were hydraulic or or solids then once we figured out what they were we adjusted them properly. I didnt start the motor like that. Maybe that's what u thought idk. And sorry about the pictures it wouldn't let me upload normal size it kept saying it has to be smaller to upload on this forum

[T. Cotten]

I guess I mean you were lucky they weren't hydraulics, Wayne!

And good luck with whatever manual that is...

...Cotten

[Speeding Big Twin]

Motor is a little mismatched. It's got a 59 FLH bottom end with mismatched heads. Front head date code is f8 and says 1948 rear is a c0 and says 1950. So didn't want to assume the VIN would tell witch push rods since it's a Frankenstein motor.

Interesting thread, partly because today I viewed a similar one on a certain other site. Strangely though the OP there had initials PS and he said his engine was a Frankenstein 57, not a 59.

However, apparently his front head has date code F 8 and his photo looked the same as yours although larger. Same with his picture of the front tappet guide. As for his rear head, he said its date code was C0 although no photo. And your rear head has c0?

BTW, front heads don’t say 1948 and rear heads don’t say 1950. Instead their casting numbers are 119 48 and 119 501 respectively.

Anyway, I’d like to see a photo of your c0 date code please. And I may have to ask the other person for a picture of his C0 date code.
Eric

[kitabel]

Casting numbers http://victorylibrary.com/tech/panhead-c.htm

[Panhead_Bobber_11C]

Interesting thread, partly because today I viewed a similar one on a certain other site. Strangely though the OP there had initials PS and he said his engine was a Frankenstein 57, not a 59.

However, apparently his front head has date code F 8 and his photo looked the same as yours although larger. Same with his picture of the front tappet guide. As for his rear head, he said its date code was C0 although no photo. And your rear head has c0?

BTW, front heads don’t say 1948 and rear heads don’t say 1950. Instead their casting numbers are 119 48 and 119 501 respectively.

Anyway, I’d like to see a photo of your c0 date code please. And I may have to ask the other person for a picture of his C0 date code.
Eric

Eric I'm writing this for Patrick. He messaged you on Facebook. Check your notifications. We figured it out to be solids. Sorry for the type it is a 59. And Patrick said he sent you the picture on Facebook of the date code. We think it says c0 idk it's hard to see. I know you asked for the pic for some reason it comes our small on here so check Facebook. Thanks for the help. Bike runs great now and pushrods adjusted perfectly.

[Speeding Big Twin]

On the other site I posted this info and photo for Patrick.
Eric



I was sceptical of the date code being letter-number because on 1950-later Panhead heads the date code normally consists of numbers only. (Even some, not all, Dec 49 heads had numbers-only codes.) And on this occasion I don’t think the second character is 0. Instead I think the date code may be 4-1 indicating casting in April 1951. Casting number 119 501 was used on rear heads for 1950–54 models. Also notice the lone E which is common to a lot of, but not all, heads for Panheads although I don’t know what it signifies. For comparison with your date code, here’s another example that also looks like 4-1.

[Speeding Big Twin]

Casting numbers http://victorylibrary.com/tech/panhead-c.htm

That page lists casting numbers 119 48 and 119 50 but I don’t see 119 482 and 119 501 listed although there are photos of them.

It also indicates 119 48 was only used for 1948 but my research says it was again used for 1949 models and I have several examples of 119 48 on heads with date codes from later-48 and early-49.

Two other casting numbers I don’t see on that page are 16704-55 and 16704-56.

It lists 119 49 for 1949 along with this photo. Do you have a clearer picture of this casting number please? And do you have examples of this casting number on other heads? And what is this date code?







Also listed on that page are these two casting numbers: 706-55 and 706-56. Are they incomplete? In full are they 16706-55 and 16706-56?
According to that page, heads with those two casting numbers have three fins, as opposed to four, between the valve guides. However, while some 16706-55 heads do indeed have three fins between the valve guides, some have four as per this example.








Also having four fins between the valve guides are some, although not all, 16706-56 heads. And both these examples indicate the four-fin type did not begin with heads that had a number cast into the top of the D-ring ledge. Instead the four-fin type(s) started while a casting number was still underneath.
Eric

[kitabel]

Let's critique the data and photos on your site.
Oh wait...

[Speeding Big Twin]

Let's critique the data and photos on your site.
Oh wait...

In October on this forum you invited those interested to read and analyse just some of the hundreds of documents you’d written and made available to the public free of charge. Remember?

But now it sounds like you think I shouldn’t question that page until I myself have a site? Is that what you’re saying?

Anyway, I wonder if certain info on that page will now be changed.
Eric