Motorcycle Repair: Pushrod adjustment, stiff wire, pushrod

Question
On a 1981 shovel how do you know when the lifter is fully compressed? We changed o rings in pushrod covers, and adjusted the pushrods rear intake pushrod bent when we rotated the engine to adjust the front intake, when we took the pushrods out the first time  the rear intake came out hard didn't seem to have enough room to just slide out after the adjustment was all the way down.
The pushrods were put back in the same place they were taken from. any thoughts?
Thanks
Terry

Answer
Your lifters are hydrolic ad probably when you removed the pushrods the got some oil in them. What you need to do is remove the hydrolic unit and bleed it. Take a piece of stiff wire and in the end there is a ball. Compress the ball with the wire and pump the unit and you will get all the oil out. Now, put it back in and adjust the pushrods.
Good luck and happy riding
Mike