Valve Adjustment made easier

Here is a little trick that Ross (My427stang) showed me.. and since it's all happening on The Yellow Monster right now I figured I'd post it for anyone else to see and maybe make use of.

The beauty of this method is you have everything you need to figure it out and do it right infront of you when you open the hood. No trying to recall information ... no searching for diagrams ... no watching rockers move to determine what just opened or closed ... no guesswork at all.

Below is the distributor all set and marked for the firing positions on the distributor shell.






Here is the other side.





And here is a shot with the cap on so I can determine where to mark and number the case.



As you can easily see I just marked the firing postions on the case using the cap as a guide.

With the case marked and numbered and the distributior cap off I'm ready to start adjusting. To adjust a pair of valves I use a socket and move the crank to advance the rotor on the distributor to each mark on the case. Since I know this is the "Firing Position" for that cylinder I know the cam is on the base circle for both of the valves for that cylinder. (in the first PIC the engine is set to adjust the valves on cylinder number seven)

Now I can simply move from one to the next adjusting the valves for each designated cylinder as I go.

It's a piece of cake and no strange pattern to think about, no diagrams to follow and no need for watching valves open and close to make judgments about what's on the base circle and what's not. The markings are done in chalk ... so they wash off easily when finished.

It's worked flawlessly for me since Ross showed it to me a few years ago

I always seem to have trouble adjusting my valves and ALWAYS I need to redo them twice or three times before they stop ticking.
I Use the polylocks and was told to tighten until I cant spin the pushrod with my fingers then 1/2 turn more. While holding the wrench tighten the set screw.

I was thinking about doing it with the motor running and an old set of valve covers with holes cut in them.

Good Idea on this though It should help me out a bit and to keep me from going insane remembering patterns

This is just SWELL and Ross is the BOSS!

I was under the impression that you had to adjust the rockers by going through the whole sequence with the valves opening and closing to get each lifter on the base circle of the cam lobe. If I can do this adjustment the way it is listed with my 289 it would sure help, I have 3000 miles on the engine and the rockers are making a slight ticking sound. The builder generally doesn't max out on the adjustment, he probably gave them a 1/4 turn not 1/2. Hope this works, it's adjustment day.

i thought there was another way where you spin the motor to one position.
you can do allmost half of them.
witch means doing the whole motor from only 3 positions onthe crank.
i could be wrong though.

Originally Posted by 68sportcoup

i thought there was another way where you spin the motor to one position.
you can do all most half of them.
witch means doing the whole motor from only 3 positions onthe crank.
i could be wrong though.

You have just hit the nail on the head my friend ...

And I mean absolutely no disrespect when I use your words here (I used many of the same words in the past as well), so please be forgiving of me

The method Ross showed me ... there is ZERO guessing or searching for diagrams nor is there question about which ones are on the base circle. You don't have any "I thought there was another way" or "one position where you can do almost half" or "I could be wrong though."

Just a tip that was very simple, straight forward and helpful to me and seemed like it was something others should know about too ... if they don't already

This method requires just a little set-up time (but not much) and you can "tick" your way around the distributor and knock out one cylinder at a time as the rotor points to each successive marker and your guaranteed to have them all on the base circle without confusion or hassle.

That is definitely the way to go!! One question though, Is that with the timing pointer at 0 ,, Or with the timing in its advanced firing position,(The timing set?)

Fomoco8 .... I don't think it matters one bit.

If you think about it this is placing the piston at the top of the cylinder on the "compression stroke" ... both valves have closed and have been closed for a while and they won't be opening for a while either.

This isolates each cylinder at a very friendly position in the timing activites ... and just a quarter turn on the crank lines up the next cylinder on the mark.

I'm not advocating the following , But ...

I'd be willing to guess the neighboring cylinders (in the firing order) to the one you are pointing at with the rotor are both still on the base circle. That could be checked out pretty easily.

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..

Nice tip. I need to do mine so I will use this method ans see how well it works.