Okay, I just got the car back together after doing the intake gaskets, valve cover gaskets, and powder coating the intake.
I followed Shoebox's instructions on lashing the valves and went a 1/2 after zero lash. Chilton's calls for 3/4 turn, but I went with the half because it sounded better. Well, I started the car and had some serious valvetrain noise that went away after about 20 seconds. The car runs good, but I have a lot of noise from the valvetrain. Would it be better to turn the rockers down 3/4 turn?
Also, when I am in second gear, at about 5500 rpm it starts to miss and it backfires a little bit. I don't know if this is related, because I had the problem before from a bad coil wire. I have since replaced the plugs and wires and never had the problem until now. Could my lifters be too loose and causing any damage?

 

Sounds like the valves are not adjusted properly. A 1/2 past is just fine. The extra clatter you heard at start up was mostl likely your lifters pumping up.

 

I hope so, because it simply scared the #$%#^ out of me! I thought that I had sufficiently destroyed the engine.
I think that I'll get back in there and re-lash them.
Any idea on the backfire?

 

Yep... more than likely it is because your valves are ajdusted way too tight.
Just for good measure you should loosen all rockers, take out the pushrods, roll them on a flat surface to make sure none of them are bent.

 

If memory serves shoebox's instructions call for you top spin the pushrod to find zero lash. In my experiance that will result in WAY too tight so I move the pushrod up and down between the lifter and rocker till it stops and that is zero lash.

Don't get me wrong shoebox's site is a great resource this is just one detail I disagree on.

 

I did the spin method. Everything else said the same thing too.
So they are too tight?? I thought that too loose made the noise up top.

 

Sounds like you may also have adjusted the rockers when the lifters weren't necessarily on the base circle of the cam.

You have to watch very closely becuase #1 top dead center can have two different positions for the rest of the valvetrain.

Dan

 

To begin with eveyone can have a different feel for where 0 lash is----therefore everyone can have a different preload. I understand that factory is round one full turn----and how do they determine "0" lash. Anyway, I believe a good way (one-way) is to go 1/2 turn----that way you may be either less or more than 1/2 but probably not more than 1 full turn or less than 1/4 turn.

Once you do the initial adjustment with engine off, you can tweak them with the engine running if they seem too noisy, i.,e if they are 1/4 maye going to 1/2 is better, or if they are at 1/2, maybe 3/4 might quite them down a bit.

If you believe that the closer to 0 lash is the best, then go wtih solid lifters. JMHO

 

I think what I'll do is instead of spinning the pushrod, I'll stop when there is no up/down play and then go 1/2 turn from there - AFTER I check the pushrods for any bends!

 

Okay, I tried th up/down thing and it's just a PITA. Instead, I have been spinning the pushrod until I feel friction and then just going a 1/4 of a turn instead of a 1/2 like I did last time.
Is this not going to be enough?

 

Well, I did do the up/down zero lash. What I did was lift up and down on the rocker arm itself. Then I went 1/2 turn, and voila!!! runs like a champ again! Now I'm ready for the summer.

Thanks for all of your help!