Adjust valves

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hippy 60

hippy 60

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I rebuilt a 66 273 and put a comp. cam in it solid lift but i have never had one with the solid lifters and i don't know how to adjust them,I would like to do it before i put the motor in my car and i need someone to walk me through what i need to do to adjust them.I don't want to ruin a new cam on start up.I have a diagram but don't understand it .The lash on it is 16 on intake and 18 on exhaust.Thanks for any help....
 
Lots of threads on this, do a search on the small block forum. First thing to know/do is get #1 to TDC, after that its all cake----------------------Good luck.
 
Best to have a friend come over and go over it in person, if you've never done it. Also need to consider break in procedure, oil type, piston to valve clearance , spring pressure etc. What is the cam #?
 
Yes, to do it right you need a degree wheel, and dial indicator so you can degree in the cam timing. Not required, but it helps to do that. Finding #1 TDC can be tricky, too. Get help from an experienced engine builder, or cam installer. There is alot that can go wrong.
 
Basically rotate the engine and adjust the rockers till the feeler gage will slip in. I do a go, the size I'm looking for and .001 larger as a no-go. Since you will be doing this cold, add .002 to the gap. Keep rotating till you get all valves adjusted on the base circle or 0 lift. This base circle is approximately when the other valve is about max lift, but not always.
 
Yes having someone around with good experience is a smart thing to do. Start with #1 cylinder and roll engine over till it comes up to exact TDC top dead center on the compression stroke, (both Valves Closed, this is when the spark plug fires too, both rocker arms even, can be easy to be 1 revolution off when the valves are opening . . not good.) Set the recommended valve lash on both valves on number 1. Then roll it over and go to the next cylinder in the firing order and do the same, TDC on the compression stroke. So on and so on all the way through the full firing order, making sure each cylinder is up on compression stroke and both rockers are even when setting the valves.

Have done all kinds of VW 4 cylinder opposed engines that all had the solid lifters and adjustable rockers. Also have done the V8s with the hydraulic lifters and adjustable roller rockers, you have to deal with adjusting the additional preload with hydraulic lifters once you have achieved Zero lash first. So this is where it gets tricky to really identify the type of valve train you really have and not just by hearsay. Things can go wrong if you don't get it right.
 
Another way is EOIC, which means

Bump the engine until the EXHAUST valve starts to OPEN and then adjust the intake on that cylinder

Bump the engine until the INTAKE valve has opened and is almost CLOSED and then adjust the exhaust on that cylinder

Comp Cams



Steve Morris Engines

 
67Dart273 said:
Another way is EOIC, which means

Bump the engine until the EXHAUST valve starts to OPEN and then adjust the intake on that cylinder

Bump the engine until the INTAKE valve has opened and is almost CLOSED and then adjust the exhaust on that cylinder

Comp Cams

Click to expand...

This is the way I was taught and I have been doing it this way since Moby Dick was a minow!
 
312P4452989.jpeg

Copy paste and keep....
Live it, learn it, love it!!
I ad .002 when cold.
273 rockers are great, BUT the adjusters are a bind fit. Good the first few times, BUT wear easily and stop holding there adjustment after time. You can buy after-market adjusters from comp through Summit. they'll have a lock nut on them to hold them in place and they are hardened. You have to fill the top of the cast like so...
20150227_210007.jpg

So the new set nut will tighten flat.
If they don't stay tight problems will follow...
My-2...
 
j par said:
View attachment 1715295937
Copy paste and keep....
Live it, learn it, love it!!
I ad .002 when cold.
273 rockers are great, BUT the adjusters are a bind fit. Good the first few times, BUT wear easily and stop holding there adjustment after time. You can buy after-market adjusters from comp through Summit. they'll have a lock nut on them to hold them in place and they are hardened. You have to fill the top of the cast like so...
View attachment 1715295938
So the new set nut will tighten flat.
If they don't stay tight problems will follow...
My-2...
Click to expand...
I have done it this way, but requires to much turning of the engine by hand. I'd rather use the EOIC method.
 
Very Nice Mopar Performance Valve Lash Adjusting Chart !
Will be keeping that one, don't have to hand crank the engine over so many times to bring them all up to top dead center. Even though it rolls over easier when all the spark plugs are out.
 
George Jets said:
Very Nice Mopar Performance Valve Lash Adjusting Chart !
Will be keeping that one, don't have to hand crank the engine over so many times to bring them all up to top dead center. Even though it rolls over easier when all the spark plugs are out.
Click to expand...
You will have to turn it over by hand unless you can bump it over in exact 90* increments.
 
And how close are you went you bump it over on EOIC?....you are making a judgement call on went the starts to move.....

Actually Mopar used to have another chart that would get you done with only one full rotation ....let me see what google shows up with
 
70aarcuda said:
And how close are you went you bump it over on EOIC?....you are making a judgement call on went the starts to move.....

