I have the car sitting with the valve covers off, I just finished bleeding the cooling system so the car idle for prolonged periods. Only thing is, I can hear which freaking rocker is clacking or not!!! I have all the poly locks backed off and I can't discern which is clacking or not. I am starting to get really annoyed with adjust these rockers. How are you supposed to do it? Are there any tips? I got the blower whining in my face, the exhaust rumbling, and even with a mechanics stethoscope I still can't figure out which rockers are clacking and which aren't.

 

sucks you can't hear the sound, I had to hold my head real close to the rocker to hear the difference. I remember when you tighten the nuts when they first start to stop, using a handtightening method is almost dead on to zero lash. You'll feel the nuts just stop from easy to hard thats where you want to be at. Personally I would just turn the car off and do each by hand, cause might as well get it right.

 

Ditto what D James said.

 

I did the damn things by hand and 2 or 3 were clacking when I started it. How would I find TDC if the mark on my hub is not accurate???

 

you could have someone turn over the car with the coil disconnected and hold your thumb over the number 1 spark plug hole. When it hits TDC the pressure will push your thumb off. both intake and exhaust valves will be closed, when at TDC. So you can turn the car over to match the timing mark to see if the hub is lined up correctly. Also remember that once you adjust them the lifters will bleed down, so don't re-adjust them unless you loosen them up all the way again

 

you dont have to hear it for zero ash but simply feel for it. have all the nuts loose, idle motor then tighten by hand until it is stops turning easily. then its at zero lash. turn one half turn and lock em. your done.

 

I'm going to try that way Red 94 Formula...

 

Are they still supposed to be making some noise at zero lash? I unscrewed them and tightened them back till it stopped moving easy (all locks backed up) and then went 1/4 turn after that. I did the preload with the car off and I only did the driver's side to see if it worked.

 

If you have an extra set of valve covers (or just 1)you can cut a horizontal strip out then you can adjust your RRs with the motor running without the oil going everywhere.

 

1.6 rockers will make a noise no matter what. i stayed with the 1.5 rockers to keep down that claking noise. 1.6 are natualy loud rockers. the nuts should turn very freely until its gets hard all of a sudden. as soon as you reach that point you are at zero lash. dont worry about other noises because you will be at zero. then just turn it about one half turn dont go more then 3/4 of a turn because the valve would stay open a tad causing a problem.

they way you did is the right way.

 

you can leave one valve cover on,that way it will kill some of the noise for you.Jake

 

I'd just do it with the car off. I run mine once a month, but I have a solid roller. To make life simple, buy a push button stater cranker, or what ever you call it. If you don't know how to adjust them with the car off, here's how.

You can start with number 1 but doesn't really matter. When the exhaust valve just starts to open(going in the downward motion) adjust the intake valve. Now for the exhaust, just when the intake valve is starting to close(moving upwards now), adjust you exhaust, to what ever lash you want. With a push button attached to the starter this takes me about 20 to 30 mintues. Of course you only need to do it once. You 1.6's will make a little noise, but not to bad. You should hear a solid roller car, which is really not that bad, but you can sure hear them clacking.


Neal