Pulling the engine and tranny to replace all gaskets and seals this weekend and valves need adjusting too. While I've got the engine out and on the stand, is it acceptable to adjust the valves cold? If so, what's the cold specs? Thanks for any and all info and opinions!
Adjusting valves with cold engine
- Thread starter sargentrs
- Start date
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RustyPlymouth
Well-Known Member
not really. best done running and warmed up. you can get it close cold but to get it right it needs to be up to operating temp.
As the engine and it parts heat up, clearances change. You can add .003 to the spec and set them cold if you want but...
You're cheating yourself out of the experience of riding the running rockers with a feeler gauge in one hand and a boxed end wrench in the other. About the time you've got the rhythm / hang of it and actually enjoying it, you have ran out of rockers to adjust.
I group this experience with jail and ***** house. Gotta do it once just to say "been there done that".
You're cheating yourself out of the experience of riding the running rockers with a feeler gauge in one hand and a boxed end wrench in the other. About the time you've got the rhythm / hang of it and actually enjoying it, you have ran out of rockers to adjust.
I group this experience with jail and ***** house. Gotta do it once just to say "been there done that".
Nice reply!!!!!
tekslk
Well-Known Member
I never came back from the ***** house.
72Dodge
Well-Known Member
It's not as hard to do it warm/running as it seems like it would be. It's dirty, but not as dirty as I expected it would be either. I'm talking about the rockers, not the whorehouse, by the way.
69_340_GTS
Well-Known Member
Adjust them hot once. (The engine does not need to be running.) When it cools down, re-check them when cold. Now you know what your "cold" clearance should be, and unless you drasticaly change something, that's your number to use from now on.
Just happened to be in the garage to put my valvecover back on the six after adjusting the valves last night. Cold I am getting 11 and 13 if it helps. would still re adjust when hot though. 74 SE non ac though, 225.
72Dodge
Well-Known Member
Go read the advice on slantsix.org. there's some good threads there on it. Opinions vary all over, but there's explanations on why cold or warm not running is not preferred. Warm and running is so easy compared to what you'd imagine, I don't really see any reason to take any shortcuts.
Charrlie_S
Well-Known Member
If you are getting 11 and 13, you have a problem. Cold should be about 11 to 12 on the intake, and 21 to 22 on the exhaust. Hot setting with a stock cam is 10 on the intake, and 20 on the exhaust.
nm9stheham
Well-Known Member
Be smart make the running adjustments easy on yourself: use a rachet, socket and wobble end extension; held at the right angle, this will allow all the rocker motion to be taken up at the wobble tip and none will go to your hand.
dragondan64
Banned
make your own open top valve cover and set after running temp for best results and to keep oil from draining down your block and headers lol! heres an old 6 cyl valve cover opened for this exact reason.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
I see ABSOLUTELY NO REASON to set valves runnining. Just get it fully up to temp, and get "things ready" IE wiring hoses etc so you can quickly get the cover off the engine.
I use what is called EOIC
This means you bump the engine until the EXHAUSE valve just starts to OPEN. You adjust that matching intake
You bump until the INTAKE has opened and is nearly CLOSED and adjust that matching exhaust.
Adjusting valves with a "hot grind" especially at TDC is not correct because the lifters can be "on" the start of the ramps. Using EOIC insures that you are on the backside of the cam
I use what is called EOIC
This means you bump the engine until the EXHAUSE valve just starts to OPEN. You adjust that matching intake
You bump until the INTAKE has opened and is nearly CLOSED and adjust that matching exhaust.
Adjusting valves with a "hot grind" especially at TDC is not correct because the lifters can be "on" the start of the ramps. Using EOIC insures that you are on the backside of the cam
nm9stheham
Well-Known Member
It's a lot quicker than bumping the cam all around..... (Done it both ways BTW)
dragondan64
Banned
if they are hydraulic lifters with adjustable rockers like most guys have it needs to be running but yeah solids are good after warmed up to set them with it off that's a given.
Uhoh, I was doing .008 and .010 per the book I have (Haynes). Might explain a prob I am having.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Is it really? After cleaning up the oil mess? No thanks, LOL
RustyPlymouth
Well-Known Member
seriously there isnt much of a mess. and it is faster and easier to do it running. as long as you arent revving the motor the oil splashing around is minimal.
mopowers
Well-Known Member
:dontknow:
dragondan64
Banned
One reason....hydraulic lifters with adjustable rockers need to be set hot and running to get them right and lifters loaded correctly, not everyone runs solid lifters on street engines
grumpuscreature
Resident Curmudgeon
You do if it's a slant made before 1981...
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
You can adjust hydraulics stopped as well. I used to do so all the time. All the "chivy guys" used to splash oil all over the floor until one day it occurred to me that Mopar V8s are not normally adjustable.
So I just took a "chivvy" and figured out how to adjust them for zero lash, then with the engine off tighten them all down by whatever amount. 1/2 turn used to be common. Then just let 'em sit for 10 minutes and go have a cup of coffee.
You do have to pay 'tention to what you're doin'
So I just took a "chivvy" and figured out how to adjust them for zero lash, then with the engine off tighten them all down by whatever amount. 1/2 turn used to be common. Then just let 'em sit for 10 minutes and go have a cup of coffee.
You do have to pay 'tention to what you're doin'
dragondan64
Banned
Everyone has "their way" to do everything I just choose to do it correctly and quicker then bumping the engine over to set valves in between rounds at track we have it down to a science on both solid and hydraulic.
nm9stheham
Well-Known Member
Seriously.... what oil mess at idle from a /6? The oil just dribbles out of the oil holes in the rockers.
Doesn't have to be any oil mess. With a hot engine.. roll 'er into the bay, raise the hood, loosen the distributer and dial the timing by hand slowly until you find a spot where the end of the radio antenna stands perfectly still ( If plugs wires, etc.. are all up to snuff, the sweet spot should be there ). Next go to the curb idle screw and lower the rpm slowly. You'll probably be quite surprised at just how slow it will idle. Now grab the air ratchet and zip the valve cover off and have very little oil loss.
Surgeons reach into living bodies every day. The prep work was done though.
How often do we get a chance to get under the skin of a running engine ?
Surgeons reach into living bodies every day. The prep work was done though.
How often do we get a chance to get under the skin of a running engine ?
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