GCD1962

There are probably as many different methods for adjusting solid lifters than there are valves in your engine. A number have been posted previously. I did come across one method that appears to be the most accurate as the valve you are adjusting will always be on the base or heal of the cam. This is for small and big block Chevy engines and is based upon opposite cylinders of your firing order. The procedure is as follows:
Intake Valve Adjustment
With #1 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #6 Intake
With #8 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #5 Intake
With #4 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #7 Intake
With #3 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #2 Intake
With #6 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #1 Intake
With #5 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #8 Intake
With #7 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #4 Intake
With #2 Intake at full valve lift - adjust #3 Intake

Exhaust Valve Adjustment
With #1 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #6 Exh
With #8 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #5 Exh
With #4 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #7 Exh
With #3 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #2 Exh
With #6 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #1 Exh
With #5 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #8 Exh
With #7 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #4 Exh
With #2 Exh at full valve lift - adjust #3 Exh


The "opposites" on the Chev engine are

1 - 6
8 - 5
4 - 7
3 - 2

This allows all settings to be made when the lifter is on the heal of the cam. When the cylinder is at TDC, it is not often the correct location to get the proper lash setting.

I always try to set the gap according to the specs of the cam with maybe a little bias toward the "tight" side, (i.e maybe .001 less than spec). Setting the valves tighter or loser can gain or lose some power at lower or higher RPM ranges (I forget which is which). I've set the valves using this methods the past couple of time on my '62 with LT-1 short block and cam and it seems to work quite well.

Frankie the Fink

That's a new one on me ?!

I've always used the following procedure and never had a problem. I don't have a nut on the front of my harmonic balancer to turn the engine and this method saves wear and tear on the starter/flywheel as I only have to hit TDC twice:

For a small block Chevy (or any engine with a firing order of 18436572) you can set the valves by turning the engine over just two times. Bring the engine up to #1 firing (both #1 valves closed and the timing mark aligned with zero on the timing tab) and adjust as follows: exhaust valves 1,3,4,8 and intake valves 1,2,5,7 bring engine up to #6 firing(rotate engine one complete revolution) and adjust as follows: exhaust valves 2,5,6,7 and intake valves 3,4,6,8.

Simple and works like a champ.

wmf62

Frank
i always set mine running, otherwise i would have used the method you listed. John, on the other hand, uses the 1st method.
Bill

Frankie the Fink

I adjust lash .002 tighter to compensate for 'cold' setting technique. This has worked beautifully for me on the '61.

I hate the oily mess required to do a 'hot' running adjustment. On other cars I hacked up old valve covers so they would contain the hot oil but give access for adjustment but I haven't gotten around to that for the vette.

Plasticman

To be sure that the cam is dead center on it's base circle when making the adjustment on the "opposite" valve, is the method that GCD1962 shows. It was a method that Crower Cams dictated, and I have always seen the wisdom in it. OEM cams have very long clearance ramps, and the only way to be absolutely positive is the method shown above.

Yes it takes longer, but it is "positive".

Plasticman

Frankie the Fink

I'm prepared to settle for something less than 'absolutely positive' if it means I'm not wearing out my starter trying to hit 16 different valve positions. Then there are those that swear you can only do it correctly on a running car...

GCD1962

Take out the plugs so it's easier to rotate the engine with either the balancer bolt, or a tool sold by jeg's and a breaker bar. Note that you are turning/adjusting according to the firing order, so you only need to make two revolutions.

Plasticman

I would never try to hit those valve "events" with the starter.

Plasticman

Frankie the Fink

Yeah but I don't have a balancer bolt...when the car was up on the lift at your house we were turning the motor over by using a big screwdriver in the flywheel teeth - a real PITA...

CP64365

I found this article on the internet doing a search for 30-30 solid lifter cams for the 365HP engine ('64-'65). It says it is a method for adjustment with a cold engine. Has anyone tried this method and does it work. Here is the link to the article

http://65corvette.nonethewiser.net/t...AdjArticle.pdf

GCD1962

Jeg's part #555-80743. Bolts to the balancer and uses a breaker bar to easily turn the engine.

The method I mentioned is the most accurate for ensuring the lifter is on the exact base of the cam. I'm not saying there are other way, just that this is the most accurate and is easy as you progress in the firing order. The "tighter" and "loser" suggestions, I'll leave that up to each individual, but my preference is to stay as close as possible to the specs of the cam

Double-E

It's the only method I use, and it does work well (327/365)

Kensmith

I never adjust valves hot and yes, this is the way I have always adjusted them. Remove plugs, use socket on crank nut, and I use masking tape to mark 90* on the pulley at the 4 locations (90,180,270,360). Makes it really easy to adjust using this method.

BarryK

that version of the tech article is old and out of date.
Here is the most recent version:

http://www.lbfun.com/warehouse/tech_...n/SBvlvadj.pdf

piper

Barry, is this the same as A STAYING-COOL GUIDE TO ADJUSTING SOLID LIFTERS

BarryK

Is that the name of the article? If so I'm not aware of that one. The one I posted the link to from my tech articles page is from JohnZ and Duke Williams and has been around a number of years and revised a few times, most recently just about 5-6 weeks ago

JohnZ

Yes, it is - I wrote that article too, published in the October, 2004 issue of "Corvette Enthusiast" magazine.

mrruffhouser

Being new to the forum I really soak up this great information and knowledge that is shared here. I have tried several methods of lash adjustment described in repair manuals, and postings that have not worked for me. I decided that this posting from GCD1962 was what I was looking for.
I started to adjust my valve lash with this excellent information and as I got to the last line for Exhaust valve adjustment, "with the Exh at full valve lift-adjust #2 Exh". I wonder, should the adjustment be made on the #3 Exh instead as posted as the #2 was already adjusted opposite #3 several adjustments earlier?
This method makes for an easy and accurate method of adjusting, especially in my case of starting from "scratch". NO running engine and I don't know the cam that is in the engine other that it's somewhat like a 30-30 cam. I adjust the lash over 20 years ago on a hot running engine and don't remmember the lash that I put in it. After checking with a lot of web sites and some old parts manuals, I deceded to start my lash adjustment at 0.23" cold, for both intake and exhaust valves. I guessed at this adjustment as a starting point since I didn't think that my cam was in the .008 to 0.10 lash range. When running it has that nice lopping sound and pulls to 6500 very strongly. The engine is a 327 Hi Performance creat engine that I had installed by GM in 1969 and unfortunately I did not get the cam shaft info.
I would appreciate any and all ideas. I need help

wmf62

just food for thought; i don't want to start the old pi$$ing contest that raged a long while back, but i disagree with the LT-1 lash settings in BarryK's article. i tried them at the time and it took ALL the low end torque out of the engine.
Bill

JohnZ

If it's a GM crate engine made in '68-'69 with a solid-lifter cam, it most likely has the "30-30" cam in it; the "097" Duntov cam went out of production in 1963, the "30-30" started in 1964 and continued through 1969, and the LT-1 cam didn't start until 1970.