Thread: SBC hot lash hyd lifter/valve adjustment

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I'm sure you have all heard this already and I've tried to search the forum for it. I've been trying to set my valves for a couple of weeks now. I've tried the crane cam way and the comp cams way which are the same. They state to pick a cylinder and when the exhaust opens adjust the intake-and when the intake opens fully and almost closes adjust the exhaust. I've done this several times....I've got to zero lash and tried adjusting 1/4,1/2,3/4, and 1 full turn each time. I get good results w/ performance and all but the valvetrain is just noisy as hell! and I can't stand it.
I also tried adjusting w/ the engine running w/ limited success. I can get all the rockers quiet but the performance doesn't seem as good. By this I mean the car doesn't accelerate as fast and seems to surge. When I did the adjustment I would pick a rocker and loosen it until it rattled and then tightened it until it became quiet....but that's as far as I could go on all of them. I could get them where I could actually feel them get to the point where they were snug but I could not get them the additional 1/4 turn that is required after you get the rocker quiet. If I turned any farther the engine would run like shit or die. I did have my vacuum gauge on the car while I was doing the adjustment. I noticed that when I tightened the rockers my vacuum would decrease and when I loosened them the vacuum would increase. Doese this play a role in the actual adjustment? Should you try to get the highest manifold vac. while adjusting? My rockers still make noise even after getting them all quiet and then taking the car for a drive. Do I just have to put up w/ the noise?
I also noticed that oil is not squirting out of the pushrods/rockers. I mean it comes out but it doesn't come out squirting like I was told it would....meaning squirting all over the place. If I rev up the engine it will squirt out better but not like I thought it would. On some rockers it will squirt out good on others it will just come out the rocker hole and fill up the where the polylock is. Am I doing this procedure right or do I have crappy lifters? ALL FEEDBACK APPRECIATED

Thanks Denny you must be a night owl too...That made sense. So actually the reason my engine kept dying when I tried to adjust that is because it wasn't breathing correctly and in sync w/ all the other cylinders right? I mean I tried that before but the engine would keep dying when trying to get those last 1/2 turns in. Is this normal for the engine to want to die before you get every polylock/rocker adjusted correctly....Do you just have to deal with the engine wanting to die all the time until all the rockers are set correct. Does having a vac gauge hooked up at the same time have any merit? This is probably the last hurdle I need to get past besides putting in the 3.42's Thanks

No I would just turn 1/4 at a time, I wouldn't wait and turn a little at a time. That has to be the ticket. I am so tired of adjusting these things. What state are you in if you don't mind me asking?

I didnt even see that below your posts...don't I feel like a horse's ass.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by onemangang

I also tried adjusting w/ the engine running w/ limited success. I can get all the rockers quiet but the performance doesn't seem as good. By this I mean the car doesn't accelerate as fast and seems to surge. When I did the adjustment I would pick a rocker and loosen it until it rattled and then tightened it until it became quiet....but that's as far as I could go on all of them. I could get them where I could actually feel them get to the point where they were snug but I could not get them the additional 1/4 turn that is required after you get the rocker quiet. .

Do You have poly-locks on there, or do you just have adjustings nuts? If you have poly-locks do you understand how they work?
What you stated above(I could get them to where they were quiet but could not get them the other quarter or half turm) sounds like the adjustment screw on the poly-lock is bottoming out. Thats why I ask if you understood how a poly-lock works.

Once you get a valve to the point it has just stopped clicking, it is going to idle rough for a few seconds when you go the other have turm . Thats OK. It will clear up as soon as the lifter builds back up. Just dont let the engine cut off.

Next question, Are you absolutely sure thats a hydraulic cam????
If you have a solid lifter cam and solid lifters you are going to ruin some valves trying to adjust them like hydraulic lifters.

Small block chevy valves are the easiest in the world to adjust if they are hydraulic. It should only take a half hour or so.

I applaude Denny for the help he has given you. Denny , You have a lot of patience.

Yeah riverhorse I do have polylocks and I know how to use them correctly, And yes I do believe that the cam is Hyd. but I haven't pulled it out to verify. I have verified that the lifters are Hyd. as I had to pull my intake before. Thanks for the post.

The engine dies because when you tighten the adjusting nut too fast with pressure in the lifter you are actually holding the valve open (not seating all the way) for a split second or two....That way the vacuum decreases and the engine wants to die....

You can also use the other meathod to adjust valve... the engine fires every 45 degrees....so imagine or draw a line every 45 degrees from the timming mark (if the timing mark were 12 o'clock there would be a mark at 3, 6, 9 o'clock)

Put the engine on #1 timing mark on zero....adjust #1 valve....turn engine 45 degrees adust #8 and so on....

Yeah oneman do what Denny as mentioned as backing off u will learn the clicking noise that isnt suppose to be their. Some cam profiles are just noisey. JMO and my exprience but maybe my stuff wasnt set up right either.