Adjusting ValvesSmall Block Chevy Get #1 to Top Dead Center Exh.- 1 3 4 -8Int.- 1- 2 5 - 7 Get #6 to Top Dead Center Exh.- 2 5 6 7Int.- 3 4- 6 - 8 Adjust until pushrod will not spin between fingers and then add ¼ turn and tighten poly lock. You will only turn the engine 2 times. TDC #1 and TDC #6
Hydrualic lifters? Adjust until pushrod has all slack out, an easy way to do so is to move it up and down and when you can't do that all slack is out. Tight until you can't spin will overtighten and cause the valve to be open all the time and possibly damage the motor.
Why haven't you came over and did mine yet ? I allways wondered which was better the shake or the wiggle ?
I have always preferred the spin and tighten until stops spinning, and then back until it just starts spinning again.
My TECH for adjusting valves on ANY 4 cycle motor is to watch the valves...first the INTAKE will open/close immediately followed by the EXHAUST open/close - Continue to rotate it over a bit and you are guaranteed to be on the "heel" for both valves. Adjust and move on the the next set. Not the fastest way, but works everytime without remembering anything.
I agree with the tighten till there is no up and down movement. DOnt push down just lift up and let the pushrod fall back down. New lifters with no oil in them are very easy to compress, so easy that it takes very little pressure to compress them. After a new lift is adjusted correctly you can push the rocker arm down an 1/8th inch or so by hand.
Hey, BinderRod - Your method is probably plenty safe for hydraulics - but, I wouldn't trust it on a solid cam! No insult intended - but, doing it your way won't put all the lifters for the valves you're gonna adjust on the heel of the lobe. Some could be ascending or descending the "clearance ramps", which hydraulic profiles don't have. The way I was taught to do a valve adjustment is a little more time-consuming - but more accurate. I "split" the firing order into a "fraction", jotting down the first four cylinders on the top line (numerator, if you will) and the second four cylinders directly underneath (denominator). The example below would be for a V-8 Chevy (firing order = 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2): 1843 6572 Then, simply adjust 1 when 6 is at "teeter" (or, split overlap); adjust 7 when 4 is at teeter, etc.. Each of the cylinders on the top or bottom of the "fraction" are at TDC when its counterpart below or above is at TDC. The difference being that one is one the exhaust stroke while the other is on the compression stroke. When a piston arrives at TDC on the exhaust stroke, its companion is arriving at TDC on the compression stroke - which is where you want to adjust its 2 valves (their lifters are about as close to being on the center of the cam's heel as is practicably possible). I KNOW, I KNOW - it's not perfect, but close enough to ensure an accurate valve adjustment. BTW, "Teeter" (as I call it) is nothing more than the point at which both intake and exhaust valves are both open the same amount (assumes cam was intalled "straight up", being neither advanced nor retarded). We're not talking rocket science here, soooooo..........if one of 'em is open 20 or 30 thousandths more than the other - you're not gonna be off by more than a few degrees of cam rotation. In actual practice, adjusting valves this way is pretty quick, once you get used to it. Start by adjusting, say, number 1 by putting 6 on teeter. To do it, simply rotate the crank until the exhaust has opened and is then closing. When it's almost fully closed, the intake will begin opening and you'll wanna stop rotating when both valves are open about the same amount. Then, simply adjust the two valves on the companion cylinder. Go across the top row first, and then the bottom row (left to right) by putting the corresponding valve above or below the "target" valve (the one you're adjusting) at teeter. You only have to rotate the crank 90° for each adjustment. I usually put an "X" thru each cyl number after I've adjusted its valves, so I don't lose track of where I'm at (it's a senility thing). C'ya - RAY
I've done that - the 1/4 turn more from the GM manual itself is a sure fire way to ensure the valves will stay open and the motor won't start becuase there is no compression.
