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Chevy V8 valve adjustment sequence, ever done it like this?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by blackout, Mar 26, 2009.

  1. blackout
    Joined: Jul 29, 2007
    Posts: 1,320

    blackout
    Member

    #1 intake at full lift...adjust #6 intake.
    #8 intake at full lift...adjust # 5 intake.
    #4 intake at full lift...adjust # 7 intake.
    #3 intake at full lift...adjust #2 intake.
    #6 intake at full lift...adjust #1 intake.
    #5 intake at full lift...adjust # 8 intake.
    #7 intake at full lift...adjust # 4 intake.
    #2 intake at full lift...adjust # 3 intake.

    Then do the exhaust valves just like above. This is a cold adjustment, engine off. I know of 4 methods to adjust hydraulics, has anyone done it this way? What is your preferred method?
     
  2. 53sled
    Joined: Jul 5, 2005
    Posts: 5,817

    53sled
    Member
    from KCMO

    cold, I just get them to .010. rotate and check the loose ones, no particular order.
    then while running, loosen til it makes noise, tighten till it quits, then add 1/4 turn.
     
  3. t-town-track-t
    Joined: Jan 11, 2006
    Posts: 884

    t-town-track-t
    Member
    from Tulsa

    What sled says. Takes about 15 mins to do, and never have to worry about them again.
     
  4. manyolcars
    Joined: Mar 30, 2001
    Posts: 9,519

    manyolcars

    Isnt that tighten til it quits then BACK OFF 1/4 turn?
     
  5. Steves32
    Joined: Aug 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,258

    Steves32
    Member
    from So Cal

    Maybe on a near stock grind but if you have tons of lift & big overlap, Intake Open/ Exhaust Close is the only way IMO.
     
  6. noboD
    Joined: Jan 29, 2004
    Posts: 8,847

    noboD
    Member

    No!!
     
  7. t-town-track-t
    Joined: Jan 11, 2006
    Posts: 884

    t-town-track-t
    Member
    from Tulsa

    no, if you back it off a 1/4 turn then they will be noisy again. Thats not what you are after. You get them all quiet, then while its at idle, back them off individually till they make noise, then slowly tighten them till quite. Then 1/4 turn more in.

    I think you are referring to doing fasteners without a torque wrench. The way I do them is to tighten them until they start to loosen up, then back off a 1/4 turn!
     
  8. Too much for this old fart to remember. I just bump the motor around and wait for an intake valve to "just" close all the way and adjust both valves on that cylinder. If you have good peripheral vision, and fair memory, you can eyeball which cylinder is gonna be next without wasting too much time. And then I just twirl the pushrod with 2 fingers on one hand while adjusting with the other. I go an 1/8 turn from zero lash on hydraulics. This is for mild or stock cams. If you have something really big/wild, and don't know how to adjust them properly, then DON'T
     
  9. Wouldn't it be easier to start at TDC and rotate the engine 90* and go to the next cylinder in the firing order? This way you could adjust BOTH intake and exhaust at the same time.
     
  10. 42coupe
    Joined: Dec 1, 2008
    Posts: 28

    42coupe
    Member


    ---------------
    Thats how I do it. And 1/8 to 1/4 turn past zero lash on hyd lifters.
     
  11. blackout
    Joined: Jul 29, 2007
    Posts: 1,320

    blackout
    Member

    I'm thinking like Steve here. I got a whomping cam in one of my engines. I cold adjusted (set plunger pre-load) using the twist with the fingers method, using the dampner timing marks and rotating the crank, then tightening 1/2 turn or so. Hydraulics. Ticking noises. The timing mark and rotation method was recommended by the cam grinder.

    Then I did the sequence I posted initally. No ticking noises. Cant tell if the car is any faster, it was already very fast, seat of pants wont tell anything. It does seem to run smoother at cruise speeds.
     
  12. fab32
    Joined: May 14, 2002
    Posts: 13,985

    fab32
    Member Emeritus

    Would seem to make sense..............:eek::D

    Frank
     
  13. yoyodyne
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 855

    yoyodyne
    Member

    I concur. Correct is to have the lifter on the heel of the cam, this is the way to have that happen. Once I got used to doing it this way, I forgot about the rest as too tedious as well as too much chance for error.

    I do modify it slightly though, I adjust the intake when the exhaust is partly open, and adjust the exhaust when the intake is part way closed. The difference is usually less than 45° of cam rotation.
     
  14. blackout
    Joined: Jul 29, 2007
    Posts: 1,320

    blackout
    Member

    yoyodyne, what do you gain with your tweak?
     
  15. PASTDUEBILL
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 830

    PASTDUEBILL
    Member

    I've tried it the sequence way, and they were too tight. Went back to the old shoot oil all over the fender wells way. Tighten them till they quit making noise, them tighten a 1/4 turn more.
     
