Thread: adjusting rockers

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Mt friends and I were adjusting my rockers and I thought I would ask all you engine builders(I'm on my 4th) a question regarding adjustments. Back in the late 50's and 60's I always adjusted the rockers by taking off the valve cover and tightning them down until the racket went away. If I tightned them to much you'd know right away and back adjustments off a quarter turn. I still do this and was wondering if any one else still practices this. Beside being messy with the oil spraying the engine, I never had any problems doing it this way, but again I'm talking about older engines with hydraulic cams.

Originally Posted by chevy 37

Mt friends and I were adjusting my rockers and I thought I would ask all you engine builders(I'm on my 4th) a question regarding adjustments. Back in the late 50's and 60's I always adjusted the rockers by taking off the valve cover and tightning them down until the racket went away. If I tightned them to much you'd know right away and back adjustments off a quarter turn. I still do this and was wondering if any one else still practices this. Beside being messy with the oil spraying the engine, I never had any problems doing it this way, but again I'm talking about older engines with hydraulic cams.

To set hyd. lifter pre-load make sure the lifter is on the base circle of the lobe.
Tighten the rocker arm until you get the push rod to just turn a little between your fingers.
This should be the close enough to the .020 to .060 pre-load required.
Rotate engine until the next lifter is on the base circle of the lobe.
Then move on to the next lifter and do the same thing.

Cut access slots in an old valve cover and use it when adjusting lifters on a running engine.

for a short time ford techs were getting a set of plexiglass valve covers with just a hole big enough to fit your socket in over each rocker stud..... i've got me a set i scored off of the old master tech at our shop before he retired.... i love um

Originally Posted by chevy 37

Mt friends and I were adjusting my rockers and I thought I would ask all you engine builders(I'm on my 4th) a question regarding adjustments. Back in the late 50's and 60's I always adjusted the rockers by taking off the valve cover and tightning them down until the racket went away. If I tightned them to much you'd know right away and back adjustments off a quarter turn. I still do this and was wondering if any one else still practices this. Beside being messy with the oil spraying the engine, I never had any problems doing it this way, but again I'm talking about older engines with hydraulic cams.

I gave it up - too messy, too hot, not necessary. I bring a cylinder to TDC, adjust I and E, rotate it 90 degrees and do the next one. Cinch it up until zero lash, then a quarter to a half turn.

Here's some ideas,

First: there are little clips you can buy at the autoparts that will clip on the rocker arms and plug the oil hole, allowing you to adj. rocker arms without spraying oil everywhere.

Second: The way I have always adj. hydraulic lifters is ; bring the cylinder to TDC on compression stroke,{both lifters should now be on the base circle of the cam}, tighten down the rocker while turning the pushrod between thumb and forefinger until you start to feel drag. Then go 1/2 turn past that and you're done. Move to the next cylinder and repeat.

I've only built a few engines, but it has always worked fine for me.

Just my 2 cents

Originally Posted by Sinister

Here's some ideas,

First: there are little clips you can buy at the autoparts that will clip on the rocker arms and plug the oil hole, allowing you to adj. rocker arms without spraying oil everywhere.

Second: The way I have always adj. hydraulic lifters is ; bring the cylinder to TDC on compression stroke,{both lifters should now be on the base circle of the cam}, tighten down the rocker while turning the pushrod between thumb and forefinger until you start to feel drag. Then go 1/2 turn past that and you're done. Move to the next cylinder and repeat.

I've only built a few engines, but it has always worked fine for me.

Just my 2 cents

If you go another half a turn past feeling drag then you have exceeded the .020 to .060 pre-load.

Hey Erik, let me get your thoughts on this.

I have read in the Crane cams catalog that if you soak your hyd. lifters in oil, the way a lot of people do, they will act like a solid lifter while trying to adj. them,thus not getting the preload you should. That's why I do the extra half turn.I'm not saying this is the only way it should be done, just my theory on it,

Keep in mind I only have a few builds under my belt.

I would appreciate if you or anyone else would get back to me on this!

lifter on base circle no play in push rod all free play out 1/2 a turn watch the clip holding the plunger in the lifter plunger needs to be off the wire clip i set the lifter with the intake is off done many this way never have to go thru them

I started doing them the way most of you do, i read this way in a manual, so i tried it, seems ok to me. I never could get it right doing it with the engine running, so i tried the tdc way, spin the pr till it no longer spins, then 1/2 more.

Originally Posted by Sinister

Hey Erik, let me get your thoughts on this.

I have read in the Crane cams catalog that if you soak your hyd. lifters in oil, the way a lot of people do, they will act like a solid lifter while trying to adj. them,thus not getting the preload you should. That's why I do the extra half turn.I'm not saying this is the only way it should be done, just my theory on it,

Keep in mind I only have a few builds under my belt.

I would appreciate if you or anyone else would get back to me on this!

I guess it also depends on what you call "drag".
The main thing is not make sure you have .020 to .060 pre-load.
I.M.O. it is much better to have it a little on the loose side than tight side.

Just one more reason I like my mechanical roller cams!!! Feeler gauges don't lie!!!!! We've played with valve adjustments for years. Maybe I'm a bit too detail oriented, but when I do run hydraulics, I have a stand for my dial indicatro and do the preload thing with that....

Hmmmm. Gotta wonder how many of these wiped out cam lobes we keep hearing about are from a lifter that was bottomed out instead of pumped up, then another half turn on the wrench???? I do my initial lifter adjustment on fresh engines BEFORE I put the intake manifold on.... If I can see the lifter, I know where the plunger is at......

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

Just one more reason I like my mechanical roller cams!!! Feeler gauges don't lie!!!!! We've played with valve adjustments for years. Maybe I'm a bit too detail oriented, but when I do run hydraulics, I have a stand for my dial indicatro and do the preload thing with that....

Hmmmm. Gotta wonder how many of these wiped out cam lobes we keep hearing about are from a lifter that was bottomed out instead of pumped up, then another half turn on the wrench???? I do my initial lifter adjustment on fresh engines BEFORE I put the intake manifold on.... If I can see the lifter, I know where the plunger is at......

fine but with a dail gauge you would need two one on the lifter and one on the rocker ..no need to get that fancy .my ford friend all you need is a wire feeler gauge if it slips under the plunger and clip on the lifter then you know how much of a turn and the fine thread nut needs on the rocker Nut a 1/2 turn is good .just like any thing it takes some time if you not not have it you will in trouble

Yup, good point Pat, that will work just fine!!! Still gotta wonder if improper adjustment accounts for a bunch of these bad cams????

for a short time ford techs were getting a set of plexiglass valve covers with just a hole big enough to fit your socket in over each rocker stud

I have often thought of a cheap plastic valve cover for running valve adjustment.

Is this another million $ idea waiting to happen - or are they still made?