Hey guys (and galls),

fired up my rebuilt engine for the first time yesterday and did the cam break in.
From the start I noticed the valves were ticking.
I checked the full cam and the ramps are all still giving max lift, no wiped lobes.

My method of valve adjustment is starting at cyl #1 on top dead center and firing. Then adjust both valves.
I then continue through the firing order.

Doing so, I noticed that when I'm ready to adjust cylinder 6 ( so 360° after cyl 1) there is lash again on the cylinder 8 intake valve.
Can someone explain me why? It seems like I must be off the base circle when adjusting valve #8.
is there a better method? I see some people adjust valves in 2 times

"Get #1 to Top Dead Center

Exh.- 1 3 4 8
Int.- 1 2 5 7
Get #6 to Top Dead Center

Exh.- 2 5 6 7
Int.- 3 4 6 8"

Is that a better method?

On my old European 4 cylinder cars its easy. When valve #1 is open you adjust #8, #2 open adjust #7,... Sum of the valves is always 9 and this works very well for sporty cams too.
Is there a similar rule for V8's?

Another method I've seen is adjust the intake valve when the exhaust just starts to open, is that better?

Any hints are appreciated!

 

Your L79 engine is different. I have the L79. You do NOT start with the distributor pointing at the #1 cylinder. The distributor is not like all the other 327's. If I remember correctly, timing mark lined up, the rotor pointing at the #2 cylinder. It is a bit difficult to find on the web because there is so much misinformation out there but you can find the correct L79 timing and valve adjustment.

My bad,,,, Never mind. I thought you were talking about timing. DOH! But when you do set the timing it is different than other 327's.

 

try this method.

 

Ok after I rebuilt my 68 327 L79 (all to stock), and after reading a number of valve lash how to's , wiping the first cam due to, I think, timing error, & installing the second cam/lifters, I followed the Jebby method.

IYou didn’t do it right unfortunately…..you start at #1 and do the lash on that cylinder….then you go through the firing order, turning the balancer 90 degrees each time….so the next is #8, then #4….and so on til you reach #2……
When you get to #2…..turn it one more 90 degree and you are back on TDC #1….done! And ready to drop distributor in!

Jebby

(which sounds like what you first did)


I am no expert but I too found LOTS of ways to do this.
But I did it like Jebby suggested, and he said (hope I got this right) that at TDC (spark plug fire), both I and E valves have to be off their ramps, otherwise, you would not have top compression for ignition, which makes sense to me. And I set the lash with a .002 feeler gauge w/slight drag between pushrod and rocker To ensure zero lash, and then 1/2 turn down from there. I then loosened all the spark plugs and with distributor (w/points) all hooked up, rolled the engine over with starter and set timing for 8BTDC. Then tighted plugs and cranked right up, ran for 20-25 min, then set timing again per specs and still running great today.

Again lots of ways to do this, but this worked for me and how I plan to do the next build. Hope this might help.

Oh forgot, GM had a bulletin out on this and somebody here recommended this too, rotate the distributor CW to straighten out tach drive cable, so #1 plug wire is not pointing at #1 cylinder but the distributor still fires #1 plug at #1TDC

 

Cheers guys.

Did it again and all is good now -I think-
sounds like it still has a kind of tick, but I think it's a header leak at the cylinder head.
now to clean it up ....

 

The ramps are so long on the L-79 that you cannot do the method you posted here.......the second "Chilton's" method.....
You did it the same way I do.....go through them again......
Blow your thumb off #1 and line up TDC......make 90 degree marks on the balancer with a Sharpie......do both valves on each cylinder as you run through the firing order. When you get to #2....you are DONE!
I lash just about anything like this......because at TDC on each cylinder the valves HAVE to be closed....I don't care what your Dad said or Grandpa or the mechanic down the street.....I don't care if the ghost of Zora says no......it just has to be. It is an absolute.......and I get a lot of resistance about it......
I can tell you that Musi, Reher and others do it this way too on street stuff.....
The other thing this does (and to me most important) is that you KNOW in your mind that ALL valves are lashed when you get to #2......

The 66' in my Avatar was an L-79.....and I lashed via "my" method (which it isn't) and it went 6000 trouble free miles before I got rid of it......

Jebby

 

I think the problem some people have with this method is that it's just too darn quick and easy. It's extremely difficult to do it wrong. With these other methods, that's not a problem.

Scotty

 

Except you have to take the manifold off to do this method. That can open a huge can 0 worms. I did mine with a modified valve cover with the engine warm and running. This is also easy and fool proof.

