Valve Lifter

What Is a Valve Lifter?

A valve lifter (also known as a tappet) is a cylindrical component in pushrod (OHV) engine valvetrains that rides directly on the camshaft lobe and transfers motion to the pushrod. It is a foundational element in engines where the camshaft is located in the cylinder block rather than the head.
There are two primary types:
 

• Mechanical (solid) lifters: Require periodic valve lash adjustment; common in performance and vintage applications.
   
• Hydraulic valve lifters: Use engine oil pressure to automatically maintain zero valve clearance, eliminating the need for manual adjustment and reducing operational noise.
   

Hydraulic Valve Lifters: Precision Under Pressure

TSP’s hydraulic valve lifters are engineered for reliability in modern and legacy OHV platforms. Key features include:
 

• High-purity case-hardened steel bodies with micro-finished bores;
   
• Precision-machined internal plungers and check valves;
   
• Optimized oil gallery design for rapid priming and stable damping.
   

Each unit is 100% tested for leak-down rate and axial movement to ensure consistent performance across temperature and RPM ranges.