Valve adjusting

Quigley1930

Quigley1930

Senior Member
Can I check the valve clearances with the manifolds in place or is it better to remove them? Also what do all you experts suggest for the clearance on a stock motor?

Sewall
 
No need to remove manifolds for checking. It may be easier if adjustment is needed though.
Others will chime in but,
intake .010-.012"
exhaust .013-.015 " [ if 'B' cam specs .020" unless grinder says differently]
 
All I've done is take the valve cover off and take out the spark plugs so it is easy to raise and lower the valves.
 
Quigley1930 said:
Can I check the valve clearances with the manifolds in place or is it better to remove them? Also what do all you experts suggest for the clearance on a stock motor?

Sewall
Click to expand...

Hey Quigley,
Unless you have young/nimble hands , it is an easy job of removing the manifolds to do valve adjustments. Probably do a more accurate job also. For instance, there is no way that you could do that job with my 'claws' :D ! Can you say muscle cramps.....
 
I have the same question. My 'Touring' Engine was built by Ron Kelley. In his 'General Instructions', with the delivery of the new engine, he instructs "Inspect / Adjust valve clearances at 2,000 miles, to .012 / .014 on Intake valves, and .016 / .018 on Exhaust valves. INSPECT / ADJUST valves every 6,000 - 8,000 miles thereafter."

My 'Touring Engine' also has a cast iron Exhaust Header (goes with Cragar/Stromberg Intake manifold) that drops down low and covers 90% of my Valve Cover. I have not looked into 'special' tools, sockets, etc. to see if the Valve Cover can be removed WITHOUT first removing the Exhaust Header. But a quick glance says 'NOT A PRAYER'.

So that brings me back to the original question of Quigley1930's original post :
"Can I check the valve clearances with the manifolds in place . . . ?"
 
BTW, heads and manifolds should only be removed at room temperature.

I removed the exhaust manifolds from a big block Chevy when it was still fairly hot. When I went to bolt them back on 3 days later, the holes didn't line up. I had to heat one side with a torch to bolt it up.
 
Valve adjustment can be done on an engine with original type manifolds without removal of the manifolds. It would be easier to perform acurate valve adjustments with the manifolds removed and thats the way that I do mine.
 
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