rocker adjustment

[Slyclone]

Anyone have any good tips on making the rocker arm adjustments?

I'm not sure if I tighten them ALL down or do the process one by one. Cylinder 1, than 6.. So on. What I did was tighten them all down untill slight resistance in push rod. I want to add I have never done this before read this section in this v8 repair manual which covers 262 v6.

I set the vehicle up to TDC. I rotated the engine 4 times clockwise. My distributor showed me #1 rotor location. When I looked at the balancer the "mark" was no where near the 0-2-4-6 indicator. I rotated it 3 more times to find the piston @ #1 and it was up. I use a long screwdriver inside cylinder to watch for movement.

So has my balancer spun or am I looking at the wrong mark?

Also tighten all rockers down spin the lifters till slight resistance and follow with additional 3/4 turn? Is this process correct or is it do # 1 tighten all up, than move to #6 and than the rest?

 

[Don W.]

Re: rocker adjustment

Well here's my method. With both valve covers off turn the motor over watching the rockers on cyl #4. Just as the ex valve closes and the intake opens, adjust #1. I believe the adjustment is tighten the rocker until you can't spin the pushrod and go 1/2 turn from there. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

Continuing from #1 you'll watch #3 and adjust #6. Just write the firing order down like this:

165
432

Watch 4 adjust 1, watch3 adjust 6, and so on. Writing the firing order down this way tells you which cyl to watch and which cyl to adjust. IOW when you get to #4 you watch #1 and so-on.

This method requires just short of 2 revolutions of the crank after you get to #1. The "book" method requires only one rev but, IMHO, is confusing because you do only certain intakes and certain exhausts, then turn the engine one turn and adjust the remainder. I don't have the book with me but maybe someone can post it.

For me this is the most reliable method (harder to make a mistake), been using it for more years than I care to count. The advantage is it works for any even-fire 4 stroke cycle engine. Inline or V. Probably a rare exception out there but you'll probably never see it.

 

[Damian]

Re: rocker adjustment

Well here's my method. With both valve covers off turn the motor over watching the rockers on cyl #4. Just as the ex valve closes and the intake opens, adjust #1. I believe the adjustment is tighten the rocker until you can't spin the pushrod and go 1/2 turn from there. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

That's how DaveP showed me to do it.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

What's the story with the balancer? Like mentioned #1 distributor location points to 1. Piston is up on top I yanked the head off. Why is the 2 marks on balancer not in the center or other mark is no where near the timing indicator.

I thought one of the marks would have fell strait up with center of engine or at least on the timing index. Wondering if I am going to have a lot of trouble getting everything back running. I feel like I'm at a wall with this adjustment stuff. Haven't even attempted to do the adjusting as I was busy on something else.I had some one( who has done this before) was supposed to swing by and give me a hand but they bailed out on me. This second guessing stuff is pretty common with me and does slow me down to a degree. Constantly over thinking double checking re-doing. It doesn't end.

 

[Damian]

Re: rocker adjustment

Just spin the motor till the rotor points to number one and then look at the balancer. One of the marks on the balancer should be right there. If not, it has spun.

 

[Aeroking]

Re: rocker adjustment

When checking the mark on the balancer, make sure both valves on #1 are closed. If you are using a TDC tool, or screw driver as you said, you will make 2 marks on the balancer. The engine will most likely not got to TDC with a tool in the hole. So you need to make a mark for before-TDC. Then spin the engine backward and make a mark for after-TDC. Split the difference on the marks and that is TDC. Dozens of articles on the internet on how to do this.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

Thanks for the tip Brandon. After thinking about " how long it stays up on tdc" I had to spin it back a bit and got it right where I wanted it.

Nice thing is before all this.. The distributor did drop right in. It was almost there, but not quite.

Now I can hopefully move on to the next step.:tup:

 

[Aeroking]

Re: rocker adjustment

Remember the distributor doesn't have to go back in perfect. What matters is that the mark on the balancer is the true top dead center for #1 cylinder.

I bought a TDC tool that I install, then spin the motor by hand until the piston hits the tool & make a mark on the balancer (Before TDC) Then remove the tool and rotate the engine past TDC, reinstall the tool. Then rotate it backward until the piston hits the tool again & mark the balancer (After TDC). Split the difference and that is top dead center on the balancer.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: rocker adjustment

So did you swap a head already?

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

Yanked both heads turbo side first was a nightmare. Gasket appeared to be fine could not fond a issue. Cylinder walls looked good. Noticed some white colored valves and others were black. Some cylinders appeared to be hotter burning then others. Could not find any traces of coolant inside any cylinder.

Bottoned up pass side got everything back together broke down driver side. Same thing. Noticed inside the exhaust manifold "white" color inside one or 2 of the ports where last one was black looking. Head shared similar colors. Spoke to a engine builder and he said I'd see a real clean cylinder head where a coolant leak would be wetting the cylinder.. Everything was dry
.Again I was chasing coolant in the oil and thought there was a blow out at the gaskets. Broke everything down and I could not find any cracks or coolant seeping. I'm working on the rocker adjustments and hoping to get it running. Than make my final decision.

