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"Tappet Wrenches"!?...Anyone?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by PackardWood, Aug 27, 2012.

  1. Rusty O'Toole
    Joined: Sep 17, 2006
    Posts: 9,657

    Rusty O'Toole
    Member

    If you bought Craftsman's most complete toolbox set in 1968 it came with a set of tappet wrenches. I know, I bought one. They are probably the least used tools in the box.

    As someone else pointed out, you can make your own by grinding down some open end wrenches or try using ordinary wrenches, unmodified. They usually work.

    Another way to adjust valves is to go down the line and check them, mark the ones that are out of adjustment with chalk then go back and just do those ones. If you service your engine regularly the ones that need adjusting varies from none to 2 or 3. And they only need a slight adjustment.
     
  2. BurnoutNova
    Joined: Mar 30, 2011
    Posts: 135

    BurnoutNova
    Member
    from USA


    Maybe there is a part number on your snap on set? If you have the part number/ model number a tool dealer may be able to search it and/or check other dealers to see if they have an old set??

    I've done this for other out of production tools, a radio knob socket for old GM cars, and flexible screwdrivers for adjusting dwell, etc.
     
  3. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Snap-on also $till make$ them...searching under "tappet" gets you to "low-torque slimline" snce the only remaining mechanics who have heard the word "tappet" are in nursing homes.
    Damn...I am having trouble finding Plomb's website for some reason. And the blasted truck guy never comes around either...good thing I already have mine.
     
  4. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC


    Well it is not MY JOB to know thats $hit, I am in solar, and electronics....He had never heard of one! You don't see me trying to get a job cutting hair, you know why? CAUSE I DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING ABOUT IT!
     
  5. hugh m
    Joined: Jul 18, 2007
    Posts: 2,143

    hugh m
    Member
    from ct.

    Got mine from McMasters...wish I could use them like Dale's old boss.
     
  6. You really owe it to yourself to learn how to adjust solid lifters on a running engine. I've found it to be a fairly satisfying experience. And when the service manual says to adjust them this way on a hot engine you figure there must be a reason for it.

    One of my favorite engines for this type of job is a Mopar Chinese six with solids. People get a little nervous when these engines get a bit "ticky" after enough miles. But after doing a running lifter adjustment they usually run so quiet that they think you've overhauled the whole engine!

    I've had good luck using a long, offset 12 point box-end wrench on the adjuster nuts. The trick here is to NOT put the wrench inline with the rocker arms. Instead turn the wrench 90 degrees so it's more inline with the rocker shaft. A lot less thrashing around this way.

    Attach a vacuum gauge (you do own a vacuum gauge, don't you?) to a good source of manifold vacuum. With the engine warmed up try to get the smoothest idle and steadiest vacuum reading you can. With the appropriate feeler gauges start making your adjustments while listening to the idle and watching the vacuum readings. Watch for a slight blip in the vacuum if the valve lash is too tight. You might see it in the vacuum gauge before you feel a miss.

    If you can easily slip the gauge between the valve stem and the rocker arm tip, it's too loose! Slowly adjust the nut down till you feel a definite drag when you try to slide the feeler blade around. If you over-adjust it you'll pick up a miss and see the vacuum fluctuate and might even hear a popping in the intake or exhaust, depending. Back the adjustment out ever so slightly till the miss goes away and the vacuum stabilizes AND you can still feel a drag on the feeler blade. Bingo, you're done! Now adjust the other eleven valves or how ever many you've got left!

    When you're all done you could let the engine cool completely down before you button everything back up. Turn the engine by hand so that you know a given lifter is on the base circle (the lowest point) of the cam lobe. Now get your feeler gauges out again and check the clearance. It should be a few thousanths greater than the hot clearance specs. If you ever need to set the lash cold to get an engine started after repairs these cold settings should get you real close. And remember that the lash specs are usually different between the intake and exhaust valves.
     
  7. Pete1
    Joined: Aug 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,253

    Pete1
    Member
    from Wa.

    "You really owe it to yourself to learn how to adjust solid lifters on a running engine. I've found it to be a fairly satisfying experience. And when the service manual says to adjust them this way on a hot engine you figure there must be a reason for it."

    Yes, there is a reason. Flat rate.
    It takes longer to "run a rack" cold.

    A camshaft is designed to run with a certain clearance. This clearance is designed to be set on the heel of the cam, 180 degrees from the highest lift point. COLD.
    The only way this can be done accurately is not running. Obviously.
    In the old days, some cam specs had a hot setting but how hot is hot?
    Varying degrees of "hot" can make .003 difference in setting.
    If you set the clearance cold and end up with a noisy lifter, you either set that one wrong or you have a bad cam and from 60 years in the cam business, you can well bet I have seen plenty of bad cams from the OEM factory.

    Oh, by the way, in your post signature, it should be "can" not "can't".
     
  8. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC

    Thanks, Packards seem to be very well designed, and have a nice little access panel to get at them, so I am gona try it hot, but not running.
     
  9. Hnstray
    Joined: Aug 23, 2009
    Posts: 12,355

    Hnstray
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Quincy, IL

     
  10. hotrodtom
    Joined: Apr 14, 2005
    Posts: 231

    hotrodtom
    Member

    I got my merit badge in hot-n-runnin' on a Mopar 170 Slant Six. With the Hyper-Pak cam it really sang but they had to be set hot-n-runnin'.
    Fearless
     
  11. 29AVEE8
    Joined: Jun 28, 2008
    Posts: 1,384

    29AVEE8
    Member


    Is Bruce Lancaster a treasure or what...
     
