Valve Adjustment made easier

I have found if you tighten the nut and then tighten the set screw the lash will back right off. Get the nut really close to where you want it, then tighten the set screw and then tighten the nut which will tighten the set screw further. I did it the other way on my engine and eventually(not long) I had a rocker arm back off the valve tip, turn to the side, and break. You'll be able to tell its right because you won't be able to overtighten the nut, which I think is an advantage as well.

T.J.

MonsterMach, I thought about it after I posted and thought that same thing, a few dizzy degrees shouldn't matter ,the base will still be there...

I did the adjustment only on the drivers side and with a 1/4 turn after zero lash the rockers still have a slight tick. Should they be 1/2 a turn or some say 3/4. I have read so many different ways I am not sure what to put the final tightening at. Help!

Thanks

Greg

Brilliantly simple.

foleysfriend ... I always stick to the 3/4 turn on hydraulics.

Infact once I finished getting mine back together (after the bad lifter extravaganza, but that's another thread) I fired it up and had a slight tick on the opposite bank which complelled me to go back and adjust the valves on that side. (That's why I decided to post this thread at this time)

Anyway I found one that seemed to only have about 1/4 turn on it and that was the ticking lifter ... Seems two months ago when I was chasing the failed lifter I must have made an error in my adjustment on this lifter. I adusted the bank and all is well now, so I bet you just need to cinch them down a little tighter.

As I understand it and I'm no valvetrain GURU, but you would need to go about two full turns to get in to real danger of being too tight. So it seems the 3/4 turn rule will keep you well out of any danger of going too far.

Don't take my comments there as being a lesson in valvetrain adjustment ... it's just how I understand it, what I do and it has worked out well for me

Excellent, Monster Mach. I have a slight tick and right now they are in the 1/4 turn area. The sound only comes and goes so I am going to go through the sequence once more and give them another 1/2. I guess if they are too tight they won't close and the engine won't fire. This is great info. Sure beats doing the adjustment with the engine running, what a mess.

Thanks
Greg

If it were me ... (here I go giving a valvetrain adjustment lesson I'm not qualified to give) ... I wouldn't just add another half turn.

I'd back each one off and find zero lash again ... then do the 3/4 turn. You stand to include any "mis-adjustment" from the first run into the second run that way.

This will only take you about an extra five seconds per valve to do and will insure that the adjustment you just did ... is what you actually have.

Hope that wasn't a confusing play on words there ... clairity is pretty important on this stuff

Oddly now in re-reading my previous post I can see that I sort of told you to just add another half turn ... I didn't mean it quite that way when I typed it ... sorry for my lack of forsight there

Originally Posted by gregaust

I used this method for many years and never had an issue but my understanding is works fine on small cams but when you step up to larger solid and roller cams you need to do the EOIC method to ensure you are fully on the base circle even at TDC. Be interested to hear opinions on that..

You are exactly right. On TDC the lifter is not on the base circle. This is true more so with big solid roller camshafts. In fact, if I spin the motor to TDC on compression stroke and measure the clearance it will be a little tighter than if I use the EOIC method. I say a little--usually 2-5 thousandths. But in this game of big cams, high lift, and high RPM, piston to valve clearance is already tight and we can't afford to lose another 2-5 thousandths. The only downside to using MonsterMach's method is that if the distributor is not marked correctly, even just a little off, the lifter may be on the lobe or getting really close. That woudl be my luck...to mark them wrong. Now anyone on here that knows me and my luck, I'd be the first one to either mark them in the wrong spot or put the wrong number on it....LOL....then try to set the valve and have a quarter inch of clearance under a couple. Besides, if you have a remote starter button and the set screw wrench, nut wrench and feeler gauge, it's pretty simple to just crank it over until the exh just opens, set the intake, then crank until the intake almost closes and set the exhaust. Takes me about 10 min to pull the covers and check 'em...if adjustment is needed, it takes a little longer but normally it doesn't need any adjustment. Unless a lifter or something goes away but if it's that loose, it needs further inspection anyway.

As to how much preload goes into a hyd valvetrain, seems to me that turning the wrench 1/2 turn with a 24 pitch thread (3/8 stud) would preload the lifter a little bit less than turning 1/2 turn with a 20 pitch thread (7/16). Am I mistaken here? Does a nut make one full inch of travel down a stud if you turn it 24 times on a 24 pitch thread?

Originally Posted by mavman

You are exactly right. On TDC the lifter is not on the base circle. This is true more so with big solid roller camshafts. In fact, if I spin the motor to TDC on compression stroke and measure the clearance it will be a little tighter than if I use the EOIC method. I say a little--usually 2-5 thousandths. But in this game of big cams, high lift, and high RPM, piston to valve clearance is already tight and we can't afford to lose another 2-5 thousandths. The only downside to using MonsterMach's method is that if the distributor is not marked correctly, even just a little off, the lifter may be on the lobe or getting really close. That woudl be my luck...to mark them wrong. Now anyone on here that knows me and my luck, I'd be the first one to either mark them in the wrong spot or put the wrong number on it....LOL....then try to set the valve and have a quarter inch of clearance under a couple. Besides, if you have a remote starter button and the set screw wrench, nut wrench and feeler gauge, it's pretty simple to just crank it over until the exh just opens, set the intake, then crank until the intake almost closes and set the exhaust. Takes me about 10 min to pull the covers and check 'em...if adjustment is needed, it takes a little longer but normally it doesn't need any adjustment. Unless a lifter or something goes away but if it's that loose, it needs further inspection anyway.

As to how much preload goes into a hyd valvetrain, seems to me that turning the wrench 1/2 turn with a 24 pitch thread (3/8 stud) would preload the lifter a little bit less than turning 1/2 turn with a 20 pitch thread (7/16). Am I mistaken here? Does a nut make one full inch of travel down a stud if you turn it 24 times on a 24 pitch thread?

Very good observations.

I too have a remote starter switch and use the opening and closing method that Mav detailed. I normally adjust both valves on each individually cylinder (from front to rear), doing one engine bank at a time. Plus, if you do one bank at a time, you don't need to move your tools back and forth from fender to fender. The switch makes it very, very easy to get the valves into position.

I haven't thought of that. I'm going to give it a try, and thanks a lot.
Frank
Muskogee Heat, Beat The Heat Cop Car