Since it appears to be a major challenge to adjust valves do most people go with hydraulic lifters when it comes to rebuilding an engine ? Its my understanding hyd. cams and lifters suffer with performance in these engines.
Is there an easy way to determine if an engine has hyd. lifters besides pulling a rocker arm, push rod, and then pulling a lifter out ?

Short answer is NO. Most go with solids as they allow more power to be made. Both come with advantages as well as disadvantages.
Solids- more power, frequent valve adjustments, some noise.
Hydros- less power, loud valve noise upon start up if not run frequently.

The 2 liter I have came with hydros due to a rebuild by the previous owner. Looking at the work sheet for the overhaul, one may deduce that the engine dropped a valve due to lack of maintenance. It seems to have plenty of power, but if let sitting for over a week, it had loud clacking valves till the hydraulic lifters pump up.
Tom

I agree with Tom. I think the hydros are more popular with the T4 bus crowd. I had 1.7 with hydros and it was a noisy beast. Had lots of problems with lifters not pumping up, especially with oil age.

Hydraulic lifters are popular with the bus crowd because their engines came with them after 1976. I would NEVER put them in an engine for a 914.

The Cap'n

It can be done. But you just need to be patient and do your homework. There's a great write-up here:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?sho...orvair&st=0

I would wager that 95% of all woeful hydraulic conversions were done with parts just slapped in there, not checking for correct geometry and not using the Corvair pushrods that lubricate much more effectively as seen in that thread. Check it out.

-m.

Shorter than Tom: No.

Nope. Buses came with them started in 1978 and I don't like them in buses with the weaker preformance due to the hydro cam profile. In a 914? Never as they kill it for being a sportscar as it becomes a 914 with a low reving bus engine.

I disgree with the statement that hydros kill the 914 as a sports car. My 2 liter came with them via the previous owner. If I had the choice they wouldn't be in there, but my 2 liter with hydros doesn't feel like it has a bus engine and it still beats the snot out of a 1.7 with solids. (no disrespect meant to those that have a 1.7 :-)

When hydro's aren't pumped they are hell on valve seats, valve tips, and adjusters. That clattering you hear til they pump up is the sound of the valve train beating the snot out of itself. Do it enough times at any speed other than idle on a hot head and the chances of dropping a valve seat sky-rocket, especially if it's an intake that's not pumped up.

Solids it is.
I had a Adrian built 2.0 in my last 78 westy with solids and it was great.

Hi,
The solid cam has a different grind profile to a hydraulic.
The hydraulic cam has a lower grind circle on the base to allow a slight step for the lifter to snap the valve in the lifter closed.
The solid cam does not require this as it has a clearance measurement. setting tappets

Solid cam profile for solid cams
hydraulic profile for hydralics

Mixing them gives problems

DON'T DO IT !!

In California, '77s had 'em. That's "after 1976".

The Cap'n

Is there an easy way to know if my engine had hydrolic lifters installed ? The engine has been rebuilt in 1993 and I have no other information. It's a 75 1.8 and the case has no number stamped... Could this be a bus case ?
I have experienced loud knocking at idle for a few seconds. That happens when the car sitted a few weeks without running. It mainly happens when the weather is cold (around zero C). The car also runs on 2 or 3 cylinders a few minutes when cold and smokes a lot. Is this related ?
When hot, it runs great. The cat has been removed and it runs with a Bursch muffler. I have dynoed it at 79 HP
If lifters are hydrolic, must clearence be set to zero ?

You can remove pushrods and use a magnet to pull the lifters out . Clearance is zero, someone correct me if wrong.

Thank you for the tip Hammy ! ...

Well lets just say some things are cushy.

And the pushrods should be steel for hydros and aluminum for solids so just look at those.

Ok, as I am going by the VW paperwork as the GE engines first came out for the 78 models. My 77 bought in Cali, has solids as it's a GD engine.

After a little research, I can see that both versions were avaialble for part of '77. The exhaust port was different on the GEs, but the head design doesn't necessarily coincide with the introduction of hydraulic lifters, which began in June or July. The model year begins in September or October.

The Cap'n