Before the implementation of hydraulic lifters to keep the engine's valves in proper working order, regular adjustment was required to maintain the critically necessary clearance in the valvetrain.

A properly tuned engine is an incredible mix of components all moving in harmony. Air, fuel, and metal all working together to produce that precious magic we gearheads call torque. A critical factor ...

The engines of yesteryear were pretty simple, with tappets clackity-clacking away on cam lobes, opening valves, and making a ruckus while doing it. Mechanical lifters were adequate for valve operation ...

Without a doubt, solid cams carry a certain mystique. In the musclecar days, solids were factory-fitted in some of the hottest iron out of Motown, including the early street Hemi. There was a little ...

Setting valve lash has nearly become a lost art. Hydraulic lifters are so prevalent and so efficient that many enthusiasts resort to the old way or doing it—engine running, oil spewing everywhere. Let ...

Once upon a time, most car engines used solid or mechanical lifters. But unlike most fairy tales that begin that way, there was no lasting happy ending for them. Hydraulic lifters first appeared in ...

Cars are intricate machines that rely on a series of chemical and mechanical processes to work properly. When things go wrong with one of those processes, your car can start to make some strange ...

It's a skill that every hot rodder should know by heart. It can also be one of the more confusing aspects of engine assembly. We're talking about setting valves. In this story, we'll show you a very ...

Sorry, solid lifters, you make a wonderful typewriter clack and allow for intoxicatingly high rpms, but you can't be surprised that manufacturers slowly moved to ...

Aaron, a 27-year automotive technician and lifelong car enthusiast, attended Specs Howard School of Media Arts and learned the fundamentals of digital video and editing, shot composition and writing.