Actually Mopar used to have another chart that would get you done with only one full rotation ....let me see what google shows up with
Click to expand...

Yea I have that chart somewhere but you still have to turn it 4 times.

now that I think about it, it is 90* 4 times so yea 1 turn
 
Can not find the chart....found references to it in the Mopar Engine book....but it was designed for camshaft with smaller duration but they never tell you went to change to the 8 position chart....oh well...to each his own
 
Garys72Duster said:
Best to have a friend come over and go over it in person, if you've never done it. Also need to consider break in procedure, oil type, piston to valve clearance , spring pressure etc. What is the cam #?
Click to expand...

I agree with this^^^^^ ....and not because I think you cannot do it. Think of the consequences if you don't get it right. As something you've never done before, having someone there whose experienced is invaluable. I have no doubt we have a good stand up member in your area who would be willing to help. It's not hard to do, but there are a few correct procedures and you need to use one.
 
I like the EOIC method. Works good even with long duration, hi lift roller cams. Easy to do, no charts to follow. That's the one I always use.
 
I don't use the charts. After double checking by turning and verifying lash I would find some a bit loose. I'm sure it is close, but that is not good enough for me.
 
j par said:
View attachment 1715295937
Copy paste and keep....
Live it, learn it, love it!!
I ad .002 when cold.
273 rockers are great, BUT the adjusters are a bind fit. Good the first few times, BUT wear easily and stop holding there adjustment after time. You can buy after-market adjusters from comp through Summit. they'll have a lock nut on them to hold them in place and they are hardened. You have to fill the top of the cast like so...
View attachment 1715295938
So the new set nut will tighten flat.
If they don't stay tight problems will follow...
My-2...
Click to expand...

Never had a problem with 273 rockers. The most I have on a set is 400,000. I've adjusted them 2 or three times, including startup. They are either tight or not. If loose then your fix is good. My max lift is .500. I have no experience with more than that.
 
SGBARRACUDA said:
This is the way I was taught and I have been doing it this way since Moby Dick was a minow!
Click to expand...

Chevy racers way^^^^^^^^^^^^, nothing wrong with it !
I do it the mopar way.
Might be confusing to u, but if ur running cast iron heads, you can set them cold , .004 tighter , before ever starting the engine , aluminum heads set them .006 tighter cold. I round mine of to around .011 cold, for .016-.018 , then rerun them again after a heat cycle , but always let it cool and do it cold , always right too !
My only problem is getting mixed up in the mopar rotation cycle-
If u ever raced a stocker or superstocker and experimented with lash setting, it wouldn`t bother you at all !! Long as u don't go too tight or too loose !
Tightening them down gives more lift, loosening them takes a little away , used to be a tuning aid.
Solid or solid roller only !!
 
66fs said:
Never had a problem with 273 rockers. The most I have on a set is 400,000. I've adjusted them 2 or three times, including startup. They are either tight or not. If loose then your fix is good. My max lift is .500. I have no experience with more than that.
Click to expand...
I just say this because I did have two or three that wouldn't hold tight. And I went ahead and got the the aftermarket Adjusters. On my duster with the stroker I had at least a 585 lift that scene 7000 RPMs regularly. No problems. My wife 66 Barracuda had a couple that would back off occasionally and cause a rattle. I just go in there and take them down again but I ended up selling the car as we have a 41 Studebaker we want to restore instead. I just had a couple like I was saying that work great but I had issues with them backing off. I would say if it's a full-out race or we'll see the track I would definitely think about spending the $78 for the hold Downs. if it's a streetcar that's not going to see over two or three grand regularly you'll probably catch the rattling and Ticking before it does anything major. The once they start losing their bind and someone's adjusting them back and forth too much they will eventually work there were a loose...
 
j par said:
I just say this because I did have two or three that wouldn't hold tight. And I went ahead and got the the aftermarket Adjusters. On my duster with the stroker I had at least a 585 lift that scene 7000 RPMs regularly. No problems. My wife 66 Barracuda had a couple that would back off occasionally and cause a rattle. I just go in there and take them down again but I ended up selling the car as we have a 41 Studebaker we want to restore instead. I just had a couple like I was saying that work great but I had issues with them backing off. I would say if it's a full-out race or we'll see the track I would definitely think about spending the $78 for the hold Downs. if it's a streetcar that's not going to see over two or three grand regularly you'll probably catch the rattling and Ticking before it does anything major. The once they start losing their bind and someone's adjusting them back and forth too much they will eventually work there were a loose...
Click to expand...

Any of my 273's were shifted at 3 grand minimum. I set them hot and running once broke in.
 
66fs said:
Any of my 273's were shifted at 3 grand minimum. I set them hot and running once broke in.
Click to expand...
I think there's about fifty different ways I've heard of people slicing this cake. I just picked one and stayed with it and it seems to work...
 
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