The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Classtime with Jerry -- Valve Adjusting

-- NOTE -- I'm currently (0600, 7 Aug 26)editing this into a real Tech Tip ... In the meantime, I've made it a sticky so I don't have to got search for it again should I lose it. We'll move this to the Tech Tips after a bit so folks will get a chance to see it and comment on it. The videos are intended to be instructional, not cinematic masterpieces. Hopefully ... they get the message across. Sorry if the audio isn't great on your end. It sounds fine here so I wouldn't know how to improve it.

There are probably a lot of ways NOT to adjust your Stovebolt's valves correctly. But here's how to do it the Jerry (i.e., the *right*) way.

So whether its that time of year again to adjust the valves or, like me, you had to pull the head anyway (to replace a blown head gasket and replace worn valve guides) so why not do a complete valve job while you're at it so now you have to adjust the valves anyway from scratch... ?

Whatever the reason, here's a series of short videos Jerry and I did yesterday while getting my '49 back together. Jerry will walk you through making sure new valves aren't going to contact the pistons, initial valve setting (so we can run the engine to warm up the valves for a final adjustment, how to use the dial indicator, basics on feeler gauge use and ... most important the companion cylinder valve adjustment method.

See the photo below. You will need it for the last few videos.

Jerry (Hotrod Lincoln) explains:

Video 1 -- Checking for piston-valve clearance with a dial indicator

Video 2 -- Initial valve adjustments

Video 3 -- John demonstrates his incompetence -- note the zip tie .... A lesson in stopping and taking a good look around when something won't work right. The answer is usually right in front of you (literally .. )

Video 4 -- Engine warmup prior to final valve adjustment

Video 5 -- Basic valve adjusting and feeler gauge use

Video 6 -- Companion Cylinder Valve Adjustment -- Have the training aid below handy for this video.


Hope all of this helps!

Good stuff! But you needed to get Jerry fitted with a remote microphone. Pretty hard to hear with any background noise. Don't know if a video editor will allow you to turn up the volume a little.

Hmmm. Are you sure the volume issue isn't on your end? I hear him fine.

Took another look and yes, I think I see. Not sure what I can do with the limited editing s/w on hand here. I'll see, but this will have to do for now.

I've got it cranked up all the way here. I could hear him without ANY sound in the background, but if the wife has the TV on, no chance of understanding what he's saying. I'll have another listen.

Video 5 with the TV off, I still have to strain to hear him. My wife says I need hearing aids, but I still hear better than she does with her hearing aids in.

True. I'm sitting here with zero background noise. Peggy is in bed with the door closed and her ear buds in so I have the volume turned up and Jerry is making it through my tinnitus.

If I had a real camera, mic, some lights and editing equipment, I could head over to Jerry's and do a bunch of good training videos. But all I have is Photoshop and my trusty, beatup Galaxy S20...

But other than that, Mrs. Kennedy, did you enjoy the parade?

Thanks for the airtime, John! I doubt if a long haired redneck will ever become a You Tube star, but it's always good to pass on information I've learned from a lot of old geezers around auto shops and race tracks over the past 60-something years! Now I guess I'm the opinionated old dude!
Jerry

John, I was able to copy one of the videos and turn up the sound to 150%. It turned out much better. I can e-mail it to you and if you like it, I could do the same to the rest of them.

Thanks for the videos!

The audio was good enough for me. (My hearing is shot, but with the help of the hearing aids, the videos worked well enough.)

I really feel that the videos help get the information across.

Thanks John and Jerry!

Well done!

Great videos! Camera was clear, audio was clear. Great job, thanks!

One quick addition- - - -a detail I failed to catch until John posted the video. That valve to piston clearance check needs to be done with the valves at the "overlap" position, at the top of the exhaust stroke as the exhaust valve is closing and the intake is beginning to open. The video looks like we were at the top of the compression stroke, not overlap. The top of the exhaust stroke is where the closest piston/valve position will happen. A stovebolt engine with a relatively "stock" cam profile isn't likely to have problems, but that test is very important on a hotrod engine with high compression and a radical cam. I usually do tests like that as I'm assembling an engine on a stand- - - -not leaning over a fender!
Jerry

Good stuff! I learned alot. Nice to be instructed by a 9 level . HRL knows what that means. Thanks John also. Could hear well on my PC.
Dave

9 Level...

For the "What NOT to do" part??? You're welcome. Glad to do my part -- be Igor to HRL's Dr. Einstein.

"Hump?? What hump???"

LOL! Good one, Wilbur! The best I could manage with the USAF was a 7 level E-5! Automotive-wise, a bit more advanced!
Jerry

Great Information and video. For your next project could you do a video on adjusting the Hydraulic lifter engines?

The same companion cylinder procedure works on hydraulic lifters. Instead of using a feeler gauge, just tighten the adjusting screw to barely eliminate the slack in the pushrod/rocker arm/valve assembly, then tighten the adjusting screw another 3/4-1 turn to slightly compress the plunger on the lifter. Then lock the jam nut down. The factory instructions say to use 1 1/2 turns of the adjuster screw, but I've found that's usually a bit too much. Once you get thoroughly frustrated with trying to keep stovebolt hydraulic lifters adjusted, bite the bullet and buy a solid lifter cam.
Jerry

Jerry - You went with 8 on the intakes, and 12 on exhaust on a cold engine. How does that translate to a hot engine?

Actually, I did a quick and dirty "guesstimate" on the cold setting. I took out all the clearance, then backed the adjuster off 1/4 turn and tightened the locknuts. After about a 20 minute warmup run, I stopped the engine and made the .008" intake/.012" exhaust adjustment at operating temperature. I never try to do a hot, running adjustment.
Jerry

That makes sense, thank!

Really great set of videos!

Since the adjuster screws have a 20 thread per inch pitch, and the rocker arm has approximately a 1.5:1 ratio, 1/4 turn of the adjusting screw gives a clearance of about .020" at the valve stem. That's "close enough" to do a warmup run without an excessive amount of noise, while still giving the valve stems a little running clearance. That's what Dad used to call a SWAG (Scientific Wild-A** guess!)
Jerry