help with valve adjustment

can someone explain to me the proper way to adjust the valves with the engine running? thanks.

Easy as listed here (http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#adjust_valves).

thanks. is this a messy procedure? will oil be spewing everywhere and should i just do with the engine cold or what? i've never done this on my own and the way with the engine running seemed easier on paper. what do you recommend?

also if i do it cold and turn the engine myself wont i have to pull the radiator and the fan out to reach the crank?

Whatever method is a personal preference. Everyone will give you a different answer. They all give the same result (though some will tell you one method is better than another).

Pull radiator and fans? LOL, you can easily reach the crank from the bottom. :) Put it up on ramps. It makes it easier on your back, anyway.

ha ok thanks for the info. i was hoping i wouldnt have to go through all that.

what kind of tools will i need for this?

A wrench or a ratchet w/ the right socket on it,obviously lol.

A few rags also to keep oil off the headers as much as possible.

i will not need feeler gages? if so what size

No feeler gages needed thats for solid lifters not hydraulics..

1. Warm motor [this also allows the idle speed to be lower when you do it, resulting in less oil mess]
2. Shut off motor..
3. Take off valve covers[4 bolts each side, 3/8" socket.. ]the gaskets are usually reusable, if you are careful..
4. Make 'oil catchers' out of old newspaper or tin foil, etc.[ make it like a 'U shape' 6" or so high that sets into the lip of the lower side of each cyl head] so any oil drains back into the head, not onto exhaust manifolds, etc... not much shoots out, don't rev the motor though, or a lot more will..
5. Start motor..
6. With 5/8 deep socket, loosen[CCW] each adjuster nut until it clacks, then slowly tighten [CW] until it is silent, then go 1/4 turn past that point.. Do all 16 rockers..
7. Shut motor off..
8. Remove the 'oil dams' and them throw away..
9. Replace valve covers [torque to 106 INCH LBS]
9. Done!

wow thanks alot to everyone.

one more question before i go out and do it. would doing it with the engine off (cold method) be more accurate or are they both about the same? i just want to make sure i am doing the best thing for my car in terms of power and fuel efficency.

ok so heres my problem. see if you can help me now. i start the procedure and loosen the rocker arms. theyre clacking. now i go to tighten one and it shuts the engine off completely. did i not loosen them enough to start or what?

Too tight will cause loss of vacuum. Are you doing the engine running method now?

Tighten SLOWLY 1/4 turn past where the ticking stops.. too fast it stumbles etc
Do ONE at a TIME too... don't 'loosen all of them' otherwise you can't hear the ticking..
Loosening all of them too much would be a prob[ as in valves not opening..]

thats what i was thinking. one thing though. i made another thread before this because i messed up on the valves and the car wouldnt start. i pretty much tightened them too much. so i went thru and loosened all of them just to be able to start car in order to adjust them the proper way. if that makes sense haha. thanks for all your help though. i appreciate it. i'll try to right my wrongs again in the morning. hopefully it will work out because i have to have my car this weekend haha.

If it wont run enough to do it while running, you have to do ot the other way[statically]

how would i do it that way?

how would i do it that way?

'Static' is the 'engine not running' method in shoebox' link in one of the above posts..

ok that was my next step. i know im sounding like an idiot with all the questions but i just want to make sure i do it 100% right.

my problem now is that i lifted the car to access the crank and low and behold its a very tight fit between the crank/belt and the fan. i am assuming this is because i had a larger engine put in the car (went from a 350 to 396). would that be the cause of this tight fit or am i just not seeing the easier path to the crank? and if so (lol sorry) does this mean i would have to pull the fan out to reach this?




hmmm looks like i have my saturday planned out for me already haha.

ok that was my next step. i know im sounding like an idiot with all the questions but i just want to make sure i do it 100% right.

my problem now is that i lifted the car to access the crank and low and behold its a very tight fit between the crank/belt and the fan. i am assuming this is because i had a larger engine put in the car (went from a 350 to 396). would that be the cause of this tight fit or am i just not seeing the easier path to the crank? and if so (lol sorry) does this mean i would have to pull the fan out to reach this?




hmmm looks like i have my saturday planned out for me already haha.

Ok, time to tell us what kind of car you have and what engine is in it (small block, big block...). This whole thread just seems too bizarre.

74 z28. 396 big block.

74 z28. 396 big block.

I guess it begs the question.. solid lifters or hydraulics?[I thought you had a later model F body..]

how would i find that info out? i just got the car recently.

how would i find that info out? i just got the car recently.

Perhaps the previous owner can tell you.

:( This is the problem with people not giving any info up front. I think everyone assumed you had a stock-ish 4th gen. All advice was primarily based on that assumption. Now, we don't know if you even have a hydraulic or solid lifter cam. If it is a solid lifter cam, you will need to know just what it is to find out the lash setting it needs. You would use feeler gauges in that case.

You are going to have to find out what is in it.

ok good news. i contacted teh previous owner and it does have hydr lifters in it.

ok im about to do this procedure. can anyone outline it for me. i read it over in a few books and on a few websites but i would just feel more confident if i had an actual human being giving me the steps. also, yea another dumb question. the crankhub is on the front of the engine near the fan right? thanks agian everyone.

also the intake valve is on the right and exhaust on the left correct?

Follow method 1 from the link originally provided in this thread. The firing order of a 74 big block is still 18436572. I prefer the cold engine method myself.

The crank hub is the lower center pulley. Should be a 5/8"-3/4" socket. Don't try to go back if you over shoot a timing mark, you'll just loosen the crank bolt.

The intake/exhaust valve location (for a small block) is not consistent. I'm not sure for Big blocks, but a good guideline would be to look at the exhaust manifolds/headers. If the center 2 are together, so are the valves. On a small block, it's:
ei ie ei ie
on both sides.

Valve lash adjustment has a feel to it that is best learned from someone firsthand who knows how to do it. If at all possible, try to get someone to help you with this.