1954 chevy Bel Air help!!

hey fella's i just picked up a 54 bel air 2dr hardtop and i think someone put a couple hydralic lifters in it....would the car come with hydralic lifters or solid lifters? cause i tried to do a valve adjustment and i noticed that 3 or 4 filters pushed down and sprung back up...i just wasnt sure...i also have a spare 235 sitting at the house i was planning on taking the hydralic ones out of my engine and replacing them with solid ones from my spare engine....why would anyone put hydralic ones in it anyway? please help me out

 

Are you sure the engine is the original? What is the block casting number?

 

It came with solids, my dad bought a brand new one, then it was mine

 

Is the car a 3 speed or powerglide? The auto would have the hydraulics. The standard would have been solids.

 

it has a powerglide...so it would hydraulics?

 

Yes, all the 'glide cars were hydraulics. Check your engine number on the pad just to the left of the dizzy, if it ends with 54Y, then it has hydraulics. These engines put out more power than the solid lifter engines. I have one in my truck

 

right on!! thanks everyone its a 54Y so it has hydraulic lifters...awesome...umm another problem i was having...the reason i was adjusting the valves in the first place is because the car was popping and running badly when i drove the car...when i adjusted them to solid lifter specs lol...the car still ran badly when the car was cold but when it warmed up it runs like a top...not a miss or sputter....so what do yall think now? should i just adjust the valves to get the taping out of it and see how it runs then...whats yalls thoughts?? thanks everyone for everything!

 

Set your timing...check you dwell marks...spark plug gaps too.

 

You might also check for hairline cracks in the exhaust manifolds.

 

Absolutely adjust the valves to hydraulic specs. On mine, I warmed the engine up, then loosened each rocker until it clattered, then slowly tightened it down until the noise just dissappeared, then another 1/2 turn.

 

Depending on the condition of the parts, you may never be able to get rid of all the noise. Getting the tips of the rocker arms resurfaced helps the most, even with hydraulics.
If they were adjusted too tight and run for any length of time, you could have some burnt valves. Lets hope not.

If you are going to rebuild it, I would strongly suggest switching to solids. If all the parts are in good condition and properly adjusted, they won't make all that much noise. The state of tune can make a difference as to how much noise it makes also.

 

car runs sweet now..thanks for the help fella's