Thread: solid lash adjustment

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I'm setting the lash on a new motor with a solid cam.It says to set both at
.023.But when there is no pressure on the pushrods there seems to be alot of play.How much is normal?I'm setting these cold,I let the lifters soak in oil for a few days before installing.When I bring #1 up to TDC the lifters are just a little up out of the lifter bores but even with each other.But on some of the other cylinders the lifters are a little below the top of the lifter bore and the push rods on those cylinders have alot of play,almost to where you can get the pushrod out of the lifter.I set the lash on all lifters and noticed this problem.Is the play normal on a solid flat tappet cam?Thanks.

I set them by bringing each piston to TDC and then adjusting those valves, is this wrong?

A fellow that worked at Dick Landy's operation showed me (a long time ago) how to adjust solid lifters to the cold settings.....

When the Intake CLOSES on a particular cylinder, adjust the Exhaust. You only need to rotate the engine two revolutions to catch all of the Exhausts (which is thru the entire firing order). Dont diddle with the Intake settings.

Now, when the Exhaust OPENS, adust the Intakes. Again, you will have to turn the engine thru two revolutions to catch all of the Intakes.

This procedure assures that you are setting the lash on the heel (lowest portion) of the lobe. It's quick and easy.

You can be setting the lash on a ramp when you go to TDC..

I must have been on the ramp.I thought that #1 was on the compression stroke when it was really #6.I went back and readjusted them and everything seems fine.Why is it when I think that I install the cam right on the dots that it seems to be on #6 on the compression stroke?I have done this before on a stock engine,when I dropped the distributor in on what I thought was #1 it wouldnt fire up.I moved the dist. to #6 and it fired right up.But I know for sure that the dots were right on the money.If I turn the motor over two revolutions wouldnt that be back on #1 if I started with the dots right over one another?
With the dots installed right on top of each other,then I start with number one setting the valves cold,would this be right?Or should I start with number six?It seems that when I install the distibutor on #1 with the dots on top of each other it will not fire up.But then I turn the distributor 180* it fires like normal.Am I missing something?

Quick clarification....when the timing marks align on your cam, it's at #6. If your experience level is kinda low, try this.....you have already spotted the lifter situation where they are not seated but equal in their bore. This will work for you. Watch number 6, when it aligns the damper mark and (I repeat and) the timing mark is on the mark, do number one and so on. This simplelest way to do this is split the firing order. take a piece of paper and write the firing order down but, write the first four and directly underneath those four numbers, write the last four. When one cylinder is on overlap of the cam, the exact opposite cylinder is ready to adjust. Example when 6 is on overlap, 1 is ready to go. When 5 is on over lap,8 is ready to go. When 7 is on overlap, 4 is ready to go...get it? when you run the first four, invert the selection. It sounds hard but when you write it down like I described it comes pretty clear. Watch your marks and if you haven't marked the damper yet, please do that for visual reference remembering that ever 90 degrees is you stopping point on the crankshaft rotation. Start by bumping the engine until number 1 pops up on the damper an double check to make sure it is number 1 by looking at number 6, then start the process. overlap equals compression on the opposite cylinder in the firing order.

Originally Posted by DennyW

That makes sense what you said about being on #6, instead of #1. Your valves would be at the wrong spot, and not on the heel of the lobe. Heres why. Dot to Dot, is to make sure the gears are aligned properly. Then you must rotate the motor 180º to get the valves closed, and the piston on TDC compression stroke. Then you drop your distributor in, with rotor pointing to # 1 plug wire. At this point, both valves are on the end of the ramp, or heel part. Now you can adjust them with no problem. The only difference would be if you had a really wild cam. Then, you would want to do it the way as described above.

Now that answers alot of my questions.Now I know why it would not run after dropping in the distibutor on what I thought was #1.Thanks for helping me out, again.

Originally Posted by robot

A fellow that worked at Dick Landy's operation showed me (a long time ago) how to adjust solid lifters to the cold settings.....

When the Intake CLOSES on a particular cylinder, adjust the Exhaust. You only need to rotate the engine two revolutions to catch all of the Exhausts (which is thru the entire firing order). Dont diddle with the Intake settings.

Now, when the Exhaust OPENS, adust the Intakes. Again, you will have to turn the engine thru two revolutions to catch all of the Intakes.

This procedure assures that you are setting the lash on the heel (lowest portion) of the lobe. It's quick and easy.

You can be setting the lash on a ramp when you go to TDC..

I would never do this on any mech. or mech. roller cam.
It may work on small low lift,low duration and small over-lap cams but I.M.O. it is a bad practice to get in to.
What might work in 1965 on a Mopar might or might not work on a sbc. today.
Please keep in mind the bracket race engines of today are a whole other beast.
The guy that runs a bracket car every Saturday for points is going to have a .700 lift roller cam with about 270 to 280 degree's at .050 and a set $1,000 set of T&D, or Jessel's.