 

Yeah, without modified covers it gets messy quickly

 

You shouldn`t adjust valves with engine running , BUT if you insist , you can buy oil stoppers that clip on the tops of the rockers .

 

1) On a fresh engine, with a hydraulic flat tappet cam, you can't lash the valves with the engine running. Period. The lash has to be set on the stand exact for the engine to fire instantly to break in the cam.....you are not going to start it loose, and you are not going to lash it running at 2500 RPM for obvious reasons.
2) GM did not ever lash with the engine running and there is no procedure for this.
3) Lashing with the engine running will never get all of the lifters plunged the same amount.
4) You cannot lash a solid lifter cam with the engine running.
5) If you can't lash a fresh engine while running.....then why do you have to lash with the covers off at all? On a hydraulic setup, the lash, once set cold, will never change.....ever. If you have to lash with the engine running, something else is wrong.
6) Not one professional builder does or will ever recommend lashing with the engine running.
7) Nothing else in enginedom (motorcycles, powersports....anything) is lashed running, all cold and off.

And this is why you should never lash with the engine running. There is simply no reason or scenario to warrant doing it that way. If you are doing it...you are not achieving anything.

Jebby

 

Ive set them all without it running, sounds fine now bar the ticking-ish noise I hear which I suspect is a header leak. ( the "vette cor" is a Dutch wordplay, Cor is a name, Vette means Fatty)


I agree on the cold/static seting being superior to set them all on the same dept. Took the rocker cover off just for fun to be fair.

 

I have seen this video a couple of times and he brings up valid points. He also eludes to the fact that he used to do it the firing order way but too many distractions caused him to lose track of what cylinder he was on.
Well, I have a couple of things to say about this.....

1) When lashing valves or any other technical procedure that requires my full attention.....it is just that, my full attention......I will generally have Slayer, Priest or STP turned up very loud and the world could explode for all I give a **** until 10-15 minutes that this takes are over......my wife knows this, my friends know this......my stepdaughters know this and now their boyfriends know this......when I am staring at something hard and the music is on loud.....go **** off or go get a beer and watch...if you start talking, I will not respond, you may get a side-eye.......but right after I am through.....I will have a beer with you. I have high functioning Aspergers, OCD, ADD, ADHD and every other 3-4 letter acronym that bullshit society tries to label me with since I was like 8 years old......but after years of self training, you may never know it til I do something like lash valves......wait a few minutes and get over yourself. Lol.
2) When doing the firing order method....if you feel like you can't keep track, have a lot of distractions or have smoked yourself retarded and your short term memory is gone......then write 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2 on a piece of paper with a Sharpie and cross them off as you go.
3) I like the firing order method as it is logical and quick......
4) There is no problem with the way the guy in the vid does this...just another means to an end.....
5) Video man explains that the I open E closed method is a lot to keep track of......and I agree...recipe for failure to me.

Jebby

 

I been posting that clip for years. And it seams people are just to low an IQ to accept it for what it is. The only sensible way to adjust a valve train .

 

Seriously? You think the manifold has to be off to wiggle the pushrod?

 

Ok,,, probably not, but is what I keep seeing on the DIY videos. Mostly when the engine is being rebuilt. It is harder to do with the engine in the car.

 

No matter what method you use to keep track of where you are in the process, you jiggle the pushrod, then you adjust the nut. Samey-same. What is more difficult about it?

Scotty

 

When I did mine I used a long bar on the crank bolt. It's kind of difficult to keep track of the position of the crank when finding TDC and each 90* turn after that. Much easier on a engine stand. Also there is a big difference in setting the lash for the first time on a new engine vs just checking a 50 year old engine in the car to make sure it is still ok. You need to be much more careful on a new/rebuilt engine the first time you set it up. The jiggle jiggle part is the easy peasy part once you get there.
I tried the turn the crank set the lash method a few times and just wasn't comfortable on an old engine that it was correct. I am more comfortable with the engine warmed up and running when you can feel the rockers clicking and when they stop clicking. The lifters are pumped up to working pressure. It can be a bit messy but not a big deal.
There are always different methods to do the same thing with the same outcome.

 

These are oil deflector clips used to check valve lash on a running engine using stamped steel rockers. They help reduce the mess by stopping the squirting oil from going all over the place. Use a breaker bar to quickly back off the nuts until you hear it "ckicking" then snug it back down to "quiet" then about a half turn more. This method is the simplest, fastest method you can use to verify your valve lash settings on a hydraulic cam setup. Cost is around $10. Messy? Yes, but not bad.

 

Strictly an amateur here but the EOIC method using a remote starter has worked for me. It may be time consuming but to me it very simple and easy with the remote starter.