EOIC - Exhaust opening, Intake closing. Turn the crank until the exhaust valve starts opening, then set the intake lash. Turn the crank until the intake valve starts to close, then set the exhaust lash. This method ensures that you're on the cam's base circle. This is how I've always done it, but I'm either having a brain fart right now or I've been doing it wrong. Regardless, I haven't thought about it until now. So with my adjustable pushrods adjusted all the way in when I put my heads back on last night (early Hemi), when I turn the engine over by hand and wait for the exhaust valve to start opening to set the lash on the intake, my pushrods are all still adjusted all the way in. Without having my exhaust side adjusted correctly, I wouldn't get an accurate reading when determining when to adjust the lash on the intake. Hopefully I'm making sense, I've heard lots of old time Hemi guys talk about EOIC, but where's the starting point?
There are many ways to adjust the valves but on a 90# V-8 engine you need to start at TDC on #1 cylinder. Easy on the Hemi, drop a welding rod in the spark plug hole and turn the engine clockwise until the piston quits pushing the rod up. Now you are at TDC but on which stroke, compression or exhaust? Look at the valves and if both are closed it should be on compression. The timing mark should be at "0" on the balancer. Now mark the balancer at 90# intervals and you should have three marks you made plus the factory "0". Now rotate the engine clockwise until the pointer lines up with the next mark you made on the balancer and adjust the valves on the next cylinder in the firing order. Keep doing this for two revolutions of the crankshaft and you will have adjusted all of the valves. This is the most basic and easy method.
The Jalopy Journal
