Any valve lash advice from the gurus?

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MOPAROFFICIAL said:
Adjust them hot, stop specs. Lash changes on a stock motor are worth nothing but wasted time.
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Do it your way but I don't like getting burned. This old man's been hurt enough thank you very much.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Do it your way but I don't like getting burned. This old man's been hurt enough thank you very much.
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Those stamped slant rockers are usually worn and when they get hot....they really distort. Won't matter, as long as it's close, right?
Choice is a wonderful thing.
 
Hahaha. did I start something thing again? This is turning into my tape v split loom thread
 
use a box end wrench kinda z shaped. a bit easier to turn off motor put wrench on and have someone else start motor so u csn hold it then adjust. pte adjust.before its warm so less issues
 
Valve clearance changes the valve timing...you can safely go plus or minus .004.

50 years ago I quit adjusting solid lifters with the engine running. All you get is beat up feeler gauges and an oily mess.
 
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Since I have you guys, any particular pattern for removing and fastening the cover? Star pattern? Loosen them all evenly before removing? Etc
 
Futzy1 said:
Since I have you guys, any particular pattern for removing and fastening the cover? Star pattern? Loosen them all evenly before removing? Etc
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Don't get too anal about it but start from the middle and work your way out... light torque first then to spec... or close.
 
Krooser said:
Don't get too anal about it but start from the middle and work your way out... light torque first then to spec... or close.
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and spec is barely over hand tight. 40 inch/lbs is like finger tight + 1/4 turn.
 
AJ/FormS said:
Here's a compromise;
Set 'em hot, then let her cool off to ambient. Then check 'em cold, Write down your new cold specs.
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That's exactly what I did last summer. I had break-in miles on my newly rebuilt 225. (This included having the rocker arms refaced by my machine shop to eliminate the wear grooves as he had a nice little fixture to do it at $3 each.) So in theory my feeler gages were getting accurate feels. Whether he ground off any possible heat treating I don't know.
Anyway, I drove the car, brought it home and immediately, and very carefully set the intake and exhaust while they were hot. I think I went .012 and .022 based on recommendations here. Next morning on a cold stone engine that hadn't moved overnight, I measured the same clearances and set the other 5 sets to the same numbers, cold, with the engine not running. I made 2 other marks on the damper 120 degrees from TDC to make it easy to index. Easy to move the crank around using the cooling fan.

My first car was a 273 Commando Barracuda and I still have the smashed feelers from setting those valves with a running engine 45 years ago.
 
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In regards to the notches on the rocker arms. If it looks like there is significant wear, is there a direct replacement, or is it like piston rings where it is dependent to your individual engine?
 
The ruts don't seem to be an issue, so long as you set the lash occasionally, to maintain the cam's lift and duration. I have nearly 200,000 miles on my slanty, and it hasn't seemed to affect it
 
Futzy1 said:
In regards to the notches on the rocker arms. If it looks like there is significant wear, is there a direct replacement, or is it like piston rings where it is dependent to your individual engine?
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I would say it varies somewhat depending on engine mileage, previous maintenance, etc.
In my case, mine had 97K on them. I got the complete maintenance history when I bought the car and it was very good for most of its life. Then it seems the car got passed down in the family to someone who took it to college based on windshield stickers. The excellent maintenance seemed to stop about then and it was probably neglected for awhile. It was taken off the road about 1981 until I bought it.
At the last minute I brought the rockers to my machinist when I picked up the rebuilt head and he checked them with a fingernail and there were shallow grooves but not too bad at all. He said he could reface them and because i liked the guy so much I said do it. Unfortunately he died a couple weeks later. RIP. He started machining engines in 1962 and knew what he was doing.
 
KosmicKuda said:
... and immediately, and very carefully set the intake and exhaust while they were hot. I think I went .012 and .022 based on recommendations here. Next morning on a cold stone engine that hadn't moved overnight, I measured the same clearances and set the other 5 sets to the same numbers, cold, with the engine not running. ...
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So the hot and cold measurements didnt change?
 
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