The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Solid Rocker Questions

Do we have a step by step "how to set solid rockers " with- in this Engine Shop site ? I talked to the guy who owned my car before me and he told me to look on the drivers side door and it has the setting wrote down on there for me to use.. They are ---int 12 ext 14 ..

I would like a step by step how to do this .. You Tube videos did not explain it for a newbee like I am , I have a 235 Chevy engine out of a 55 Chevy Bel-Aire and it has been changed to solid rockers.. I am looking for what you do first and then from there next step ,,next step ,,nest step and so on .. thx if any one will take this on and help me out .

First of all, his numbers are wrong. The intake doesn't need nearly that much clearance- - - - -more like around .006". Second- - - -search the archives of this site for "companion cylinder valve adjustment". I've wasted billions of electrons over the past 20-something years describing the procedure, and my arthritic old fingers are tired from pounding a keyboard.

A hydraulic lifter engine cannot be converted to solid lifters by simply swapping the lifters- - - -the camshaft must be changed also.
Jerry

Works on 235's also.

John L .thx I will look at that video some more

Jerry ,, I have a 3/4 cam in this motor.,, beings it has this cam does this fit the numbers more accurate being int 12 ext 14 ..?

A non-stock cam could have whatever "clearance ramp" the cam grinder chose to put onto the lobe profile. The only way to tell for sure is to use a degree wheel and a dial indicator, and plot the cam profile on a piece of graph paper. I've been doing that on racing cams for 50+ years to check the accuracy of the lobes, and/or check for wear on a used cam after the racing season is over.
Jerry

thanks ,,I am going to have to depend on what is on the door and set it like the guy before me said to do so .. not sure when I will do it .. but will come back and let you know .. I do hope the people who put the engine together did what you do to find the correct settings,,

Aftermarket camshafts are sold with a specification card that lists the lobe timing, lift, and clearance specifications (on solid lifter cams). Without the "cam card" any engine builder must either guess at the clearance setting or plot a lift curve as I described above. There is a noticeable difference in the rate of lift as the cam lobe transitions from taking up the clearance to actually lifting the valve off its seat. It's very obvious to an experienced engine builder when and where that happens.
Jerry

You have shown me the way again Jerry ,, As you stated the engine builder must either guess at the clearance setting or have a "cam card" I do not think it is possible for me to get the "Cam Card" and I for sure am not smart enough to plot a lift curve .. I do wonder if I was to look up a 3/4 cam that fits this motor I have in my car,,,,,would it give me a "CAM CARD that tells me the lobe settings ???

I realize that I am taking up a lot of your time left on your fingers ,,so a YES or NO would be good enough for me on the last thing I said above..

You would need to know the name of the cam manufacturer, and probably a cam part number, and contact them directly- - - -assuming they're still in business. A "3/4 cam" stands for "3/4 race"- - - -a grind that's almost, but not quite designed for all-out competition. Those cams were called "Full Race" back in the dark ages when the cam specifications were carved on stone tablets for Julius Caesar's racing chariot drivers. These days, cams are usually classified by degrees of duration, with a slightly more radical than stock item having around 270-280 degrees of valve open time, and more radical ones in the 300 degree range or more.

Here's a shade tree method of finding a good clearance specification- - - - -with the engine fully warmed up, set the clearance to the penciled-in numbers on the door frame. If the valves are noisy, start reducing the clearance a thousandth or two at a time until the noise is at a minimum. Exhaust valves generally need a couple of thousandths more clearance than intakes, because the stem length "grows" when exposed to the heat of the exhaust gas on a long uphill pull.
Jerry

Too much lash may not be significantly noisier than the correct setting (click-click-click is normal for solid lifters), but it's not good for the bits and increases wear.
Not enough lash only has a single evil consequence: if, when the engine has reached the high end of its temperature range (long pull in high gear) any valve does not close completely that cylinder stops working. As HRL said, the exhaust is more prone to "tighten up" because of its higher operating temperature.