loose in the lifters

[GB SISSON]

After dinner I went down to the shop and took a lifter apart. This was one of the three that were extremely loose. For some reason I had thought the gap between two separate threads was in the bore, but it's on the bolt. I decided to put the bolt in the vice with a copper bar to back up the threads and give it a squeeze endwise as suggested. I immediately noticed the added friction, but didn't seem enough yet. One more squeeze with my 175 lbs on the vice handle. I placed it in my fixture and cranked it way in where it will need to be. A bit tight and kind of scary so I backed it out and lubed it. Cranked in until it was same as my ford lifters which means about 2-3 threads showing on top. Hung the 5 lb weight and there it stayed right out straight, just like a johnson. With light pressure it drooped down about 10 degrees. Lifted 10 degrees over horizontal and it stayed. If you turn down a 1/4-28 bolt with a ratcheting box wrench and feel what 5 ft lbs feels like I think you will agree these will not back off in use. Now if I can get through all of them without breaking any..... Thanks so much for all the input and I will get back to it tomorrow after work.