Evening. I've never adjusted valves before, so I'm getting my feet wet tonight. I'm working with a COLD ENGINE, just as a dry run. I'm using Hotrod Lincoln's
"companion cylinder" approach. Could someone please check my thinking here?
Following HRL's steps, I've got the #6 intake valve just beginning to open, which means the #1 valves are both completely closed and not on a cam lobe (terminology?). I then try to insert a feeler gauge (0.007" for intake, 0.014" for exhaust, per the shop manual), where the rocker arm meets the push rod. However, the feeler gauge doesn't even begin to enter the space, because no space exists.
My thinking is, if one is supposed to check clearance in a hot engine, and things expand when hot, then clearance would be tighter when hot and looser when cold. So if I have zero clearance with a cold engine, things would be excessively tight with a hot engine (i.e., the adjusting screws are much too tight).
Is my logic sound? I hate to back off the screws a bunch because the engine runs, and I don't want to make it not run (I have a history of breaking stuff that worked before I touched it. Like my poor old speedometer. But I digress.).
Any thoughts out there? Thanks!