I mark the damper starting at #1tdc in 90* increments. Bring #1 to tdc and adjust,turn 90* adjust #8,turn 90* adjust #4 and so on through the firing order (for FLM's that would be15486372 or 15426378) most early Buicks Pre 64 are 12784563,and you still only rotate the crank 2 full revolutions and each 90 insures being on the base circle of the cam(provided you start at #1 tdc firing stroke and not overlap). A common mistake with valve adjustments (and dist. installations) on v8's is to line up the dots on the timing assy. and think you're at tdc#1 when in point of fact,dot to dot is nearly always#6tdc (on early Buicks it's#4). The GM method does not work well with cams with big overlap and or wide lobe centers. As a minor insurance I do my initial valve adjustments on most v8's without the intake installed. With the exception of FE motors(and perhaps others I haven't encountered yet).
I'm with Turboray and Yobaby on this one. Binderod's method above is intended for initial adjustment on chevys. You're still supposed to do the final adjustment running - solid or hydraulic. It may work as is on a stock or mild cam but not on a wilder one you'll be on the ramps on some valves. I copied the following method I posted in a cam thread - same as Turbo and Yo. This is the valve adjustment method most of the racers I worked with used - first write the first half of the firing order over the second half. This example is for chev and chrys V8s. 1843 6572 Rotate engine - watch #6 rockers - when exhaust is closing and intake just starts to open (overlap) adjust both valves on #1. Rotate engine - Watch #5 for overlap - adjust both valves #8 - Repeat through firing order - You have to jump from side to side to make the adjustments but you can run all the valves in just 2 revolutions of the engine.
Divide ur dampner in quarters. (on a V-8) Put #1 on TDC. Adjust #1. Turn 1/4 turn to next mark. Adjust next in firing order. Turn 1/4 turn. Adjust third in firing order...ETC. You only go through them once and ur sure theyre correct.
tell me what you think, I have done it and it seemed to work, I was told by and old mechanic this one. I took an old dist. cap and cut the center out and then set the rotor at number 1 tdc and adjusted the #1 then rotated the motor to the next firing wire on the dist and when aligned through the dist to that wire I adjust that set of vlaves.Continued around in the engines firing order. I did this on my old inline 170 Ford econline motor solid lifters. Seemed to work fine. Ed ke6bnl
Here's how I've always done it on Ford engines with hydralic lifters and adjustable rocker arms. With engine running: 1. back off the rocker nut until the rocker clatters. 2. tighten slowly until the rocker stops clattering. 3. turn 1/4 turn tighter. I have only used this on Ford engines. I assume that it works on most/all engines. I have used this method for thirty years with only one mishap (broken pushrod...but that is a long story and did not happen as a direct result of using this method). Of course, this method only works on a running engine that has had a proper initial adjustment. This method is for maintenance adjustment only. Anybody see anything wrong with this method?
That'll work too, but expect to get oil on everything nearby, including yourself. If you're gonna adjust hydraulics with the engine running, at least cut an old v/cov in half to cover up the ends of the rocker arms. It'll catch the drainback-oil and reduce about 80% of the splatter (cut it so you just barely have access to the adjusting nuts). C'ya - RAY
if I am setting valves on the engine stand I'll turn it over until #1 intake is wide open then adjust #1 exhaust, turn it till #1 exhaust is open then set #1 intake and do the same with #3 #5 and #7. Then go to the other side and start at the front and go to back in the same manner.
Yep, you're right. You have to deal with the squirting oil in some manner. I should have mentioned that. I've never had any luck with the cut-up valve covers...the oil just shoots over the top of it. Maybe I've made the openings too big. Instead, I use a piece of cardboard, cut to length. I then put a fold in it, that folds over the top of the rockers. Makes it a little hard to see what you're doing though. It would be easy to make something like this out of plexi so you could see better...I've just never taken the time to do it.
