I'm with you guys, pop taught me to adjust them running and
that's the way I like to do it. Although I have done them
using the static adjustment at times, especially on the first
go round after re-installation.
I personally feel that unless you'r super fast, with the
engine off the valve train cools down enough to give you
inaccurate clearances by the time you hit the last rocker.
With the engine running they all are stabilized at the
operating temperature.
The challenge is to 'feel' when the .007" or .014" gauge just
slips when the lifter comes off the ramp. The clearance may
change after you lock down the screw so you might have to hit
the adjustment a couple of times before you nail it. Like
anything else, you get better at judging how much take up
there is in the lock nut if you adjust valves often.
One thing to note here, is the feelers can get hammered
thinner if they are well used giving you false reading.
Just think of the valve train as a mini drop forge which
over time will hammer out the feeler blades. It's usually
quite obvious when a feeler gets thinned out, but a
ball mic will tell the truth.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
Last edited by Denny Graham; 03/19/2015 1:36 PM.
