OK so Im looking at the 3 methods on shoeboxes page....I need to readjust all of my valves, because I think one or more of them are not set right and is causing the engine to run rough...so I need to make sure I got them all squared away.

So when you turn the crank and put the arrow at 12 oclock, you are either at 1 or 6 TDC. The way you tell is the one that is UP (closed) and the lifter/pushrod should be down....this means the pushrod is as far down as it can be(meaning you cannot see much of it at all. This is the one that is at TDC?

Also, I was looking at Method 2 on his page which says..."If you want to set the lash by bringing each cylinder to TDC, watch the valves and the pointer on the balancer and follow the Firing order:

1-8-4-3
6-5-7-2
Adjust both intake and exhaust of the cylinder that is at TDC. You will have to make 2 revolutions of the crank, stopping at 1/4 (90º) turn intervals for each cylinder."

So after you find the one that is at TDC, then you rotate every 1/4, stop, and the next one should be ready to adjust by the lifter spinning technique. I'm a bit confused by how you know by those numbers he gave. Is 1-8-4-3 on the passenger side?

Thanks for any clerification..I only wanna do this once.

 

The best way to adjust rocker arms is the E-O-I-C method.

Basically turn the engine in normal fashion. As the exhaust valve starts to open, set the preload on the intake valve for the same cylinder. Turn the engine again. When the intake valve is just about closed, set the preload on the exhaust valve.

Front of car
1 2
3 4
5 6
7 8

 

The diagram helped me out, but im not exactly sure how the EOIC method works. How do you know when the exhaust valve starts to open, is that when the pushrod is at the DOWN possition, and is just beginning to come up?
Plus ill be doing this alone, so i would rather do a way that just allowed me to turn the crank 1/4 turn for everytime for instance, so ill know exactly when to get up from under the car and go adjust...Is that how you do the way you mentioned above?

 

Right now the biggest thing confusing me is the intake and exhaust...which one is intake and which is exhaust?

I think I understand what the 1-8-4-3
6-5-7-2 is saying now...

If im at TDC for number 1, then I adjust 1, then after a 1/4 turn I adjust 8, then 4, then 3?

Then on the second revolution you would start with 6 and so on...making two full revolutions?

Doing this, how do I know which one to do out of the intake/exhaust?

 

Okay

Standing on left,right
Driverside = 1 (exh,int) 3 (int,exh) 5 (exh,int) 7 (int,exh)

Standing on left,right
Passside = 2 (int,exh) 4 (exh,int) 6 (int,exh) 8 (exh,int)

that simple, the one on the manifold side is exh.

 

cool thanks...so now when he says

When at #1 TDC you can adjust the following valves:

Intake: 1, 2, 5, 7
Exhaust: 1, 3, 4, 8

I know exactly which ones he's talking about. This means that all of those above are at TDC along with #1??...I thought u could only adjust the pushrods when they were down? Was I wrong about that??

 

It means all those are on the base lobe of the cam and can be adjusted. When the pushrods/lifters are down, the rockers are not pressing down on the valve stem (the valve is up).

 

nope

pass side is the same as drivers side, front to back

 

So just to be sure..you can only adjust valves that are closed(Pushrod in Down position) correct?

 

Yes and the ones that are specified in whatever method you are using.

 

Ok that what I thought...but when I went out to the car it looks like only like two or 4 out of the 16 are really closed, and the rest are all sort of in the middle. Maybe its my eyes.

So at #6 TDC i should be able to adjust 4 intake and 4 exhaust(method 1) correct? Then the other ones at #1...

I understand now how to do it, its jes kinda weird cause it seems like my valves are all over the place when the cranks at 12 oclock.
If one of the rockers is a little off poisition, I cant really hurt anything can I?


EDIT: AHH HAA! I was jes searching through and reading....and I never thought about it, but my crank hub has been off many times for my opti swaps..and when I took it off I never kept the arrow lined up correctly. The crank part with the arrow can go on many different ways correct? So the arrow is probably not lined up....

Now it makes sense why all the valves are not lined up like they should be.....So using the engine off method I jes pretty much gotta turn the crank and eye the valves to see which one is closed??

 

I was gonna say your hub is probably not on right. You will have to throw out using the hub as an indicator and use method 3 or engine running.

 

I ran a wire up from my starter motor solenoid and I just touch it to the +12V and bump the engine until I see an intake closing and do the exh and when I see the exh opening I do the intake. I write down the ones I have done so I don't get mixed up. Actually I make a little chart, then check them off as I go. Doesn't seem to hurt the starter or flywheel in all the years I've been doing it that way.

 

Ok so then I must use method 3...I jes tried the engine running and its jes too noisy in my garage with this car.

One question I have for ya shoebox about your page and method 3..you say...

- Turn the engine in the normal direction of rotation until the exhaust lifter for the cylinder you are adjusting starts to move up.
- On the intake rocker arm, adjust for zero lash and add your desired preload.
- Turn the engine over again until the intake valve on the same cylinder opens completely and then is almost all the way back up.
- Now, adjust the rocker arm for the exhaust valve on that cylinder to zero lash and add your desired preload.

If the exhaust is in the down position(just starting to move up) I thought you had to adjust that one...Why do you say to adjust INTAKE when the EXHAUST is moving up?? Am I reading that wrong?

Does it really matter which one you do first? Or can you just do it by whichever is in the closed position first?

 

Do it just like the instructions say.