  12. willowbilly3
    Joined: Jun 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,356

    willowbilly3
    Member Emeritus
    from Sturgis

    I used to have some, and the bent feeler gauge. I watched old timers do it and tried it a couple times on Y block Ford. The first thing I thought of was I didn't want my feeler gauge getting hammered to shit that way, went back to other methods.
     
  13. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC

    I had wondered for a while now why there are the very thin feelers on one side of my set and real short thick ones on the other, now I know!
     
  14. Just happen to have them in several different sizes for different engines. But I have a tool box that has been being filled since before WWII.

    You can buy them new from snap-on.
     
  15. DD COOPMAN
    Joined: Jul 25, 2009
    Posts: 1,122

    DD COOPMAN
    Member

    Good advice and logic from Pete1 above. Do it COLD! DD
     
  16. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Another bit of advice I once heard, aimed at all of those Chevy folks with hammered feeler gauges and oil all over their faces:
    If you want hot settings, set one each intake and exhaust carefully with the thing running.
    Let it cool down to ambient for yoru garage and measure those to get the cold equivalent of your hot setting.
     

  17. Good one, I was taught that a good mechanic didn't have to set valve lash with the engine running. I have always wanted to be a good mechanic just to try and stay clean if for no other reason.

    Someplace I have a really old Chiltons that gives hot and cold valve lash for a lot of major engines. Granted it would not cover an after market cam shaft but the heating and cooling difference is just a ratio so if you know from your particular engine what the difference in ratio is you can figure it with a simple equation.

    Without getting really technical it works on the same principle as like triangles and the equation is the same. X/Y = XX/YY. If you know X and you know Y and you know either XX or YY you can calculate the value of either XX or YY
     
  18. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC



    Alright, LIGHTBULB! I need the COLD lash specs! Anyone know them? I might have to consult one of the Packard sites for that. If I set the lash with the engine cold, but with the "hot" lash specks, when the engine does get hot, and the metal expands my SOLID lifters would have no where to go and it would result in cam lobe damage. As much as I want to throw a timing chain on there, I could do without replacing the cam right now. So now I am thinking that cold set but with added room to allow for heat expansion is the way I am gona go. Now to figure out what the "cold lash" should be.
     

  19. Warm it and check your lash, it should be oretty close I would assume. If not set the lash and let it cool off. Check it again. If you snag an old manual or a copy of an old manual or find tuneup specs on lie it should list both.

    Changing the timming chain is not going to effect the valve lash, maybe the valve timming if the chain is loose as a goose, but the valves in relation to the cam loves, or cam followers is going to be the same.
     
  20. Bruce Lancaster
    Joined: Oct 9, 2001
    Posts: 21,681

    Bruce Lancaster
    Member Emeritus

    Post 46, set one each N and X hoy and running, let the thing cool down. Measure. There are your cold clearances.
     
  21. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC

    Ohhh, duh, thanks!
     
  22. Ole don
    Joined: Dec 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,915

    Ole don
    Member

    My widow will sell you mine, but I hope not soon!!
     
  23. willowbilly3
    Joined: Jun 18, 2004
    Posts: 4,356

    willowbilly3
    Member Emeritus
    from Sturgis

    If it's beating the shit out of a feeler gauge, how can you even be sure the last ones are set the same as the first? Just wondering.
    I use a go-no go feeler gauge, not running.
     
  24. I always get a chuckle out of it, the same fella that throws a fit if you drop his micrometer or won't let anyone use it because they might over tighten it and not it out of calibration will grab a feeler gauge and jam it in a running engine.

    Everyone is going to say in one accord that I am giving you bad advice, you keep adjusting them the way that you do.
     
  25. Blair
    Joined: Jul 28, 2005
    Posts: 361

    Blair
    Member
    from xx

    You can never have too many tools (take it from someone who has three roll-aways of hand tools)...plus if you didn't even know about a tappet wrench then there are many others I am sure you are missing.

    Check out this old long handled tappet wrench....
     

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  26. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC


    LOL are you still using them? I would much rather give a fellow H.A.M.B.er my cash instead of big corperate.
     
  27. RopeSeals???
    Joined: Jul 2, 2007
    Posts: 444

    RopeSeals???
    Member

    X2
    About 25 years ago there was an old timer that had heard me pull up to his shop in my '38 Chevy Coupe with a 216 and the first thing he said to me was that the valves were too tight...

    He hollered at his grandson for the stubby screwdriver, wrench, & feeler gauge and had them adjusted while running and the valve cover back on in under 5 minutes while I stood there flabbergasted...

    I can't even remember why I was there that day, but will always remember the lesson.
     
  28. I would buy Proto ,they are very good quality and only purchase the sizes you need .
     
  29. boo
    Joined: Jul 6, 2005
    Posts: 580

    boo
    Member
    from stuart,fl.

    i bought a couple wrenches at the flea market and ground them down to thicknes i needed, have used them for years.
     
  30. PackardWood
    Joined: Aug 13, 2012
    Posts: 485

    PackardWood
    Member
    from JoCo, NC

    Yeah I am sure I have seen some here and there at the flea market, I will be on the flea hunt Saturday, and if nothing else get some donor wrenches to customize.
     

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