Hello, are there any experts out there that have experience setting the solid lifters in a chevy 283 with the 097 solid cam? The settings are .12 int. and .18 exh. hot. Can these be set cold, and if so what would you set them at? I originally set them at .14 and .20 cold to break the cam and lifters in, and now need a cold setting from now on. Thanks!
You should be close at .014and .020 but if you want it right set it at .012 and.018 hot and running. In my opinion this is the only way to be accurate with the stamped rockers etc.
Setting SBC solid lifters brings a lot of memories back.................. The only way to set them correctly is hot and running. Back in the day I had an old vlave cover with the top cut off, it was cut higher on the exhaust side of the head, and the Moroso clips that went over the end of the rocker arms to prevent the oil from shooting 6' over the fender of the car. Also had some towels draped over the inner fender wells just in case. The 097 Duntov is a sweet cam, had one in my 56 Chevy and one in 48 Chevy back in the late 60's.
Nostalgia cam....nostalgic procedures. The only way I know. I don't know of a clean way of doing it. The clips are a big help but it's still a messy job.
If it were me, I'd set one cylinder with the engine hot and then let it cool down. Check the lash on the valves set hot (I've never found much difference in hot and cold settings on engines with cast iron heads) and set the others to match it. I haven't set the valves with the engine running on anything in lots of years. And I've seen gap gauges that were beat flat and useless from use on running engines. Just another opinion. Larry T
Standard rule of thumb for setting cast iron SBC's with solid lifters is .002 over the hot running lash. Once you've done a few hundred the hot running lash will be right on. I promise only the first few hundred will have to be fine tuned after warm up. "Practice makes perfect" Frank
NOT exactly what you asked ... But I have found that the use of a Moroso stud girdle REALLY helped keep the valve lash the same ... Once the camshaft, lifters and valvetrain have a few miles on them and have settled in ... the lash does not change much at all with the stud girdle.
You are on the right track at .014 and .020. And if you can snag a stud girdle like Deuce is speeking about that would help too. Not only does the girdle help keep the valves adjusted it'll add 500 RPMs to your top end just by stabilizing the valve train !!! >>>>.
Comp Cams has a lot better stuff out now then the 50+ year old technology in the 097, lots more lift in todays cams, unless its for a restoration..
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