adjustable lifters

Dick M

Dick M

Well-known member
I am attempting to adjust my adjustable lifters for the first time. I am using the valve adjustment method from the Les Andrews red book. My question is: Do you simply hold the lifter with a wrench and turn the adjusting nut for proper clearance when making the adjustment? Further, is there a locking mechanism for the adjuster? I sure do not want to put it back together and have the adjustment change on me. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
Dick M: You can't change the clearance and measure it at the same time. To be able to turn the adjusting nut, you have to rotate the camshaft to it's full lift position. You make an adjustment and then rotate the camshaft to it's lowest position and then you check the clearance. There is a valve adjustment procedure called the "Rule of Nine"..........

If you have adjustable lifters, the best method is the "9" method.

Number valves from front to back 1 through 8.

It is fairly easy to determine when a valve is at the top of it's lift. When you have reached that position on #1 valve you adjust the corresponding valve to equal "9". In this case it's #8 valve.

Continue with 2&7, 3&6, 4&5, 5&4, 6&3, 7&2 and finallly 8&1.

If you use different clearances for intake and exhaust, you need to pay attention. I put a piece of masking tape along the bottom of the ports and mark the settings there and cross them off as I finish.

 
Thanks Al. I still do not understand. When #1 is at the top #8 is at the lowest point. Your reply states you must have the valve at the top position to make the adjustment. Your rule of nine states to bring #1 to the top position and make the adjustment on #8. However, at this point, #8 is at its lower position not the top position. What am I missing?? Thanks again.
 
There are hundreds of methods to adjust valves. Most involve keeping track of something or learning a certain order of doing things.
Here is a very easy method. Start with #1 valve (frontmost). Rotate engine till the valve is wide open. Mark the pulley with some reference point so you can come back to that point. Rotate the engine ONE turn. Adjust the valve you are working on.
Done with that one. Mark it with chalk so you know it is done.
Go to the second valve, follow the above procedure. Go till all 8 are done.
Rub all the chalk marks off.
This procedure insures all valves are adjusted on the heel of the cam. (ESSENTIAL)

"Been in the cam business 60 years"
 
Dick M: When #1 is at it's full open position on the camshaft, and you can access the adjusting nut, you will be able to measure the clearance on #8 (9 minus #1 equals #8). Remember this clearance value as compared the your spec for #8 and move on to the next valve that comes up to max height. Subtract it's engine position from nine and you have the valve number of the valve you can take a clearance measurement on. (ie 9 minus #2 equals #7 valve). So if #2 is at it's full open position, you can measure the clearance on the #7 valve. The rule of nine is used so you can measure and adjust clearances in a quicker fashion. So by remembering the clearances, as valves that come up to their max heights (so you can access the adjusting nut), you can then make an adjustment to the clearance previously taken.
 
Pete said:
There are hundreds of methods to adjust valves. Most involve keeping track of something or learning a certain order of doing things.
Here is a very easy method. Start with #1 valve (frontmost). Rotate engine till the valve is wide open. Mark the pulley with some reference point so you can come back to that point. Rotate the engine ONE turn. Adjust the valve you are working on.
Done with that one. Mark it with chalk so you know it is done.
Go to the second valve, follow the above procedure. Go till all 8 are done.
Rub all the chalk marks off.
This procedure insures all valves are adjusted on the heel of the cam. (ESSENTIAL)

"Been in the cam business 60 years"
Click to expand...

Pete,

That's the best one I've read of yet....for the layman !

Dudley
 
Keep in mind you can adjust the lifter by keeping track of how far you move the head bolt.

The bolts have 24-threads per inch; one complete turn of the bolt moves up or down about 0.042". Turning the bolt one-flat moves the bolt up or down about 0.007".

If you measure the gap between each lifter and valve stem; you then can see how far you need to move the adjustment up or down. Example: measured space between lifter is 0.028", and you want 0.014"; turn the bolt up 2-flats (equals 0.014") up, and you should be very close to the gap you want.

I hope that makes sense.
 
Al and Pete,
I just went out and looked at my valve train. I can get a wrench on the lifter to hold it in place and a wrench on the adjustment nut when the lifter is at the lowest point. I plan on making the adjustments tomorrow. Thanks for all of your help.

Ron,
I get exactly what you are saying. So far I'm about .002" lose on the one I checked. Looks like a little piece of the flat is what I need. Your info will keep me from making any big moves and errors. Thanks!
 
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there are double lock and single lock lifters. The single lock type have no locknut or jam nut; the threads are deformed a bit so that the adjusting screw will stay where you put it.

The double lock type have a jam nut or lock nut to tighten down to hold the adjusting screw. You have to have wrenches on both of these nuts or else the clearance will change when you tighten the jam nut. They can be quite a pain.

I was taught by an old timer years ago to set both intake and exhaust at .013, which is what I have always done. Bill Stipe suggests .012 but even on his cams I use .013. I do not wish to burn any valves. I have no lifter noise at .013

For the record if you use a Stipe cam be sure to use the single lock lifters, they have a wider base. A Barner here recently already ran into this issue.

when the opportunity arises some of use cut the lifter bosses down about 3/8 inch so that we can measure and adjust at the same time. I never cut down the first dam however even tho the valve cover does not go up as high as the dam does.
 
Tbirdtbird, thank you for answering my last question. I have the single nut adjusters and I am ready to head out to do the job.
 
I'd suggest removing the sparklers, it makes turning the engine much easier. I grab the pulley or belt [ not the fan] so I don't have to keep grabbing the crank.
 
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