Valve Adjustment

Leatherback 57

Leatherback 57

Member
I installed new valves and ran adjusters all the way down. I have at least .050 clearance except 2 valves that I had to grind stems.Adjusted all to .015. Couple valves only have max .025 left on adjusters before they bottom out.Should I grind those stems to allow more adjust room or am I ok?
 
Something is not right here, if I am interpreting your post correctly. May I ask what set of instructions you are following for setting your valves, and if you are using modern valves and/or a modified cam?
 
All my old valves had the stems cut down. Before doing valve job, I adjusted Al lifters down to bottom. Ground 3 angle seats and installed new valves and lapped in. I use the plus 9 method for valve adjust. Clearance before adjusting valves as noted. After adjusting all valves to.015 a couple lifters only have .010 left before they bottom out. The stems I ground allowed for. 050 extra for further adjustment if needed. Usually clearance gets larger with wear. Just wandered if I should give the2 valves a stem grind or let go.
 
Leatherback 57 said:
All my old valves had the stems cut down. Before doing valve job, I adjusted Al lifters down to bottom. Ground 3 angle seats and installed new valves and lapped in. I use the plus 9 method for valve adjust. Clearance before adjusting valves as noted. After adjusting all valves to.015 a couple lifters only have .010 left before they bottom out. The stems I ground allowed for. 050 extra for further adjustment if needed. Usually clearance gets larger with wear. Just wandered if I should give the2 valves a stem grind or let go.
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On a flathead engine I suspect that, if anything, clearances are going to tighten up with miles as the valves wear into the seats. Not much else there to wear. The heel of the cam lobes will never wear, nor will the stem and lifter faces. If the bottoms of the lifters wear, kiss the cam goodbye in short order.
On overhead valves, clearances can get larger with wear: pushrod tips, rocker arm faces and pivot points all wear.
 
Leatherback 57 said:
All my old valves had the stems cut down. Before doing valve job, I adjusted Al lifters down to bottom. Ground 3 angle seats and installed new valves and lapped in. I use the plus 9 method for valve adjust. Clearance before adjusting valves as noted. After adjusting all valves to.015 a couple lifters only have .010 left before they bottom out. The stems I ground allowed for. 050 extra for further adjustment if needed. Usually clearance gets larger with wear. Just wandered if I should give the2 valves a stem grind or let go.
Click to expand...

Well, that all seems OK on a second reading. For a driver I usually set my valves at .011in and .014ex, but this gets down to person prefs. I just aet my coupe at .015ex and that seems a little noisy. Funny how .001 can make a diff. When the weather allows I'll go back to .014.
 
I have set mine on sixteen thousants , Intake and exhaust . More time on the seat better cools the valves and reduces the chance of burning valves. Snyders recommended this setting , years ago and it has worked good for me . My reground Winfield super street 3/4 race cams use the same sixteen thousants gap .
 
40 Deluxe said:
On a flathead engine I suspect that, if anything, clearances are going to tighten up with miles as the valves wear into the seats. Not much else there to wear. The heel of the cam lobes will never wear, nor will the stem and lifter faces. If the bottoms of the lifters wear, kiss the cam goodbye in short order.
On overhead valves, clearances can get larger with wear: pushrod tips, rocker arm faces and pivot points all wear.
Click to expand...

Plus one. Flathead will loose clearance.
 
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