I'm waiting to fire up my fresh 383 and want to make sure I have the rockers adjusted properly so I don't bend a pushrod or collapse a lifter. I used Shoebox's instructions(method 2), but I just took the valve cover off the drivers side and things don't look right. Some of the poly locks have more threads showing than others. Should they all be roughly the same? Also, is there a way to get oil pressure before I start it up? I have an MSD oil pump drive that I don't think will come out with the engine installed(no room under cowl) so I can't just spin the oil pump shaft. Like this.

 

Yes, the threads should be similar if not the same distance into the rocker.

What you have done is adjusted the engine 360 degrees off. You were at #1 when you thought #6 or vice versa.

Doing it method 2 is a waste of time to me. Set the engine to #1tdc and then adjust all the valves that you can, then rotate the motor a full turn, and adjust the rest. That is the simplest method.

Don't run the car with the way you have it now.

If you notice while adjusting that some locks are going down much deeper than the others, there is a good chance that you are off 360 degrees. To verify that you are at #1, you can pull the #1 plug and stick a screw driver down there. If you hit a piston top, you're at #1. If you don't, you're at #6 tdc.

When setting the valve lash with poly locks, once the nut is hand tight you're pretty much at zero lash also. It makes adjustment super easy.

 

When you add your engine oil, just pour it all over both cylinder heads and coat your valve train. Pull the ignition fuse to kill fuel and spark and then just crank the engine over for a few seconds. This will drive the oil pump and prime the system.

 

Thanks. After looking at the threads again, they all seem to be pretty similar, only 1 or 2 are showing more threads than the others. I think I adjusted them properly, its just the lifters bleed down and they seem loose now. There doesn't seem to be any slack in the pushrods, its just the spring in the lifter that I'm feeling. I'm just try to be extra cautious cause I don't want anything to happen to this motor. I had the exhaust manifolds off when I adjusted them initially, so I could see when the piston was at TDC.

I was planning on disconnecting the fuel pump fuse and the two coil connectors(I'm running a coil on plug setup) and just cranking the motor over for a bit to build up oil pressure. I just wanted to make sure this wouldn't hurt anything.

Thanks again.

 

If you can visibly see that some locks are in deeper than others then I would set the lash again. They can be off a little but it should not be visibly noticeable.

 

I always use method 3 on initial setups. One cylinder at a time, exhaust and intake, then moving to the next. Buy a starter trigger, it's worth the price. Before installing any locks I'll turn the motor over and get the oil pressure up. Car won't start or leak fuel into cylinders using the trigger [jumping the starter]. Then I go through and do them one pair at a time. Works very well. If you're not sure then redo them running, a sure fire way to know the lifters are getting oil/pumped up.

Just how I like to do it.

-Dustin-