best way to adjust valves

whizzernick

whizzernick

Well-known member
I am now ready to adjust valves on a 1934 ford with adjustable lifters. there is a hole to stop lifter from turning. I am looking for the easy way.
 
I do them one at a time with the lifter on the heal. There are methods that have you adjust multiple valves at a time. I wouldn't do it that way, but if you do be sure you know the duration of the cam you are using and that none of the lifters are on a ramp.
 
That hole to block the lifter from turning makes the job a whole lot easier. With the piston at the top of the compression stroke, neither valve in that cylinder is on any ramp. Start with any cylinder and then move to the next cylinder in the firing order and rotate the crank in its running direction to get that piston to the top of its' compression stroke.
 
With the heads on, and the sparkplugs out, rotate the engine clockwise. With your finger over the sparkplug hole. The instant the piston is at top dead center the (air) pressure pushing against your finger will change to sucking. Too easy, and very accurate.
 
I wouldn't attempt setting the valves without a TDC pointer and marker on the crankshaft pulley. It is fairly easy and quick to establish. Pull the plugs, insert a stop into the number one cylinder (anything soft will do, like a zip-tie large end). Make a pointer to attach to the front of the engine that is close to the pulley. Rotate the engine gently until the piston contacts the stop. Mark the pulley with something like chalk at the point of the pointer you installed. Rotate the engine in the opposite directing until the piston contacts the stop again and mark the pulley again. Half way between the two marks is TDC. Repeat the rotations a couple of times to double check and you have TDC.

Now, remove the stop from the cylinder and rotate the engine (normal directing of rotation) until it is on the compression stroke (air is coming out the sparkplug hole) and the pulley is lining up with the TDC mark. Now set the valves for the number one cylinder.

Rotate the engine 90 degrees and set the next set of valves in the firing order. Then rotate 90 and set the next set all the way through the timing order (two complete rotations of the crankshaft).

This doesn't put the lifter on the heel of the lobe, but it will work (at least on a stock cam).

Some examples of the pulley pointer.
 

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My dad had a tool that bolted on, in place of the dist. It was made of aluminum and It had a wheel, about 4/5" in diameter and a index mark. It had 8 locations to index to and what valves were to be adjusted at those marks.

I don't have it now, it was lost, many years ago. Also, I don't remember who made it but, I haven't seen one, since then.

It could have been a Snap On tool, as he had almost all Snap On tools. I still have his tool box and many of his tools from the '40's.
 
good ol' bruce lancaster showed us how to make one in one of his many tutorials. god bless the man
 
Too think before the 8ba, we didn't have light marks to know what was going on, ohhh we didn't have timing guns. Few old posts on doing so. I use the timing bolt one with a file mark on the crank.


doing the zip tie method is a fine method. Head off with a dial indicator is better.


The two piston offset intake, exhaust adjustment of cam has been sort of explained.
 
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This is the valve sequencing I have used for years! Simple and accurate

When you pull off the intake manifold you will find one of the combinations listed on the left side of the chart. As an example you if find an “a” set opened you use all of the “a” sequencing. If it is a “b” use all the “b” sequencing and so-forth.

Hope this helps. Tom

Sequencing:

Valves Opened - Adjust these

a) 4X -- 1N ---> 3X- 3N- 8N- 6N- 7X- 2X

b) 8X – 5N ---> 1X- 7N- 6N- 7X- 3N- 2X

c) 6X – 4N ---> 5X- 2N- 1X- 7N- 3N- 2X


a) 3X – 8N ---> 1X- 7N- 5X- 2N- 4X- 1N

b) 6N – 7X ---> 5X- 2N- 4X- 1N- 8X- 5N

c) 3N – 2X ---> 4X - 1N- 8X- 5N- 6X- 4N


a) 1X – 7N ---> 8X- 5N- 6X- 4N

b) 5X – 2N ---> 6X- 4N- 3X- 8N

c) 4X – 1N ---> 3X- 8N- 6N- 7X

Hope this helps

Tom
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Well not totally Tom. I know if the 1 intake is closed the 6 exhaust is open. I'll take some time to digress what you posted.
 
I always find it interesting how difficult these methods can become! Just put the lifter on the heel of the cam and adjust that valve!!
 
JSeery said:
I always find it interesting how difficult these methods can become! Just put the lifter on the heel of the cam and adjust that valve!!
Click to expand...
This!! To help you to put the lifter on the heel of the cam, Set the intake lifter when the exhaust valve(lifter) starts to open, Set the exhaust lifter when the intake(lifter) starts to close. This is done on one cylinder at a time! Pete
 
Ok. Listen carefully.

Take all the plugs out.

Turn the engine and watch the exhaust valve on No.6. As it just closes and you see the inlet valve just start to move, adjust both valves on No.1.

Here's the firing order. 15486372

Turn the motor and as you approach 90 degrees crank movement watch No.3 exhaust valve. As this closes and the inlet just starts to open adjust both valves on No.5.

Turn 90 and look at the firing order for the next valve to watch and which ones to adjust.

In this case the next ones would be watch 7 adjust 4.

I'll write it out..

Watch: 63721548
Adjust: 15486372

That's how I would do it. It's basically the in car version of the method in the video. You can see the valves from the tappet chest.

Mart.
 
V8COOPMAN said:
I'm gonna go cook another batch of popcorn for this one, too! DD
Click to expand...

It's like beating a dead horse, so really no reason to comment on it, I shouldn't have in the first place! :)

Unless it's a stock original cam, I would start by degreeing the cam, so that sorta negates all of this anyway. :) :)
 
Thank you all for lots of ways to adjust valves. I should have said that I wanted an easy foolproof way. I found a way that works good for me. first I needed a way to turn over motor. I used a battery with cables to starter with a modern solenoid and a push button to jog motor.
I then removed plugs. This next part took time to find out the best and easy way to get TDC on each cylinder. The method I found was to have 3 separate feeler gauges .012 a .013 and a .014 . Next starting at #1 cylinder I turn motor over till i could insert .012 feeler gauge between valve and lifter . Then I jog motor around to the loosest spot that the .012 moves in and out . That spot is TDC

This is the best and easy way to get to TDC . I then try other feeler gauge to

find out exactly what I have. Then I can adjust if needed to clearance I want.
This is a method that works when motor is still in car and you don't want to remove too many parts.
 
frnkeore said:
My dad had a tool that bolted on, in place of the dist. It was made of aluminum and It had a wheel, about 4/5" in diameter and a index mark. It had 8 locations to index to and what valves were to be adjusted at those marks.

I don't have it now, it was lost, many years ago. Also, I don't remember who made it but, I haven't seen one, since then.

It could have been a Snap On tool, as he had almost all Snap On tools. I still have his tool box and many of his tools from the '40's.
Click to expand...

I have this tool. A couple of companies made them. I'll try to post a pict of it. It's a neat tool to have.
 
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