  16. blackout
    Joined: Jul 29, 2007
    Posts: 1,320

    blackout
    Member

    PASTDUEBILL, how did you determine the valves were too tight?
     
  17. yoyodyne
    Joined: Nov 26, 2008
    Posts: 855

    yoyodyne
    Member

    Probably nothing. I checked where the max lift was on a given lobe and rotated the crank 360° and that's where I wound up. This was on a race engine with a long overlap. When I worked on a fuel KB Hemi we did it the same way by order of the owner, and most other racers I've been around do it the same way. It's easy to watch the valves as you turn the engine with a bar or bump it with the starter.

    If the base circle of the cam is perfectly round it's unnecessary to be exactly on the heel opposite the peak of the lobe, but what is ever perfect, and where does the clearance ramp start for sure, etc. It's theoretically correct it gives us good results and it's easy, so what more do we want.

    Edit - I guess I'm mixing up what you posted and what Steves32 posted. I see the exhaust valve start to open and I adjust the intake valve. I see the intake valve almost closed and I adjust the intake valve.
     
  18. primed34
    Joined: Feb 3, 2007
    Posts: 1,518

    primed34
    Member

    I allways go back and check the valves with the engine running. When you back a valve off thats tight, the engine acts like it just took a deep breath. Cut the top out of a old steel valve cover and you won't make a mess.
     
  19. Retro Jim
    Joined: May 27, 2007
    Posts: 3,853

    Retro Jim
    Member

    I always did my running at idle . Had an old set of valve covers with holes drilled in the top to adjust . That was all the oil stayed inside plus I can hear the tap of the rockers better . I would adjust all the rockers down to get them quiet , then start on either side and back off the adjuster till the tap starts , then adjust the rocker till the tap stops and add 1/4 turn more . Never had a problem or a mess .
     
  20. Solidaxel
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 236

    Solidaxel
    Member

     
  21. shop teacher
    Joined: Jun 23, 2007
    Posts: 225

    shop teacher
    Member

    Hey students listen up- pull #1 plug - bring up to compression + on cyl. #1- adjust valves to repair manual order- no movement on the push rod, forget about spining the pushrod( too Tight). Rotate 360* adjust other valves (#6 compression ). Use shop vac on fuel tank inlet to bring fuel to carb, use VOM to turn distributor for firing . FIRE IT UP Thanks, Bill
     
  22. Solidaxel
    Joined: Feb 21, 2007
    Posts: 236

    Solidaxel
    Member

    . Use shop vac on fuel tank inlet to bring fuel to carb,

    Bill[/quote]

    Explain that a bit!!!
     
  23. olBlue
    Joined: Apr 19, 2007
    Posts: 9

    olBlue
    Member

    I've used the method outlined by shop teacher since it was shown to me in the early '60's. Works every time. (At least the valve part!)
     
  24. PASTDUEBILL
    Joined: Apr 6, 2008
    Posts: 830

    PASTDUEBILL
    Member

    Bad idle, no power, choking feeling.
    Seems to work with these other fellows, so in retrospect, it may have been a nut loose on the other side of the wrench.;)
     
  25. propwash
    Joined: Jul 25, 2005
    Posts: 3,857

    propwash
    Member
    from Las Vegas

    eight holes in a stock steel valve cover is the way to do it hot - no muss/no fuss. Of course if you're installing a new cam, you do need to get it close enough to fire, then any of the previously-mentioned procedures will get you there. I tried those clips once - what a joke - they fly off, oil leaks all over anyway...big header fires/stink/mess.

    I don't like spiders and snakes....

    dj

    dj
     
  26. chopolds
    Joined: Oct 22, 2001
    Posts: 6,304

    chopolds
    Member
    from howell, nj
    1. Kustom Painters

    I use the order in the Chilton, like shop teacher says. works every time, and you only have to turn the engine over 180* once. On many cars you really can't do a running valve adjustment, due to accessories and such.
    I use the "tighten down til you can't twirl the pushrod and then 1/4 turn more" method.
    On brand new engines that haven't had the lifters "pumped up" properly, the cold set method doesn't work well, and you wind up doing it over again...running.
    I recently did a "pro built" engine I installed in a 34 Terraplane I am building for a guy, and whe we started the engine, the headers turned red hot in seconds! I double checked the timing, adjusted the carb, checked for vacuum leaks, the works. Nothing helped. So I readjusted the valves, running, and it fixed the problem.
    I went to NAPA and bought the little clips you put on the rockers, with a tiny cone that goes into the oil paassage hole. It made doing a running adjustment much cleaner, but it is STILL a messy job!
     

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