 

[IGottaSy]

Re: rocker adjustment

Anyone have any good tips on making the rocker arm adjustments??

If you like getting messy,
1. You can take valve cover off
2. Start engine
3. Loosen until you hear ticking, then tighten till its gone
4. Repeat for all rocker arms
5. Re install valve cover
6. Do other side.
7. Clean mess

I like doing it this way because lifters will be filled with oil as they should.

 

[Don W.]

Re: rocker adjustment

If you like getting messy,
1. You can take valve cover off
2. Start engine
3. Loosen until you hear ticking, then tighten till its gone
4. Repeat for all rocker arms
5. Re install valve cover
6. Do other side.
7. Clean mess

I like doing it this way because lifters will be filled with oil as they should.

First, this method does not pre-load the lifters which is required. Second, if they are stock type stamped steel rockers you can buy little clip-on seals that allow you to do this without spraying oil all over the place. Primarily done with folks that have solid lifters that want to adjust their valves with the engine running..

Lots of different kinds out there.

 

[dgoodhue]

Re: rocker adjustment

If you like getting messy,
1. You can take valve cover off
2. Start engine
3. Loosen until you hear ticking, then tighten till its gone
4. Repeat for all rocker arms
5. Re install valve cover
6. Do other side.
7. Clean mess

I like doing it this way because lifters will be filled with oil as they should.

I checked my valve adjustments with engine the first time I did rockers. I warmed the engine up to temp so the oil was thinner and then removed the valve covers one at a time. I used a piece of card board on the outer edge to keep the oil from splashing out. I only spilled a splash of oil from the #2 rocker on start up. It is real easy to audibly hear zero lash. I had made my adjustment properly anyways but I was starting to second guess my work with all the injector ticking, so it was worth the peace of mind.

I now adjust the valves per the manual. No need to adjust them with the engine running.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

This is where I left off, hoping I could make the adjustments with the engine like this. Of course the valve covers are loose and have no gaskets yet.

Also the truck has after market comp rockers.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

Was just digging through some paper work in my room that I wrote down a few years ago from Jack ( Icarus54) RIP my friend. The paperwork fell out and I picked it up. It was head casting numbers we went over a while back. Just picking it up I noticed the one # under the engine bay. Looks like the truck also has the GM # 10238181 L 35 heads as well.

So far since opening engine up I have discovered:

Forged rods
Forged pistons
Drilled 4 bolt main caps
Aftermarket rockers
Now appears to have l35 heads
Camshaft unknown.

 

[Don W.]

Re: rocker adjustment

Not to confuse everyone but here is a different method. I have heard of this method but never used it. It also explains lifter pre-load and some other subtleties of the process.

http://www.centuryperformance.com/valve-adjustment-procedure.html

 

[IGottaSy]

Re: rocker adjustment

If you like getting messy,
1. You can take valve cover off
2. Start engine
3. Loosen until you hear ticking, then tighten till its gone
4. Repeat for all rocker arms
5. Re install valve cover
6. Do other side.
7. Clean mess

I like doing it this way because lifters will be filled with oil as they should.

It has worked just fine for me so far. I forgot to add that after ticking stops, go a 1/4 turn tighter. Too tight and idle is noticeable changed.

 

[Don W.]

Re: rocker adjustment

It has worked just fine for me so far. I forgot to add that after ticking stops, go a 1/4 turn tighter. Too tight and idle is noticeable changed.

Thanks. I was a bit cold in my response. Sorry.

That it affects the idle, assuming you're doing this running, means you're probably, briefly, holding that valve open a tad while the lifter compensates. In my experience anyway. If you wait a moment it will smooth back out and, if you wanted, go another 1/4 turn, wait, and go again. Until the lifter is at the bottom of its travel. Not what you should do of course but that's what's happening.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: rocker adjustment

I ended up doing the adjustments. Went down the driver side and did it 1 by 1. When the intake valve closed I tightens down the exhaust than when the exhaust valve closed I did the intake. Did the same on the other side. Was probably a more timely way to do it. I started the truck real quick and heard a little noise or klack on the driver side. Valve covers are still off. Never put them on or bothered contaminating the gaskets. The truck idled up real high. Not sure if its the timing or a vac. Leak. I found 1 large upper intake vac line off at the front. Haven't tried to start it again because I cut my hand bad.

 

[Big Mike]

Re: rocker adjustment

This is how I adjust the rockers.
http://www.compcams.com/Instructions/Files/151.pdf


Adjusting intake valves: We recommend you work with one cylinder at a time. Using the crankshaft dampener
bolt in the snout of the crankshaft, turn the engine over by hand in the direction of its running rotation until the
exhaust pushrod just begins to move upward to open the valve. Stop rotation. The intake lifter is now on the
base circle of the cam and the intake valve is ready to be adjusted


Adjusting exhaust valve: To adjust exhaust valves, turn the engine over until the intake pushrod moves all the
way up. Rotate past maximum lift, approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of the way back down. The exhaust lifter is now on
the base circle and the exhaust valve can be adjusted.