Valve lash adjustment LONG

Pittman

Pittman

New member
OK heres how it all got started. The instructions on my lifters say to rotate the pushrods until you feel resistance while tightning the rocker nut. I did that but was unsure on the "feel"... I read a post on here and then went to some MFG sites and read about going to ZERO lash and then 1/2 to 1 turn more. I thought hum here is a method I cant screw up. I thought I had to check um since I can get my passenger side valve cover off in under a couple minutes. Sure enough I had the number 6 cyl intake with way to much preload. Well since I found one this way Id better look at he dirver side (bitch to get off). While backing the rocker nut off I noticed I could pull the rocker back and depress the pushrod into the lifter by atleast 1/8 of an inch with no effort using just my hand it had very slight resistance in any. I adjusted to zero lash point while trying not to depress the lifter. Started it and now I have the lifter noise that does not go away. These are crane lifters and not all of them will depress easily by hand. I got a stock lifter and an old pushroad and tried to see how easy they were to depress and couldnt. I can try to re adjust them by pushing the road into the lifter (to take up that 1/8 inch of slack) but if I do its noticeable on the stud how far I have the damn rocker sitting down. I just dont think somthings is right. Could I have put too much preload on them in the beginning and f'ed up the hydraulic mechanism?? Do I need new lifters?...Yes Ive read all through Cranes wed tech.

I need help :cry:

Thanks!
 
jwaller

jwaller

Evil Genius/SyTy Guru
you didnt mention that you are putting each cylinder on TDC while adjusting. I hope you are.
 
Pittman

Pittman

New member
John: Yep

I hate doing with it running. Ive done it before on a Nova and got oil everywhere. It look like we were doing a film for the Man Show.


Ok tonight I will do it with the truck is running that is the only way to tell if something is totaly wrong are just out of the adjustmen. How nasty is the oil pump in this truck the nova I did this with was nasty looked like someone turn the sprinkler on.
 
jwaller

jwaller

Evil Genius/SyTy Guru
it's going to make a mess. and if you've got those ATR's uncoated then it will stain them...I did it to mine by accident.
 
myclone

myclone

Donating Member
Let the eng get up to temp so it will idle lower for one thing. Then make some splash shields out of card board and put em between the valve springs and the lower valve cover mounting flange on the head.

No fuss no muss.. :wink:
 
Falco

Falco

Donating Member
I remember sombody mentioned that you can cut up a pair of plastic valve covers. Just cut a big enough holes above the nuts on the cover so you can adjust them with the valve covers on. I never tried this, though...

HTH,
 
Syclone#892

Syclone#892

Member
I did it with the engine running, much better way I can never get them right otherwise. I was lucky that we had a 4.3 valve cover from a monte carlo we had so I cut the slots in it and no oil mess at all. Just make sure you don't cut the cover too much, I did and I covered it with some masking tape so that alls you saw was the rocker nut. Good luck hopefully you won't be tearing it apart again.
 
Pittman

Pittman

New member
Ive got them to were Im satisfied now. I tried the no valve cover approach and all I can say is that the oil pump works GREAT. Thurough splash sheilds got in the way of adjusting not to mention making a mess fast. Anyways I found a problem.......One of the crimp nuts that I used (new ones) on the rockers didnt have a lot of crimp. I noticed that the rocker had alof of play. When I re-adjusted it I noticed it didnt have any resistance. So, I think it was backing off. I put a new one in that was alot tighter. To adjust I went to zero lash and then in 1/2 turn put the valve cover back on started and got he stethoscope out. I found on some I had to go in by as much as 3/4 - 1 turn to get all the "ticken" out. Anyway a reall PITA (lots of time) I agree the splash sheild and doing it while running is the BEST way but my little helper is in chicago tonight and needed her to do the starting and stopping. Another problem I have is being toooo picky I guess the roller rockers make a little more noise? I dont have any ticken noise but you can hear the valve train a little more than before. I take it this is the norm....??? Oh well the idle is 100% smoother and I did find two that I had out of adjustment. I dont like the tighten and twist method.
 
Pittman

Pittman

New member
Oh yeah forgot to say


Thanks guys for the help

Especially Jwaller, Thanks for always answering my emails.
 
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