I believe that is what the manual said to do BUT on a 6cyl. I had to divide it in 1/3 and that seemed more unreliable. Thats when I went to the dist cap system. thanks for the input ED
On 4-banger motors you can use the "Rule of 9" as they call it. You have 8 valves If #8 is open, #1 will be shut fully and can be adjusted. If the valve numbers (1 thru 8) add up to 9 then one of the two is open all the way and one is shut. Open #2 to set #7 Open #3 to set #6 And so forth. I've used this forever on 4-poppers and it's the easiest thing for me to remember. Shawn
Yeah - on motors with ball-pivot rockers, there's an oil hole in the pushrod end of the rocker to provide oil to the pivot ball. Several companies used to make clips that were designed to cover those oil holes during engine-running v/adj's. I believe Moroso used to carry 'em - not sure if they still do. YUP - I should've mentioned that. And, on 4 poppers, you'd only need one other mark opposite TDC. C'ya - RAY
We cut a valve cover then added a 3 inch wide strip of metal around the top edge so as the oil doesnt get over the top. Oh and a mig welder helps a lot. John
There is a lot of validity to each and every one of your posts. Because of unique applications there may not be one across the board approach. There are basic two approaches to adjust valves. The first is adjusting valves when you know the cylinder is on top dead center. In this case you should be able to rely on your engine timing marks when you are on cylinder 1 and then rotating the crankshaft 360 degrees to cylinder 6. Provided those marks are correct the intake and exhaust valves will be closed. When 1 is on TDC 6 is rocking. The second approach is to adjust adjacent valve when the other valve is rocking (at highest possible position so you avoid overlap of valves). In this case when the exhaust valve is wide open, one knows for sure the intake is closed. This requires keeping track of what you are doing but for sure you will be adjusting a valve that is closed. Regardless of the approach the question is how you adjust because too loose will be noisy and excessive wear at contact surfaces and the other will be too tight not allowing the exhaust valves to properly seat, dissipate heat etc. If you are too tight the valve will not hold compression of the engine. I rotate the push rod and slowly tighten the nut until I can no longer rotate it, then I give it 1/4 turn. I then run the engine and check for noise and performance. Typically that works but sometimes you have to come back and make adjustments with the engine running (a mess!). Good luck. Word to wise, better to be slightly loose and comeback and tighten then too tight and compromise the exhaust valve and seat.
On a new motor I just compress the lifter about .010" easy peasy with the intake off (Hydraulic) while on the heel..
lots of ways to do it--I have done many like binder says (even 097 solid lifters )for initial fireup and never had an issue, then go back and fine tune as req.
Tried this on a 305 out of a 92... Nothing stock about it and this method almost ruined it. Was hoping this would be faster and easier but was just a waste of time
Despite building SBC’s since I was 16, always willing to listen to what others have to say. Early on, the rocker clip method and engine running seemed to be best. But over the years of tuning other engines, have adopted the static way. Did a Corvette 350, this morning(on engine stand). Gonna crack open another beer tomorrow night, and run them again. Worth noting: this is a previously rebuilt mild race engine, with super low hours. Acquired by friend, off CL, to go in his ‘78 Vette frame-off resto project. Pulled heads, oil pan and cam to verify specs and status. (.040” over forged pistons, 4 bolt mains, mild Crane race cam, all HD head n main bolts, all rods balanced) For once he wound up getting a smoking deal. I want to fire up, once I drop it all into the chassis, prior to body going on. JT
Glad I went through all of them a 2nd time Was a bit concerned about too much thread exposure, on a few. Sure enough, all very close now. Time to fill with oil and prime. Leaving valve covers off, to watch for oiling all the way to top. Have a pressure gauge hooked up as well In addition, always turn engine over, with breaker bar, while priming. Can’t wait to light the wick on this. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I started to reply to post #12 (the one where you hack open the top of a distributor cap and line the rotor up with each terminal) until I noticed this thread is 11 years old, back from the dead. Anyway, the distributor cap trick is best done with the distributor set @ 0 advance and not 35+ degrees. It seems like all the suggested methods can work just as long as you have a basic understanding of the cam lobe profiles and what and when they effect "♪ the pushrod bone connected to the rocker bone....... and the etc. bones connected to the valve bone ♪" .......................
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